Estate Morningstar Water Mill Trail

Hiking trails St. Croix Cane Bay and the North ShoreLast verified October 31, 2026

Around Cane Bay and the North Shore

Stone ruins of the Rust Op Twist sugar mill on a grassy hillside under a blue sky — Cane Bay, St. Croix

Boats moored in Salt River Bay, framed by mangroves and green hills, with the open sea beyond on St. Croix's north shore — Salt River Bay, St. Croix

Forested hills of St. Croix's north shore sloping to the sea above Davis Bay, with palms, a small beach and red-roofed buildings among the trees — Davis Bay, North Shore, St. Croix

The Estate Morningstar Water Mill trail is a short, easy walk to the stone tower of a sugar mill, dating from at least the mid-1700s, in Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve. GoToStCroix puts the trailhead at a parking area on North Shore Road (Sydney Lee Road) near Salt River Bay, across from a farm entrance. The out-and-back path is about 0.25 miles round trip, mostly flat on packed dirt and gravel, and takes about 15 minutes, with history signs. The round tower, built of coral stone by enslaved Africans, is about 16 feet across and more than 40 feet tall; GoToStCroix says it ran on water from the Salt River, unlike most mills on the island. The National Park Service stabilized the ruins and added signs in 2019. Parking is free; there are no restrooms or water, so bring water and insect repellent.

Services

About 0.25 miles round trip, easy (GoToStCroix)
Interpretive signs
Free roadside parking; no facilities

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/estate-morningstar-water-mill/ (copyright 2026; within Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve, trailhead on North Shore Road, signs, 0.25 miles and about 15 minutes, surface, mill dimensions, mid-18th-century date, water power used to grind sugarcane, 2019 NPS stabilization, free parking, no amenities); National Park Service, https://www.nps.gov/sari/planyourvisit/fees.htm (no entrance fee for the park) and https://www.nps.gov/sari/index.htm (park home page; describes a brick and coral masonry tower built in the 1790s that used wind to move water from Salt River to nearby estates); all accessed 2026-10-31. NPS does not publish a page for this trail, and its description of that tower differs from GoToStCroix's account of the mill, so the water-power detail is attributed. Map point: GNIS feature 1614160, 'Morningstar' (Populated Place), the estate, not the trailhead.

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