St. John Island and Hiking to Sugar Mill Ruins

At the U.S. Virgin Islands National Park, the ruins of the Reef Bay Sugar Mill are a popular hiking destination. Deena Bouknight

Of the 63 sites in the National Park Service (NPS), two aren’t in U.S. states: American Samoa and Virgin Islands National Park. Both of these parks are located in American territories and on islands.

Virgin Islands National Park covers most of the island of St. John in the Caribbean, 60 percent of it. It contains tropical forests, protected feral and wild animals, well-maintained hiking trails, secluded coves, and preserved sugar mill ruins, the latter providing a historical element not found in any other National Park.

Pick up a map at the NPS Visitor Center in Cruz Bay, the almost 20-square-mile island’s only town, and view the nine indicators of ruins dotting the mountainous terrain. In the 18th and early 19th century, the formerly Danish colony of St. John produced hundreds of thousands of pounds of sugar, primarily through the use of slave labor. However, one sugar factory thrived after the Danes abolished slavery in 1848.

The ruins of the Reef Bay Sugar Mill are still standing, thanks to sturdy construction methods. Deena Bouknight

Reef Bay Sugar Mill was established in 1861. Instead of slave labor, it used steam power to crush sugar beets and cane and boil the juice—resulting in granulated sugar. It closed in the early 1900s due to waning resources and demand.

Hiking the Trails

Traversing the 4.2-mile, round-trip Reef Bay Trail in Virgin Islands National Park involves finding the trailhead on Centerline Road, cleverly named since it cuts through the center of the island. Then visitors descend through lush forests replete with tiny, white-tailed deer, iridescent bridled quail-doves, and massive wood-ant tree nests. At the end of the trail, just before the dense tropical forest opens to a white beach and an aqua-hued cove, are the remains of the Reef Bay Sugar Mill.

Utilizing construction perfected by enslaved Africans and St. John’s native Taino people, the main factory and surrounding storage and berthing buildings showcase apt masonry of shells, brain coral, multi-hued rocks, and imported red and white bricks. While much of the wood-framed areas of these structures have eroded due to its century-plus age, the solidly built walls show little deterioration. They stand tall and serve as not only an example of quality workmanship but also as a historical record of what took place there.

The interior of the old Reef Bay Sugar Milll is atmospheric; it's easy to imagine the industry that occurred here. Deena Bouknight

Massive gears, a boiler, iron kettles, and a steam engine fill the spaces. The components were manufactured in Glasgow, Scotland in 1861 by the W.A. McOnie Company. Both the date and the company name are still legible on the equipment. Each informational sign in what appears to be a highly remote, seldom visited area, provides readers with an education on how sugar was produced in the once thriving mill.

Machinery used at the Reef Bay Sugar Mill has outlived the mill itself. Today the rusted machinery still bears the name of its manufacturer. Deena Bouknight

Hermit crabs and crested anoles creep and dart over, around, and through the ruins. What remains of Reef Bay Sugar Mill is so remarkable and well preserved that one can easily imagine the steam engine’s hiss, the grind of the gears, the heat emitting off boiling kettles, and the sweet aroma of thickening syrup.

An anole, a kind of lizard, basks in the sun while sitting on old machinery. Deena Bouknight

Virgin Islands National Park on St. John is accessible by ferry or private boat from St. Thomas, which has an airport with daily flights from various airports throughout the contiguous United States. Vehicles can be rented at the St. Thomas Airport and ferried over, but visitors usually rent Jeep model vehicles, since the roadways are often narrow and steep. There are at least 20 hiking trails, most of which lead to bays perfect for swimming or snorkeling. Others lead to ruins and are accessible year-round.

Visitors are free to hike on their own; however, NPS park rangers guide some of the hikes to ruins. Inquiries and reservations can be made at the Visitor Center.

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