Trunk Bay in St. John (Most Beautiful Beach in the USVI)

There’s a lot of hype surrounding Trunk Bay—and I’m usually skeptical of places that get that much attention. Most of the time, the hype ends up exceeding the experience.

But Trunk Bay is one of the rare exceptions.

Even though it’s consistently ranked as one of the top beaches in the world, after visiting multiple times, I still think it’s underrated.

Yes, there’s a small $5 entrance fee and it can get crowded at times—but even with those downsides, it’s about as close to a perfect beach as you can get.

The water is unbelievably clear — it genuinely feels like swimming in a pool. And the sand stretches far enough that even on a busy day you can usually find your own spot.

Trunk Bay Quick Facts:

• Other names: Trunk Cay, Trunk Bay Beach, Trunk Beach
• Water color: Clear, turquoise blue – as clear as a swimming pool!
• Sand quality: Powdery soft white sand
• Known for: being an island paradise – routinely voted as a top ten most beautiful beach in the world.
• Swimming conditions: generally calm water
• Snorkeling: excellent location for beginners, abundance of sea life especially around the rocky outcroppings and islet
• Facilities: Restrooms, showers, snorkel rentals, beach shop, bar, and concession stand
• Lifeguard: Yes, unlike most of the other beaches on St. John.
• Cost: $5
• Parking: medium sized lot (it can fill up) and some additional street parking nearby
• Available tours: Budget Trunk Bay with Scenic Stops

Where is Trunk Bay located?

Trunk Bay sits inside the US Virgin Islands National Park on St. John — and that national park status is actually a big part of what makes it so special.

Most of St. John is protected as a nature reserve, which means no commercial airport, far fewer hotels, and way less development than you’ll find on St. Thomas. Honestly? I prefer it that way. St. Thomas is great but it can get chaotic. St. John feels calm, unhurried and untouched in a way that’s getting harder and harder to find in the Caribbean.

For a long extended stay the lack of development might feel limiting. But for a day trip or short visit it’s absolutely perfect.

St. John sits directly next to St. Thomas so getting there is straightforward.

The ferry is advertised as a 20 minute ride but realistically — from loading on one end to unloading and getting your bearings on the other — budget about 35 minutes.

Once you’re on the island, Trunk Bay is on the northwest side. The roads are steep, winding and mountainous so take it slow.

How to Get to Trunk Bay (Coming from St. Thomas)

Almost everyone arrives on St. John by ferry — there’s no commercial airport, so a boat is your only option.

Choosing Your Ferry

Your first decision is which ferry to take, and it depends on whether you’re bringing a car.

The car ferry leaves from Red Hook on the St. Thomas side. If you’re a cruise passenger, the ferry from Charlotte Amalie leaves directly from the cruise port — but it’s a passenger only ferry, no cars.

Both ferries drop you at the Cruz Bay Ferry Terminal on St. John. Budget about 35 minutes total from loading on one end to getting your bearings on the other.

Should You Rent a Car or Take a Taxi?

If you’re a cruise passenger — skip the rental car entirely. It’s not worth the effort. There will be taxis ready and waiting at the Cruz Bay terminal and even at the beaches themselves to take you where you need to go.

If you’re staying on St. Thomas or making a dedicated day trip, renting a car is the better move. It gives you the freedom to explore the island on your own schedule.

Do You Need a Jeep?

No — and this is one of the biggest myths about St. John. Every road we drove on was paved. The only unpaved areas we encountered were a few parking spots off the side of the road. A regular rental car is completely fine.

Getting from Cruz Bay to Trunk Bay

Once you’re off the ferry it’s an easy 11 minute drive to Trunk Bay. Taxis are also readily available at the terminal if you’re not driving yourself — expect to pay around $5-10 per person.

Trunk Bay Parking (Read This Before You Go)

Trunk Bay has a medium sized lot with an overflow lot directly across the street. Sounds simple enough — but depending on when you visit, both can fill up fast.

We’ve been twice and had two very different experiences. The first time was March 2023 with no cruise ships in port. Parking was easy, no stress at all.

The second time was April 2026 during spring break. It was a whole different story. Both lots were completely full. A lot of the roadside spots that were technically available required a Jeep to access — we didn’t have one, so those were out.

My husband ended up dropping me off at the entrance while he went to find a spot. He eventually parked at the Jumbie Bay Beach parking lot, which is only a 2 minute drive away but a half mile walk back to Trunk Bay.

On our second visit he had to go even further — all the way up to the Peace Hill Trail parking lot. Luckily a taxi stopped and picked him up for free. The people on St. John are genuinely so kind, but that’s not something you can count on.

A few things worth knowing before you go:

If you’re visiting during spring break, a holiday weekend, or peak season — arrive early. Afternoon parking is significantly harder.

If you don’t have a Jeep, your roadside options are more limited than they look.

Jumbie Bay Beach parking lot is your best backup — just factor in the half mile walk.

Taxis are usually available near the beach if you end up parking further away.

Taxi To Trunk Bay

It isn’t hard to get a taxi to Trunk Bay. There are plenty of options at the ferry terminal, and there are generally taxis staged in the parking lot when you want to leave.

Most of the taxis in the Virgin Islands aren’t your standard cars. They are trucks that have benches welded into the bed. They can seat big groups of people at once. Typically if you want to get a taxi from the Cruz Bay ferry terminal to Trunk Bay it will cost you about $5-$10 per person.

Tip – When in the US Virgin Islands I recommend renting a car to get the most out of your experience. It would be difficult to see all the beautiful places in the islands without a car. Reserve a car here.

Trunk Bay Lookout

Before you even get to the beach you’re going to want to stop here — and trust me, you will not regret it.

The Trunk Bay Lookout sits directly off the road on the way down to the beach. My first thought both times I saw it was genuinely — how is this place real? You can see the entire bay from above, the white sand, the turquoise water, the little island sitting just off shore. It’s stunning.

There’s no official pull off spot so you’ll see cars squeezing along the side of the road to stop — just go with it, everyone does it.

We stopped both times we visited and I’m glad we did. Depending on the time of day, the weather and the angle of the sun the beach looks completely different from above. If you’re someone who loves photography it’s worth stopping on the way in and again on the way out.

If you’re taking a taxi most drivers will stop and let you grab a photo if you ask — just speak up before you head down.

What to Expect at Trunk Bay Beach

I’ll be honest — I’ve been let down by “world’s best beach” claims before. You see the photos, you build it up in your head, and then you get there and think… it’s fine, I guess.

Trunk Bay was the opposite.

Walking up to that beach for the first time I genuinely could not believe what I was seeing. It was actually better than the photos. That almost never happens.

The water color is unreal — like a deep, vivid blue that doesn’t look like it should exist in nature. And it’s so clear. The clearest water I have ever seen. You can see straight to the bottom and it genuinely feels like swimming in a giant pool.

The sand is perfect. Soft, white, no rocks, no seaweed. The swimming is easy and relaxed — no crazy waves, no strong currents, nothing intimidating. It’s the kind of beach where you can just float and stare up at the sky and completely forget about everything else.

Between my two trips to St. John I have been to Trunk Bay probably around 7 times and all 7 times it stopped me in my tracks. I don’t say this lightly — it’s the most beautiful beach I have ever been to.

Overall the experience is exactly as advertised. I was shocked that in person the beach looks just as amazing as it does in pictures. The stretch of sand is wide and white. The waters really are clear and turqoise-ish blue.

Check out a quick video of Trunk Bay here.

Here are some more pictures of Trunk Bay to give you a better idea of what to expect.

Trunk Bay Snorkel Trail

The snorkeling trail at Trunk Bay is genuinely cool and worth doing — just go in with the right expectations.

The visibility is excellent. The water is so clear you can see everything around you without any effort. The trail itself is about 600 feet long and runs close to shore at the far end of the bay — it takes roughly 30 minutes to complete at a relaxed pace.

My honest take? It’s fun but it’s not the most jaw dropping snorkeling I’ve ever done.

If you’ve snorkeled in Hawaii or other spots known for abundant sea life you might feel the same way. The fish situation just isn’t as impressive as some other places I’ve been. But the trail is unique, the water is beautiful and it’s absolutely worth doing especially if you’re a beginner or snorkeling with kids.

A note on gear rentals and what to bring:

Rentals are available right on the beach but you have to return everything by 4pm when the beach closes. If you’re planning to stay late or spend multiple days on St. John like we did, that’s a real inconvenience. Bring your own gear if you have it.

Swimming Conditions

Swimming at Trunk Bay is easy and relaxed — no big waves, no strong currents, nothing intimidating. The water is shallow and calm which makes it ideal for kids, nervous swimmers or anyone who just wants to float around and enjoy the view without worrying about getting knocked over.

One thing that genuinely stood out to me — Trunk Bay is the only beach on St. John where I actually saw a lifeguard on duty. There was a tower at Maho Bay Beach but no one in it.

At Trunk Bay there was an actual person there, which is reassuring especially if you’re visiting with little ones.

Trunk Bay Facilities

Trunk Bay is one of the best maintained beaches I’ve been to. The restrooms are clean — which sounds like a low bar but if you’ve been to enough beach bathrooms you know it absolutely is not.

There are showers, beach chair rentals, a beach volleyball net, snorkel equipment rentals and a small gear shop in case you forgot sunscreen or a towel. Just know the shop isn’t cheap.

The bar and concession stand are not directly on the sand — they’re set back slightly — but it’s genuinely about a two second walk. Not a big deal at all.

One important thing to know — the restrooms close at 4pm along with everything else. If you’re planning to stay past closing time plan accordingly.

One thing I loved: right before closing the server actually comes out onto the beach and announces last call. Such a small detail but it means you’re not caught off guard and you have time to grab one more thing before they shut down.

We didn’t rent beach chairs — our Airbnb provided them for free, which I’d recommend looking for if you’re staying on St. John for a few days. It saves you money and the hassle.

Trunk Bay Food Options

The concession stand is exactly what you’d expect from a beach food stand — and that’s not a bad thing. Burgers, nachos, fries, chips. Nothing fancy but it’s good and the prices are reasonable for a national park beach.

I ordered the burger — $19 and came with chips. I don’t eat gluten so I skipped the bun and had my husband finish it, which worked out just fine. Just know they don’t make substitutions or changes to orders, so plan accordingly if you have dietary restrictions.

Drinks were simple and fairly priced — soda $4, beer $7, water $3. The bar is popular and you can take your drinks right onto the sand.

The concession stand carries all of the things you would expect. You can get a hamburger, nachos, french fries, etc. The prices weren’t bad at all. The seating area isn’t directly in view of the beach, but it was still perfect to be able to get a snack without actually having to leave.

The bar is the most popular spot on the beach. Cool drinks are mixed up and able to be enjoyed directly on the sand!

It’s also nice that right before the concession stands close the server comes out and announces last call on the beach so if there is anything you want you still have a chance to get it before they close at 4pm.

Crowds

The beach can get fairly crowded due to its popularity.

The good news — no cruise ships dock on St. John. Unlike St. Thomas, there’s no cruise ship pier here, which means the island naturally stays quieter. That said, Trunk Bay can still get busy with day trippers and ferry visitors from St. Thomas.

To beat the crowds, get there early or go on a weekday. Even on a busy day though the beach is big enough that you can usually find your own spot.

Avoiding The Crowds Tip

If you really want to avoid the crowds you can go to one of the other nearby beaches. Directly next to Trunk Bay is Jumbie Beach – you can swim there by going around the rocks on the left side, or parking just up the road and walking down.

If you are willing to drive a little bit further you can enjoy Cinnamon Bay Beach or Maho Bay Beach.

When is the Best Time to Visit Trunk Bay?

The honest answer is — it depends on what kind of traveler you are.

Sunrise is a great time to get to Trunk Bay Beach if you are up in time. I am personally not a morning person, but you will have the beach all to yourself in the early morning.

What I can tell you is that we arrived around noon to 1pm both times we visited and it worked perfectly for us. Yes the beach had people on it but it never felt overwhelming and we always found a great spot.

Here’s a tip that makes a big difference — most day trippers and cruise passengers who made the ferry crossing from St. Thomas need to start heading back around 3-4pm to make it back in time. So right around that time the beach starts emptying out noticeably.

The best part? We stayed past sunset both times. Once the facilities close at 4pm the crowds thin out significantly. The beach doesn’t actually kick you out — there’s just no one there to tell you to leave. And watching the sun go down over Trunk Bay from the sand is something I won’t forget anytime soon.

If you can be flexible, aim to arrive midday and stay as late as possible. You get the best of both worlds — a full beach day and a sunset that makes the whole trip worth it.

Where to Stay Near Trunk Bay

• Gallows Point Resort (2.5 miles from Trunk Bay)
• Coconut Coast Villas (2.3 miles from Trunk Bay)
• Apartment – Fantastic Penthouse at Sunset Serenade Suites (2.1 miles from Trunk Bay)
• Apartment – Hibiscus Suite at Sunset Serenade (2.1 miles from Trunk Bay)

Is Trunk Bay worth visiting?

Yes! This is one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen.

Things to do near Trunk Bay

So many of the beaches on St. John are right next to each other!

• Hawknest Beach (4 minute drive)
• Little Cinnamon Bay Beach (4 minute drive)
• Oppenheimer Beach (3 minute drive) – Picturesque beach with great swimming, snorkeling & hiking.
• Peter Bay Beach (3 minute drive)
• Maho Bay Beach (10 minute drive)
• Honeymoon Beach (10 minutes drive) – Need to hike about a mile to get to the actual beach.