This hike was the most enjoyed by the family of all the activities shared together on the island.Our guide was very knowledgable of the land.Educational & exhilarating event.Good downhill hike with several points of interest along the way.Most of the hike is under foilage so the heat of any sunshine was not a factor.The ruins @ the bottom of the trail & boat ride back were pretty cool.

We hiked this trail from the Cinnamon Bay campground. It's a great hike. Th steeper part is growing from the campground to the Centerline road. It was nice and we met no one on this part. Rainforest makes a nice shade even in the sunny day. Hiking along the Centerline road is not too scary - just stay on the right side to face the traffic. You can hear cars and especially large trucks from far away. The Reef Bay trail proper is longer, and therefore not as steep, especially towards the second half of it. We saw many more people there - park service groups hike, and hikers who parked along the Centerline road. Yet, when we reached the beach, there were only couple people there snorkeling. It's a very nice snorkeling spot , but beware of coral and sand flies. The flies were vicious the moment we took shelter in the shrubs, and the corals made walking the beach difficult. I guess we should have been ok if we packed the sandals. Anyway, I loved the beach because of the solitude and because I found two absolutely fantastic conch shells there. I highly recommend the hike and the beach - just pack sandals and bug spray.

This was a very enjoyable experience. If you want to learn about the history of the island, this is the way to go. We went with Ranger Don who was outstanding. He provided lots of information at numerous stops along the way. Make sure you buy your ticket at least a few weeks in advance since it gets booked up. Our group was about 25 people ranging in age from about 7 to 65 years. Since this is a half day experience, it might be difficult for the very youngest visitors.

As others have said, you should not wear flip flops, but you can wear good sneakers... you don't need hiking boots. On our hike it did not rain, and there is almost always tree cover, so even though it might be warm and humid, it is not uncomfortable. If you are coming over from St. Thomas on the ferry, there are places to get breakfast, snacks, and food and water to bring in a pack for the walk. Also bring a bathing suit and towel for the swim at the end. There is a bathroom where you can change into your bathing suit.

We did the 3 miles to Reef Bay and loved it all. The Ranger, Golda, was fabulous with great local knowledge and we learned alot about plants, petroglyphs, local cuisine and the old sugar industry. The hike down was pretty easy then we took the boat back to Cruz Bay - excellent value for $30. We were lucky to get a reservation since we only went the day before so plan ahead.