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Buck Island Trail

Hiking trailsSt. CroixLast verified October 31, 2026

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Around St. Croix

Rooftops of Christiansted and its harbor seen from Recovery Hill, with the reef and open sea beyond

Photo: Jason P. Heym, CC BY-SA 3.0

Christiansted, St. Croix
Arched sidewalk galleries along a street of colorful historic buildings in Christiansted

Photo: Prayitno, CC BY 2.0

Christiansted, St. Croix
The red walls of Fort Frederik on the Frederiksted waterfront, with green hills rising behind the town

Photo: Matt H. Wade, CC BY-SA 3.0

Frederiksted, St. Croix

The Buck Island Trail crosses Buck Island, in Buck Island Reef National Monument, a 5.5-mile sail from Christiansted by private boat or with an authorized concession operator from Christiansted Wharf or Green Cay Marina. There is no entrance fee, and the island is open daily, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. The marked trail runs between the West Beach picnic area and Diedrichs Point; the National Park Service puts the crossing at about 45 minutes and calls it fairly strenuous. From West Beach it climbs through forest to the crest, where a side path leads to an observation point over the reef, then switchbacks down to Diedrichs Point; return along the shore. The easier West Beach trail loops through manchineel forest. Both picnic areas have tables, grills and vault toilets, but the island has no other services. Wear shoes and a shirt, carry plenty of water, and take nothing away.

Services

  • Trailheads at West Beach and Diedrichs Point
  • About 45 minutes across, fairly strenuous (NPS)
  • Observation point over the reef
  • Easier West Beach loop
  • Boat access only; no entrance fee

How we checked

Last verified on October 31, 2026. We checked it against the sources below.

Source: National Park Service, Buck Island Reef National Monument, https://www.nps.gov/buis/planyourvisit/outdooractivities.htm (updated April 14, 2026; trail from Diedrichs Point or the West Beach picnic area, 45 minutes, fairly strenuous, route, overlook side trail, shoes, shirt and water, West Beach trail, picnic facilities, nothing may be removed from the monument), https://www.nps.gov/buis/planyourvisit/things2do.htm (overlook platform), https://www.nps.gov/buis/planyourvisit/basicinfo.htm (updated October 8, 2026; 5.5-mile sail from Christiansted, concession boats at Christiansted Wharf and Green Cay Marina, hours 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., no visitor services on the island) and https://www.nps.gov/buis/planyourvisit/fees.htm (no entrance pass required); all accessed 2026-10-31. NPS gives no length for the trail. Map point: NPS Public POIs dataset, 'West Beach Picnic Area' (OBJECTID 26482), the West Beach trailhead, https://mapservices.nps.gov/arcgis/rest/services/NationalDatasets/NPS_Public_POIs_Geographic/FeatureServer/0, accessed 2026-10-31.

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