St. John Island and Hiking to Sugar Mill Ruins

In this installment of ‘History Off the Beaten Path,’ we visit the National Park Service’s one Caribbean park that delivers a historical site.

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.