Discover St. John
Though it is the smallest of the three main U.S Virgin Islands, St. John's unspoiled beauty is perhaps the greatest found anywhere in the Caribbean. The natural beauty of St. John offers visitors pristine splendor amidst modern luxuries and quaint island charm.
Originally settled by the Arawak and Carib Indians, the island has a history as rich as its landscape. The United States purchased St. John from the Danish West India and Guinea Company in 1917. In 1956, Laurance Rockefeller and other private donors donated over 5,000 acres of the island to the National Park Service.
With two-thirds of the island designated as a national park, St. John has some of the world's most beautiful beaches, like the much-beloved Trunk Bay. This beach is renowned for its crystal sands and underwater nature trail, and it just one of the many memorable beaches on St. John.
Most visitors and locals will agree that when it comes to beaches on St. John a 'good to best' scale just would not do. The scale for describing St. John's beaches is 'Great', 'Greater' and 'It's a secret so I am not telling anyone'. All beaches on St. John are open to the public. Beachfront property however, in many cases is private and a few popular beaches have hotels nearby. Respect private property when accessing beaches. It is illegal to collect shells from beaches in the Virgin Islands; shells are confiscated at airport customs.
St. John is a hilly island of volcanic origin covering about 19 square miles with a population of 4,170 (2010 census). At its widest points, St. John is about 13.5 miles long and about 6 miles wide. The highest elevation is 1,277 feet at Bordeaux Mountain.
Weather on St. John ranges from beautiful to excellent, with near-ideal temperatures and gentle Tradewind breezes. Rainfall averages about 43 inches per year. Winter temperatures range from about 77 to 84 degrees and summer temperatures range from about 82 to 90 degrees.