There is a campground at Cinnamon Bay on St John, also something out in Coral Bay. Those are the only legal places to camp.

As 2/3 of St John is National Park you are only allowed to camp at Cinnamon Bay Campground and Botanical Villas and reservations are required (no beach camping)
Botanical Villas - http://www.botanicalvillas.com/
Cinnamon Bay - http://www.cinnamonbay.com/

Also camping at Hansen Bay near Vies Snack Shack there are 6 bare sites and a few wall tents, outhouse and solar shower and I think the number to call is (340) 693 5033

Pia

As EE says, stick to the designated camping areas. There is no camping "wherever" anywhere in the USVI. On St John there is Maho and Cinnamon and the one at Coral Bay might be Vie's?

Magens Bay on St Thomas also allows camping for, I think, a three night maximum and you can go to their website to get that info. There is also a campsite on Water Island which is off St Thomas and the now officially designated fourth Virgin Island.

Just a quick Q for Mr Clever -- Can you just camp anywhere or "sleep wherever" as you put it where you live??

STT Resident wrote:
There is also a campsite on Water Island which is off St Thomas and the now officially designated fourth Virgin Island.

The Virgin Island Campground on Water Island is not a campsite where a tent can be erected. Their web site description: Upscale Camping! The cottages at Virgin Island Campground reinvent the idea of a Caribbean vacation. Our wood-frame and canvas cabins ...

Camping elsewhere on Water Island is not allowed. The only exception is by special use permit from Parks and Recreation, for which there is a cost, for groups on Honeymoon Beach for very limited periods of time.

Forgot to add, you can't sleep in your car - just in case you were thinking of doing that - not that I think you were 😉

Pia

Pia wrote:
Forgot to add, you can't sleep in your car - just in case you were thinking of doing that - not that I think you were 😉

Pia

haha that would be the last resort. sleeping in a compact would be miserable! pia, thanks for your info above. i'll check out those places.

exit zero wrote:
Just a quick Q for Mr Clever -- Can you just camp anywhere or "sleep wherever" as you put it where you live??

Probably not. But then again, I don't live in a national park!

East Ender wrote:
There is a campground at Cinnamon Bay on St John, also something out in Coral Bay. Those are the only legal places to camp.

Thanks!

Clever response to exit zero.

[I'm hoping to bring a tent, rent a car, and sleep wherever. Is that generally accepted on St John? And how about St Thomas?

And do you think it would be safe?

quote]
I didn't think this was about the National Park - It seemed to me to be a general question.

rose wrote:
Clever response to exit zero.

how do you think I got my name? 🙂

exit zero wrote:

I didn't think this was about the National Park - It seemed to me to be a general question.

So how about camping throughout the National Park?

If you want to camp on STJ within the National Park with your own tent, you will need to rent a site at Cinnamon Bay.
As a PP said, you can camp out in Coral Bay at Hansen Bay at Vies.

The STJ is 2/3rd National Park but it is not like some stateside parks that you enter and explore. It is land that is owned by the park but it is spread out over the island and camping is not allowed.

I would check out both cinnamon bay and botanical villas. I had never heard of botanical villas until reading this website. Check out the views and how close the camping spots are to the water and other amenities, etc. Also, Vie's out in Coral Bay would be more away from others. We will be going to St. John's in May for our 8th visit. Our first trip we stayed at Maho Bay Camp in their permanent tents/cabins. Since then we have rented houses, but thanks to your questions I may check out Botanical while we are there in May to look at their cabins/tents for future trips so we can stay longer.

One more thing. In my opinion St. John far surpasses St. Thomas at least for a quiet back to nature trip.

A good friend had a co-worker that just spend 10 days at Cinnamon and while they were on island they checked out Botanical.

I did not get a full review yet but the one thing that was relayed to me was "don't stay there under any circumstances. It was the scariest place I have ever seen"

I am waiting for a full review and I will share it when I get it.

Wally,

FYI, years ago on a visit to STJ, we observed some folks who pitched their tent in the National Park near Maho Bay, they were good for app. one day, maybe less, the park service removed them, and the last we saw or heard they were on the ferry back to STT. I have no idea if they still have that policy now, but for your own sake I would check before I pitched a tent.

You might check with Caneel Bay, they may have some sites you can rent.

RM wrote:

You might check with Caneel Bay, they may have some sites you can rent.

I think you mean Cinnamon Bay. If you can camp at Caneel, sign me up 🙂