Island life, public services listed for reference
Beaches and parks are where island life happens on weekends. On St. John, the National Park Service manages Virgin Islands National Park, which covers about two-thirds of the island, and national parks and monuments on St. Croix protect reefs, forts and the Salt River Bay. Territorial parks such as Magens Bay on St. Thomas have their own hours and fees. Check each one's rules on fees, parking, pets and protected areas before you go. We list them for reference, with the date we last verified each one.
Last verified October 28, 2026
Magens Bay Park is a public beach park on the north coast of St. Thomas, managed by the Magens Bay Authority. The park dates to 1946, when Arthur S. Fairchild donated 56 acres to the municipalities of St.
Last verified October 28, 2026
Buck Island Reef National Monument protects Buck Island, about 1.5 miles off St. Croix, along with the reefs and waters around it.
Photo: Sean Linehan, NOAA, Public domain
Last verified October 28, 2026
Christiansted National Historic Site preserves Danish colonial buildings on the Christiansted waterfront, including Fort Christiansvaern, the Danish Customs House, the Scale House, the Danish West India and…
Photo: CaptJayRuffins, CC BY-SA 4.0
Last verified October 28, 2026
Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve is managed jointly by the National Park Service and the Government of the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Photo: Alchematics, CC BY-SA 4.0
Last verified October 28, 2026
Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument protects federal submerged lands within the three-mile belt off St. John.
Photo: olekinderhook, CC BY 3.0
Last verified October 28, 2026
Virgin Islands National Park covers 7,259 acres of St. John, about 60 percent of the island's land, plus 5,650 acres of submerged lands offshore.
Photo: Navin75, CC BY-SA 2.0
Moving, updated October 29, 2026
