Annaly Bay and Tide Pools
Around St. Croix
Photo: Jason P. Heym, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Matt H. Wade, CC BY-SA 3.0
Annaly Bay is a pebble beach on St. Croix's northwest coast, with tide pools at its west end, inside Maroon Sanctuary Territorial Park. The Trumbull Trail to it starts near the guard gate of the former Carambola Beach Resort, which closed in 2026 for its Club Med rebuild, so confirm parking first. Sources differ: GoToStCroix gives 5.2 miles round trip and 1.5 to 2 hours, with a steep start and rocky or muddy ground that can be hard to follow; the Department of Tourism lists 3.9 miles, moderate; BushTribe Eco Adventures, which guides the hike, calls it strenuous. There are no facilities, little shade and spotty cell service, so bring water and sturdy shoes, and do not hike alone. Waves wash over the slippery rocks around the pools: a visitor drowned there in 2021, and a man was airlifted out in 2022. Check wind and sea conditions first.
Services
- Trail of 3.9 to 5.2 miles, rated moderate to strenuous by source
- Guided hikes from local operators
- No facilities; spotty cell service
- Main tide pool about 4 to 5 feet deep
How we checked
Last verified on October 31, 2026. We checked it against the sources below.
Source: GoToStCroix, https://www.gotostcroix.com/discover/hiking-trails/annaly-bay-tide-pools/ (5.2 miles round trip from the Trumbull Trailhead near the Carambola guard gate, 1.5 to 2 hours round trip, a challenging hike, steep at first, rough, rocky or muddy ground, trail hard to find and follow, no amenities, little to no cell reception, wet and slippery rocks, do not hike alone, check wind and sea conditions, guided hike advised for first-time visitors), https://www.gotostcroix.com/discover/beaches/annaly-bay-and-tide-pools/ (about 5 miles round trip, smooth rocks and pebbles, not great for swimming, rough surf, little shade, do not risk the climb when waves are rough), https://www.gotostcroix.com/discover/points-interest/annaly-bay-tide-pool/ (Maroon Sanctuary Territorial Park, main pool 4 to 5 feet deep, conditions change quickly) and https://www.gotostcroix.com/st-croix-blog/hotel-update-carambola-beach-resort/ (last updated June 2026: the resort is closed behind construction fences), all copyright 2026; USVI Department of Tourism, https://www.visitusvi.com/experience/top-hiking-trails/ (Carambola Trumbull Trail, 'Moderate, 3.9 miles', pools about 4 to 5 feet deep); BushTribe Eco Adventures, https://www.bushtribe.com/adventures/annaly-bay-tide-pools-hike (guided hike rated strenuous, about five miles, 350-foot climb, 3 hours or more; the page still names the Renaissance Carambola Resort as the meeting point and gives a pool depth of up to 6 feet); St. Thomas Source, September 8, 2021, https://stthomassource.com/content/2021/09/08/female-visitor-to-stx-drowns-at-annaly-bay/ (visitor knocked off the rocks by waves and drowned); VI Consortium, November 24, 2022, https://viconsortium.com/vi-accidents/virgin-islands-65-year-man-rescued-from-blowhole-in-tide-pools-at-annaly-bay-by-coast-guard-st-croix-rescue-dpnr-and-vifems-units (man pulled under by a wave, trapped in a blowhole and hoisted out by Coast Guard helicopter) and January 13, 2025, https://viconsortium.com/vi-accidents/virgin-islands-two-injured-in-separate-hiking-accidents-at-tide-pool--st--croix (two hikers hurt in falls on the trail); all accessed 2026-10-31. No source states how the resort's construction affects trailhead parking. Map point: GNIS feature 1613694 (Bay), 'Annaly Bay'; GNIS has no Beach feature for it.
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