Gibney (Oppenheimer) Beach

Beaches St. JohnLast verified October 30, 2026

Strip of white sand at Gibney Beach in late-afternoon light, below tall coconut palms and sea grape trees, with swim buoys in the calm water — Gibney (Oppenheimer) Beach

Gibney Beach, also called Oppenheimer Beach, lines the eastern part of Hawksnest Bay on St. John's North Shore, east of the national park's Hawksnest Beach. The Oppenheimer property passed to the Virgin Islands government in 1980, and the Department of Sports, Parks and Recreation (DSPR) runs it as the Oppenheimer Beach Facility. Deed covenants call for the property's gate to stay closed to vehicles, bar businesses and limit amplified music. The beach house, once used for summer camps and nonprofit events, is damaged: in February 2025 DSPR reported a $1 million Economic Development Authority grant for repairs and a restarted study for coastal protection. No official source lists parking, restrooms, a fee or a lifeguard, so bring what you need. The Department of Planning and Natural Resources includes Oppenheimer in its weekly beach testing, but its advisories from August to mid-October 2026 say St. John beaches were not sampled.

Services

Territorial beach run by the Department of Sports, Parks and Recreation
Gate closed to vehicles under the deed covenants
Beach house awaiting repair
No facilities, fee or lifeguard listed

How we checked

Last verified on October 30, 2026. The business has not reviewed this listing.

Source: VI Source archive, May 30, 2014, https://visourcearchives.com/content/2014/05/30/balance-needed-between-oppenheimer-beach-use-and-neighbors-concer/ (transfer to the V.I. government in February 1980, department management, deed covenants, summer camps and nonprofit events); V.I. Department of Sports, Parks and Recreation parks list, https://dspr.vi.gov/Parks.html ('Oppenheimer Beach Facility', Parcel 1B, Estate Dennis Bay); V.I. Consortium, February 24, 2025, https://viconsortium.com/vi-government/virgin-islands-oppenheimer-beach-rehabilitation-underway-with--1-million-eda-grant--bolques-proposes-name-change ($1 million EDA grant, geotechnical study for coastal protection); St. Thomas Source, February 21, 2025, https://stthomassource.com/?p=397305 (restoration still to come); National Park Service compendium, https://www.nps.gov/viis/learn/management/compendium.htm (updated October 6, 2026; Gibney/Oppenheimer beach area east of the park beach); DPNR beach advisories, https://dpnr.vi.gov/beach-advisory/ (Oppenheimer is a monitored beach; St. John beaches were not sampled in the advisories of August 7 to October 16, 2026); all accessed 2026-10-30. No source found gives parking, facilities or the beach house's current status.

USVI Realty does not rank, rate or endorse the places and services in this directory. Hours, fees and rules change, so check the official source before you go.

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