Caribbean Trail Running – St. John Traverse (USVI)

A trail run across St John isn’t what most people think of as part of their Caribbean vacations. But for me, it was an amazing opportunity to break away from family time and have a little adventure.

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If you’re looking for a unique way to combine a Caribbean vacation, physical challenge, and natural beauty,, running across St. John in the US Virgin Islands delivers in full. With nearly two-thirds of the island protected as National Park, St. John is laced with rugged trails that offer incredible scenery, historic plantations, and serene challenge.

Planning & Preparation

This wasn’t a race or organized event — just a personal goal to traverse St. John under my own power. A few months ahead of a family trip to St Thomas, I started got the itch to find a physical challenge. Finding a difficult run on a vacation is becoming somewhat of a tradition for me. While St Thomas is amazing, it’s not really a great place for a long run. This limitation is due to the tight roads and limited trails across the island.

So I turned my sights to St John as I’d heard about USVI National Park. I started by researching potential routes using Google Maps & the USVI National Park Map. The plan? Start near Cruz Bay on the west coast and end at Coral Bay on the east.

I had a hard time finding a website that laid out the full run (hence this post). So instead, I downloaded maps and marked them up on my reMarkable 2. Strava also served as a good source of information.

The key planning elements:

• Route mapping: I stitched together the Lind Point Trail, L’Esperance Trail, Reef Bay Trail, and Johnny Horn Trail. This gave a good mix of elevation, scenery, and manageable distance (~13-15 miles depending on detours).
• Timing: I started just after sunrise to beat the heat. Mid-June provided decent weather, though it got pretty hot towards the end.
• Gear: Running shoes, hydration vest, Tailwinds, a Snickers Bar, AirPod Pros, and my iPhone (though cell signal can be unreliable).
• Safety: I notified a contact about my route and carried my standard running first aid kit. Note, there are decent stretches without cell coverage (so I should have packed my Garmin inReach).

The Running Trails of St. John, USVI

This run is not for the faint of heart — the trails are technical, the humidity is real, and the signage is minimal. But it is a stunning way to experience USVI National Park.

I started this blog post because I couldn’t find a single resource that had the whole run. Here is the GPX file of my run.

Lind Point Trail – Running Trail Departing Cruz Bay St John

A short, forested trail just east of Cruz Bay. The running trail ascends quickly out of Cruz Bay, with steep and often washed out sections. Watch your footing as I smashed my right arch on a hidden rock.

You gain quite a bit of altitude through this portion of St John. I wasn’t ashamed to power walk some sections to catch my breath. There are a few intersections towards the end of this trial, but you can’t go wrong if you keep making rights.

Centerline Road to connect trails on St John

Unfortunately, there’s not a running trail that connects all of St John. So you’ll need to use Centerline Road for ~1.5 miles to connect Lind Point Trail to L’Esperance Trail. The tight turns and lack of shoulders makes this section a bit sporty.

I ran on the right side of the road (facing traffic), since cars drive on the left side in the USVI. This allowed me to react to oncoming traffic quickly. I also turned off my music for this section to get a little extra warning.

The road portion lasts until L’Esperance drops off to the right side and down the mountain.

L’Esperance Trail

L’Esperance Trail descends quickly away from Centerline Road. I was thrilled to be off the road and back trail running across St John. This section was less trafficked (due to the minimal parking) and more rugged.

The micro-terrain and climates were noticeable as I descended from >750 ft towards sea level. There are a few ruins along the path, but the Reef Bay Sugar Mill is the highlight of this section.

I paused my watch for a few minutes to explore the Reef Bay Sugar Mill ruins (and eat my Snickers Bar). This historical site ‘made’ the trip in my opinion. Much of the Sugar Mill is still there and it looks it could be in a movie.

Reef Bay Trail – climb back towards Centerline Road

After exploring Reef Bay, it’s time to start gaining altitude again. The climb out of Reed Bay was one of the more challenging sections of this St John trail run.

Though challenging, there are plenty of beautiful sites along this section of the run. You pass Danish sugar mill ruins, a petroglyph site, and lots of nature. If you’re lucky, you’ll catch sight of deer or mongoose.

Maria Hope Trail – descending towards northern shore of St John

After quickly crossing Centerline Road again, you’ll start a steep decent down the Maria Hope Trail. It took a moment to find the actual trailhead as there really weren’t any markings. Just look for the cut into the forest that descends. After a few hundred feet it becomes quite obvious.

Though this section was very rocky and hard to keep a decent pace, the occasional views of St John’s bays were stunning. I was a bit relieved when I finally hit Northshore Road, as I was able to step up my pace again.

St Johns Northshore Road to Annaburg Plantation

Though this section of trail was on road, it was much more enjoyable than Centerline Road. After a quick descent, the road tracks along Maho Bay (which was absolutely stunning). In hindsight, I should have stopped at Crossroads and bought a bottle of water.

After departing Maho Bay, the Northshore Road ascends steeply and descends again to Leinster Bay. Taking a right and finishing the last quarter mile takes you to the Annaburg Sugar Plantation. I didn’t explore the ruins, but looking back I should have. I did rest on the rocks before starting the Leinster Bay Trail (which is exposed along the beach).

Leinster Bay Trail – peak beach running in St Johns

After departing Annaburg Plantation, the running moves out on to the beach. Though the sun can get a little brutal, the views make this section super special.

The running is easy and thankfully flat for a change. The run takes you around Leinster Bay until you arrive at a juncture which starts to ascend away from the beach.

Johnny Horn Trail

The final stretch up and over to Coral Bay. The departure from Leinster Bay is steep with incredible vistas — one of those climbs where you’re walking more than running.

Once you crest the saddle, the trail turns to more of a 4×4 road. You’ll follow a steep descent into Coral Bay, eventually ending on a paved road. I took a right, then left, then right to get to the Love City Market (open 630a – 1030p). There I found Gatorade, water, and a delicious non-dairy frozen dessert.

How It Went

The run was every bit the adventure I hoped it would be. I took the Red Hook to Cruz Bay ferry that departed at 630a (Charlotte Amalie ferry was temporarily closed). After a quick ride, I arrived in St John around 7a. I was off an moving through the port quickly after that.

Overall, I loved this challenging Virgin Islands trail run. The steep sections were challenging but manageable. And the descents and flats were lovely (especially for someone from Colorado).

My biggest lesson learned was that I should have anticipated the heat of the late morning and drank more water. There are a couple spots along the route where I could have paused and purchased some water.

Also, I thought the village at Coral Bay would be a little larger. It’s beautiful back there, but quite small. There are limited options to get food and drinks. Getting a St John Taxi was harder than I thought but the cross-island bus is an option on all days except Saturday.

Equipment for Trail Runners Visiting St. John

Good equipment is key to making any longish run more enjoyable and trail running in the Virgin Islands is no exception. Below is my list of equipment (with links) to what I used on this run any many others.

• Running vest –
• Hydration flasks – I used 2x 500ml HydroPak flasks and they worked great. These soft flasks fit into most vests and I really like the new flip top feature for filling.
• Electrolyte powder – For most long runs I fill my flasks with Tailwind Nutrition Endurance Fuel in the Raspherry Buzz flavor. I cross loaded some from the main bag into a small ziplock. If just getting into Tailwind, you could try their sampler pack (8 different flavors).
• Snacks – I used Spring Energy Awesome Sauce (which are delicious and easily digestible) and a Snickers Bar to fuel this adventure.
• Running hat – I wore my always trusty Outdoor Research Swift Hat. It packs easily and thus finds its way on almost every trip / vacation.
• Collapsible funnel – I also kept a small silicone collapsible funnel in my vest to help re-fill my flasks with Tailwinds.
• Jacket – I packed my Patagonia Houdini wind jacket in the back of my vest, but didn’t need to use it.
• Sun screen – I kept and used a small tube of Banana Boat Sport SPF 30 Sunscreen for the run. It was perfectly sufficient and I had plenty left over.
• Headphones – I listened to music and a podcast on my Apple AirPods Pro 2 headphones. I didn’t have to charge them for the duration of the run and Siri kept me up-to-date on any texts that came in (when I had service).
• Emergency kit – For emergencies on the trail, I carry a small space blanket, ACE wrap, and bailout kit. The bailout kit is housed in an old Nuun container and has windproof matches, a fire starter, some paracord, a whistle, and iodine tablets.

Final Thoughts on Trail Running in the Virgin Islands

Running across St. John is about more than just logging miles. It’s about connecting with a wild, beautiful place in a deeply personal way. If you’re training for a bigger event, looking to reset your mental space, or just want to test yourself in a unique environment, this island run is one you’ll remember.

• Footwear matters: Go with aggressive trail running shoes — these are not smooth paths.
• Start early: Both for temperature and to maximize daylight.
• Hydrate aggressively: Bring more water than you think you’ll need. Or buy it along the way.
• Use a reMarkable 2 for planning: Seriously. I used mine to plan the route and document reflections. Lightweight and perfect for minimalist vacations.
• Return Transportation: Consider a friend, St John Bus, or local taxi to shuttle you back from Coral Bay. You could also repeat the run back, but you’d be looking at something over marathon distance.

Bring good shoes, a solid plan, and a sense of adventure.

Frequently Asked Questions about Running on St John USVI