My girlfriend and I were on St John yesterday and we had to stop at Trunk Bay. BEAUTIFUL!! The water was crystal clear and the beach pristine. I thought Magens Bay was great... Trunk Bay trumps Magens Bay. There is an 5 dollar admission fee to get in an if I remember they do except credit cards. There is parking but I recommend you get there early because it does fill up especially when there is a cruise ship in town. If you get hungry or want to have a libation, Trunk Bay does have food and drinks which includes alcohol. I strongly suggest visiting Trunk Bay. It's spectacular. Oh quick note... there is no life guard on duty so be careful. Luckily it's not that deep. Oh ... I forgot... bring your make and snorkel because the Maine life is spectacular! Lots of fish. Will be back!! read more

See all

Nice Swimming Beach Area! Underwater Signs Describing Sea Life! This is one of my favorite beaches on the island. There is a little island of the beach a ways you can swim around and read the underwater signs describing the sea life. There are often LOTS of people here which drives some of the marine life away. I ended up swimming a half mile or so up the coast and literally ran into my first shark! Scared the heck out of me since I didn't see it until I was 12" away or so and it shot our from the rocks. Apparently we scared each other! Mellow currents and nice warm waters here make for good free diving or snorkeling... This is a good spot to spend the day. PS: Get here early if you want parking! read more

Excursion booked on Norwegian Escape These excursions basically all present themselves in a perfect world when glancing at adverts and reading captions from other people who have visited. Due to the region, your internet connection might not be working well enough to establish connection and seek other non-biased opinions. I'm glad we rolled the dice on this one because everything from boarding a commercial boat vessel with attentive staff navigating across a short distance via the St Thomas channel to St John (Cruz Bay) we arrived safely. Quickly boarded a tourist safari type bus and continued our journey along North Shore Drive. The scenery is just simply pure virgin and majestic with so many remote beaches in route to Trunk Bay. Of course having gained elevation on our path and descending to Trunk Bay really sets the pace as your heart starts to race in anticipation. Trunk Bay is a registered national park and is heavily regulated by the US government. You won't have to deal with hagglers and pan handling as access to bay is strictly limited. To access the beach, you'll have to get oriented by a park employee who will go over public use of beach. Respect the beauty and limit your trash to designated trash cans, obey signs as to where you can snorkel. Even though the calm turquoise flat ocean water is calm and shallow, your inner child wants to go beyond and swim further out. Lifeguard is on duty at all times. Amenities available are restrooms, changing stations, showers, lockers, snacks/drinks and a hot grill serving fast food. Grab yourself snorkel equipment and seek everyone's favorite friend, a turtle(s) lurking out there being friendly. Of course depending on what day you access the park, you can expect to find heavy crowds for a short duration during the day since everyone is on a limited time schedule like us. I can only imagine once visitors from nearby ships docked at St. Thomas are gone, all of these beaches along N. Shore Drive can be therapeutic for anyone making a full day or perhaps a full week. PRESTINE We had the pleasure to visit (3) ports and St. Thomas along with St. John are definitely on the radar for a 2nd return trip to the region and fully grasp the natural tranquility. Disclaimer: my review is based on visiting during the month of December. FYI - sunscreen was used :) Pura vida :) read more

See all

Ahhhhhh man, it really pains me to do this to my absolute favorite beach in the world, but I gotta drop a star. The cost to get here has gotten really damn pricey! If you're coming from St. Thomas (day trip to St. John), updated fees per adult as of April 2016: - Ferry ride from Waterfront STT: $13 each way (cash only) ~OR~ - Ferry ride from Redhook STT: $7 each way (cash only) - Maxi Taxi to Truck Bay: $6 each way (cash only) - Beach entrance: $5 (cash or card). You do the math, but let me highlight again that's PER ADULT. I feel sorry for these big ass families or those with kids! That doesn't include if you want to eat/drink or do any activities while you're there. That's one expensive ass beach trip LOL. It is worth it though, I promise you that sand and water is worth it at least once in a lifetime. Just don't be surprised at the cost to experience paradise. read more

We visited 5 beaches between St. Thomas and St. John and this was our favorite!! It might be because we were lucky and got a beautiful weather day! The sand is so soft and the water was like pool water. They have bathroom facilities and chair/snorkel rentals as well. I wish we could have come back another day to this beach. Absolutely beautiful. read more

See all

Best beach I've been to here at USVI. My wife and I visited maybe 6-7 beaches (there's waaaayyyy more) but this public beach was the cleanest with the clearest water with no seaweed or rocks in sight. There is a mini island about 100ish yards from the beachfront that u can snorkel in and there's a ton of fish. It is a national park so restrooms, showers and food/drink are available and relatively well kept. There is a $5 entrance fee per person and plenty of taxis to get you from cruz bay to this beach and back read more

Trunk Bay - Trunk bay beach panoramic - Beaches Near Me - St John, Virgin Islands

Such a beautiful beach! Plenty of wildlife to see. Bring snorkel gear. We saw two stingrays, a sea turtle, and many fish during our snorkel. This seems like a busy, party beach so pack a beach tent and a cooler with some drinks to join in on the fun! read more

See all

This beach has to be one of my favorite. The water is crystal clear, white sand and you have access to a snack shop and drinks. Perfect place to relax. read more

Trunk Bay - Trunk bay - Beaches Near Me - St John, Virgin Islands

Most beautiful beach on St. John? Probably. It's too far to hike to I think, since it wasn't included on the national park trail maps. We took a taxi here from the Cruz Bay ferry dock and it was $6 per person, each way. It was a pretty steep, curvy, nauseating trip for me but also very short. Maybe 5 minutes. Tons of taxis parked here to take visitors to and from wherever they wanted to go. This beach cost $5 to get in, had facilities like bathrooms, showers, a snack bar, rental area and lots of beauty! The grounds were well taken care of, and they also had some lifeguards who booked out pretty early as well. Very little shade offered on this beach, no free chairs and no picnic tables either. We wanted to rent some chairs, which were $8 per chair with a $25 deposit. We only got to enjoy the chairs for an hour and 15 minutes since you have to return the chairs to the rental area by 3pm! I tell ya, everything closes up way too early on these islands. Even the bar and snack bar closed up early by 3 or 4pm. They shut off the water to the bathrooms and showers and lock up the bathrooms at 4:30pm sharp. It's free to get in after 4:30pm, but you will have to leave with a sandy butt since the water is shut off. Even most of the taxis were gone by 4:30pm, except for 2. The best part? The beach. That view. The snorkeling "trail." Lots to see for snorkeling here. Tons of sting rays, sea urchins, and exotic fish. It was the most crowded beach of the trip due to 3 cruise ships docked at St. Thomas that day, but it was worth it. Most of the cruise ship people were gone by 4pm anyway. Aside from the early closings, this beach is worth it for the natural beauty and amazing snorkeling. I never wanted to leave. read more

See all

Breathtaking from the view above (ask taxi driver to stop for a photo op) and very clean and beautiful beach to spend the day, or just a few hours. $5 entry per person. Water is clear and warm with no large waves. Facilities are available, as well as chair and snorkel rentals. There's a bar, small gift shop, and snack bar (hamburger with chips $15). If you're afraid of birds, and if you're eating, make sure you sit under an umbrella. They will dive bomb! Be sure to bring your camera (and some bug spray!) read more

See all

4.5 stars. "Condé Nast Traveler" consistently ranks Trunk Bay among the Top 10 Most Beautiful Beaches in the World. The National Geographic Society has dubbed it *The* Most Beautiful Beach in the World. Rankings such as these often leave me wondering how the heck one ranks places like beaches, and what criteria are used -- I mean, aren't there thousands of beaches the world over? Don't some people like white sand and palm trees, while others enjoy rocky cliffs and lighthouses? At any rate, Trunk Bay is unquestionably breathtaking. It definitely evokes those PC screensavers from Windows 95. You can check every tropical landmark off your list: powdery, white coral sand; coconut palms; sea grape; crystal clear, turquoise water; coral reef; tiny islands offshore. Trunk Bay is, without a doubt, a truly beautiful beach and one well-worth visiting to see for oneself. The ocean feels like silky bathwater and is a true pleasure to float in. Photo ops abound. And there are showers, restrooms, and a concession stand selling snacks, burgers, and beers. But. The beach itself is narrow. At high tide, you need to place your towel and possessions as close to the treeline as possible to avoid a thorough soaking. When signs say that the surf is rough, they mean it. You'll be bandied about like a cork and need to keep your wits about you if don't want to be sucked out to sea. It's certainly fun to frolic in the large waves, but it makes snorkeling impossible. The National Park Service will close the snorkeling paths if they deem the surf too rough. It gets crowded. Obviously, when people find themselves in this part of the world, they want to spend time on one of earth's most beautiful beaches. The upside of a rough surf day is that snorkeling trips get canceled, tho, which means no tour boats anchored offshore marring the skyline, and fewer people in the water. There is a $4 NPS fee for using the beach. This doesn't bother me in the least, however, since I never mind supporting America's Parks. Tho I've visited a few beaches equally as spectacular, Trunk Bay is well worth a peek and several hours of lazing on the sand, snorkeling, or bobbing in the water. Just to say you've been the World's Most Beautiful Beach. read more

See all

This is a MUST SEE when on St. John's. $5 admission and limited parking (consider taking a cab instead of driving). There are showers and restrooms that do shut down at some point during the day (the park officer will let you know when), a snack truck and a bar. Powder beaches where you can see clear to the bottom of the ocean 20 feet below. Gorgeous. read more

Just back from Trunk Bay, January 2013. It's the best of the best for snorkeling from the shore because the coral lines the coastline. We swam with many schools of fish in the calm warm Caribbean waters. There are bathrooms, water sales, and fresh water showers. I brought my own snorkel mask and tube but rented fins and an inflatable vest. I wish that I brought my own fins bc the ones they rented me cut right into my skin in just 1.5 hours. I could go here all day, every day and will try to make it back in the future. Just a note to the National Park Service: Use some $$ you have to fix some of the out of order showers. Don't let this gem go to s--t! read more

It's a fine beach. It will be the busiest one since it's closest to the Cruz Bay dock and setup for larger tourist groups. Wasn't as busy as Hanauma Bay in Oahu, but similar kind of mass tourist feeling. Will cost you $4 admission + taxi fare. Coin lockers are available. If you want a bit more seclusion, I'd skip this one and head further out to another beach (Cinammon was just as great without the crowds) The snorkel trail is okay. There's a bit of marine life info on the underwater plaques. The trail get busy so mind your fellow tourists in the water - lest you crash into each other on the swim. It was cool to see a deer come crashing out of the bushes and dash off. They are an imported species. And in 2014 the Feds culled a few dozen due to worries of overpopulation. read more

Trunk Bay - Wild imported deer - Beaches Near Me - St John, Virgin Islands

See all

Absolutely the most beautiful beach we've been to on this trip. Crystal clear water, white sand a great reef to snorkel and explore. We saw lots of beautiful fish and even saw a sting ray!!!! You definitely should check it out when you come to Saint John!!!! read more

See all

Where do I even start? Trunk Bay has been on my bucket list for years. This beach is exactly as everyone describes it - like paradise. It's easily one of the most beautiful beaches I've ever been to. We caught sight of a few small fish and even two large stingrays, not to mention dolphins and a random deer strolling along the shoreline. We paid $5 for admission, though we had anticipated free entry with our military IDs, that perk turned out to be discounted. Finding parking was a bit of a challenge, but we were kindly allowed to park near the road. The locals suggested arriving early to secure a spot. Fortunately, they have showers and bathroom facilities for getting rid of sand, which was a lifesaver. Other amenities are available too, like a small restaurant, bar, and equipment rental spot. I'd recommend bringing your own snacks to avoid the steep prices. And if you're looking to escape the sun, there are some great shaded areas too read more

Amazing blue water and great snorkeling. Best beach on St John. Take a ferry from Red Hook to Cruz Bay for $7 and a $6 cab ride gets you there. There is also a $5 entrance per person. Facilities are nice with showers and toilets but they close at 4.30pm. read more

Trunk Bay - Overlooking trunk bay - Beaches Near Me - St John, Virgin Islands

See all

Amazing views. Pretty decent waters (not too rocky) Great amenities. Full service bathroom / showers. Food bar and small gift shop. Definitely check this beach out if your visiting St. John. Taxi ride is $6 per person from the fairy dock to and from. read more

See all

Trunk bay was on of the highlights of our trip. It is part of a national park so there is a $5 per person entry fee but it is well worth it. The beach is long and is not over crowded. You can rent snorkels if you need them and there is a very cool under water trail with signs that give you fun facts about the sea life you see. The employees at the bar and small restaurant at the beach were friendly as well. Over all one of the best beaches on our stay at the Virgin Islands. read more

Trunk Bay - Beaches Near Me - St John, Virgin Islands

My wife, two sons (9 yrs., 7 yrs), and I arrived at 9:00am and the parking lot was blissfully uncrowded. After paying the $4 per adult admission fee (which helps to maintain the park and pay for the lifeguards), we ventured to the beach. It is truly a beautiful setting and well worth an early morning picture or stroll. Only a few other people were there in the early morning and the atmosphere was peaceful. The snorkeling trail was OK, but the marine life was disappointing compared to other beaches on St. John. Despite the neat underwater trail, the highlight of visiting Trunk Bay is the beauty of the beach itself. The snack bar, gift shop, foot washing station, and flush toilets were all pluses. However, two things were blemishes on our visit. First, I had an unpleasant experience with renting a child life vest. At the rental shop, the lady working at the rental counter seemed to be in a bitter mood. It may be frustrating to serve hordes of people, but hey, it's your job. When my wife pointed out that one of the child life vests was defective (it started to deflate in the middle of snorkeling), the lady shrugged and said "OK". I had a sinking feeling that she was going to reuse the defective child vest despite the safety violation. In any case, the cost of the child life vest rental was $5.00 (be sure to check for defects). Second, day-trippers from the 4 cruise ships docked in St. Thomas began to converge on Trunk Bay at 10:00am. The atmosphere had transformed from "peaceful solitude" to "New Jersey Shore" within 30 minutes. If you're staying on St. John's and want to experience the splendor of Trunk Bay in peace, I recommend you arrive by 8:45am, take your photos, snorkel quickly, and get the heck out of there by 10:15am. I was glad we departed by 10:30am as the parking lot was starting to burst with hordes of visitors in a traffic jam of buses and taxis. I have no qualms with cruise day-trippers, whose $4 admission fees help to subsidize the operating costs of the NPS on St. Johns. If you're on a cruise and thinking of one excursion on St. John's - this is probably the one for you. That said, if you're looking for a great snorkeling experience or peaceful beach after 10:30am, keep on driving and look elsewhere on the north shore! read more

Trunk Bay is ridiculously gorgeous. It is the beach of my dreams - fine white sand, clear turquoise water, awesome snorkeling, lots of palm trees for shade and views of lush green islands. It has a stand where you can rent snorkel gear, a gift shop and a snack bar (all these things close by three or four, being that it's on an island), and the park service charges a $4 fee to use the beach. This supports the lifeguard stand and the underwater coral trail, which is beginner-friendly and really cool. I saw more on the other side of the island, but the trail helps you identify all the brightly-colored fishes you'll see. There's also lots of white sand if you just want to play in the water without disturbing any coral. This beach was busier than the others I visited on St. John, but it's nice to have the trail and other amenities. read more

Trunk Bay - Beaches Near Me - St John, Virgin Islands

4 stars instead of 5 because the facilities close so early, despite the entry fee. Beach, grill And bar are tops. Parking is tough. We got lucky and had no issues. But recommend taxi from Cruz Bay. Rum punches are "kicked". Showers closed early and we wished they'd stayed open an hour longer for rinsing off before dinner in Cruz Bay. read more

See all

This is the BEST beach I have EVER been too. If you ever come to St. Thomas, take a day trip over to St. John. You will not be disappointed. It felt straight out of a magazine, a dream, anything. Words do not describe this place. All my problems felt instantly gone here at this wonderful place. The water was more clear than pool water and the sand was so fluffy and white. This place is INCREDIBLE. I will be back here to experience it again, and I'll take friends so that other people get to experience it too. read more

See all

Best St. John beach for snorkeling and views. Convenient snack bar and cocktails. It's a hike from the parking lot, and $5 entry. It's a very long beach so it didn't feel crowded at all. We saw sea urchin, nurse sharks, terrapin, schools and schools of fish, sea turtles and more. This beach has great waves, but no surfing or skim boarding allowed. read more

See all

This beach is absolutely beautiful! The water was glistening clear blue and the sand was soft and fluffy. Just stunning. My husband and I travelled all the way from our Airbnb in the mountains of St. Thomas but it was absolutely worth it. Even the ferry ride from St. Thomas to St. John was beautiful (make sure to grab a seat at the top of the boat). This is a must visit beach while visiting the USVI. read more

Trunk Bay is one of the most amazing beaches I've ever been to in the Caribbean!! Don't forget to bring your snorkeling equipment. The waters are pristine aqua and teal! The white sand is like stepping into brown sugar. There are no shells or rocks on the beach. The waves are pretty calm due to Trunk Cay (that huge rock/island in the middle of the bay). Trunk Bay has an amazing snorkeling trail called "Coral Reef Underwater Park Trail" you can see lots of aquatic life. Remember DO NOT STEP ON THE CORAL WITH YOUR FINS! You will kill them! Lifeguards will remind you to keep swimming, and if you need help to wave to them. You are only allowed to snorkel to the left of Trunk Cay, as the waters are rough on the other side. There are lifeguards overlooking the area. I would recommend you visit this beach at least once, if you are on St. John! read more

Trunk Bay - Viewpoint of Trunk Bay (towards right). - Beaches Near Me - St John, Virgin Islands

One of my favorite beaches I've ever been to. It's part of the National Park Service and is incredibly beautiful with a soft sandy beach and amazing snorkeling. When we went (about 3 months after Hurricane Irma & Maria) there was no water available for showers, but there were port o johns available for bathroom facilities. read more

Come early if you'd like a patch of sand! Fantastic beach. One of the top three on the island. Great snorkeling trail for adults or kids. Chris read more

Beautiful and clean beach on St. John. Bring your snorkel! There is a small entrance fee of 4$ each (Non resident). Def recommended and will be returning. read more

Trunk Bay - Beaches Near Me - St John, Virgin Islands

super rude ranger and no parking, came back, no parking, was able to go to the next part of the bay but swimming and snorkeling was crap. Pretty picture of the bay from the road and that's enough, I'd not go back or waste my time to even visit the rude people in the national park again. read more

Trunk Bay is absolute paradise. It is named for the leatherback turtle, so be sure to check them out with your snorkel. The drive from Cruz bay is beautiful and the road is in great condition. They even have a nice snack shack right near the water. You can rent a taxi to get there. The white sand beaches, aqua blue water, wow! read more

See all

The grounds are well maintained, as the beach is clean, facilities all work (bathrooms, showers), there are nearby shops for food, drinks, and souvenirs, and you can also rent chairs, umbrellas, and snorkel gear. What really drew us here was the promise of great snorkeling, and it did not disappoint! There are (underwater) signs and buoys to help direct you to the best places to see underwater creatures. The sand is very smooth, and there were no rocks or floating seaweed as you enter the water. We took a safari taxi from Cruz Bay for $6/person, and admission into Trunk Bay is $5/person. read more

The water is gorgeous, the beach is great, but like everywhere else on St John its just gotten way too crowded. Noisy kids, obnoxious tourists, and jeeps are parked everywhere, in the woods, on the side of the road, in the road. The idea here is to go to a PRESERVED NATURAL place, its not Coney Island! There were so many snorkelers people were bumping into each other. Thanks to the internet, another natural wonder is on its way to ruin. read more

This is a popular beach but for good reason. It offers a great view of both the U.S. and British Virgin Islands, and the water is as clear as can be with very few rocks at the edge of the beach. There is an island just out from the beach that has a snorkeling trail built around one side of it, and there are several rocky alcoves where I saw a diverse array of marine life. You'll have a great time at Trunk Bay! read more

See all

I hate the beach. There's just sand (which hangs on like an overdue breakup), crabs (probably the reason you need to breakup), cold water, and pasty White people. This place has all those things, but is still really quite pleasant. Trunk Bay, one of several north shore beaches, is part of the National Park system. They charge you $5 to get in, but it's worth it because you're not competing with the cheapskates over at Honeymoon Beach (I'm not sure if that's true, but it makes me feel justified in paying $5). The beach is pretty much spotless. There's a nice snorkeling trail that was set up to make first time snorkelers like me feel expert. The variety of sea flora and fauna is pretty awe-inspiring. It was like a Finding Nemo reality TV series. They also rent out pretty much everything you'd need to make your beach/swimming/snorkeling experience one that you'll never forget. read more

I'm literally now spoiled. I feel I can never go to another beach as long as I live. ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS!!! Pictures can never do this place justice. The gorgeous white sand, the super clear water, and the pretty blues... seriously this is like a beach out of the movies. When people picture island vacations and beaches, this is definitely the place they are thinking of. I did not go snorkeling here, but I do know there is a reef trail. I didn't go because it would have been my first time snorkeling, and while I know how to swim, it was too much for me to do on my own. I simply needed a noodle to help me and we didn't have one (we didn't even think to check the rental place for one either). There is a rental place. One person in our party rented a snorkel set, which was cheap to rent but they wanted a crazy large down payment (I think $5 to rent and a $20 down payment) which you obviously got the $20 back when you returned them. Also a place to get drinks and a food truck (obviously we had some painkillers from here). I believe the only beach on St. John that we went to that charged us a small fee per person to get in. However, definitely worth it for the experience. This place was definitely the closest I may get to paradise. read more

This was one of the more popular beaches for a reason. The water is nice everywhere here but this bay is perfect. The snorkeling trail was ok but really the beach made it. The views all around are spectacular. I would go here when visiting for sure. read more

The beach is beautiful, the sand is very fine and clean. Snorkeling is awesome. What's not so good and a nuisance is the sugar ants all over the sand. You can't lay on a towel or a sand cover without being inundated by them. And they get into any opened beach tote. Bring a beach chair or rent one. No other way to relax! read more

There is no beach better than Trunk Bay. I refuse to believe it! The water is crystal clear. There is a full bar, and snack shack. You can rent chairs, snorkels, and flippers. There are even showers! Voted one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, you'd think this one would be overrun. It wasn't. Plenty of beach to share, along with a marked snorkeling route so you can tour the reefs. I would move there, if I could. read more

Ok. You were smart enough to know that St. John is the best of the 3 islands. Maybe you even figured that Cruz Bay is too touristy and managed to book your stay in Coral Bay for a real vacation. What the heck are you doing in Trunk Bay!? You're paying money to get into this bay. So is everyone else. If I wanted a crowded beach, I would have gone to Florida, or Mexico or..... you get my point. The attraction of Trunk Bay is the underwater tour for snorkeling. There are signs describing the different fish you're seeing. That's all well and good, but this isn't even close to the best snorkeling on the island. Salt Pond Bay is the place you want to go. Much better snorkeling and a beautiful hiking trail as well if you're into that. Maybe people are hyping this bay up because they want to keep the others for themselves...... Actually, Trunk Bay is the BEST bay on the island. You should totally go there and not check out any of the other ones. Don't even look. read more