August, Setember and October tend to be more active but hey...you're booked so plan the vacation and deal with anything else if/when it happens. If you want, take out insurance.

GOOD sandles will work and hiking boots will be too much. The hikes will tend to be hilly, nothing hard but the heat and humidity are the biggest test. Reef Bay Hike is great for photographs as are the East End hikes with off islands (BVI) in background. East end tends to be more arid so less foliage.
Get one of the books "STJ Off the Beaten Track" or "Feet Fins & 4WD" to get hiking details. You can get some information from links on VINow but these books are worth their weight in Gold.

I don't want to alarm you, but I do want to mention a little about hurricanes. They're serious things. It's not just like a rainy day.

The last two weeks of August are getting into peak hurricane season, so if it was me, I'd have trip insurance (actually, it wouldn't be me. There's nothing that would get me to go to the Caribbean between August and October. Too many other months when hurricanes don't happen.) Actually, August and September can be a great time to be there as long as a hurricane isn't slamming into the island that you're on or disrupting travel in that part of the Caribbean.If you WANTED to experience a hurricane, the first two weeks of September are probably the best time. The odds are certainly against a hurricane hitting at the time that you're there, but the odds are that one of these years, a hurricane probably will hit STJ in late August.

For the longer, more demanding hikes on STJ I like to wear sneakers, although Tevas would probably be fine. You definitely don't need boots. I second Chris' recommendation of those two books. We have and use both.

I forgot to mention---one of our favorite hikes is the Johnny Horn trail. It runs from Waterlemon Bay over to Coral Bay with a cutoff down to Brown Bay. Good views and variety. Very few people on the trail. It's definitely a hike rather than a walk.

I've been a fulltime resident since 1984. There have only been two major hurricanes in the USVI in recent years - Hugo in 1989 and Marilyn in 1995. There have been several minor ones inbetween but they passed over and through very quickly and were unmemorable. Based on Gray's predictions and my own (admittedly uneducated) observations of recent local weather patterns, I would say that this year is going to see a very active hurricane season.

However, I would guess that once again these hurricanes are going to form on a trajectory unlikely to impact the USVI and will more likely once again impact the US mainland.

I remember from years back that LL Bean had a very popular LIGHT hiking boot/shoe which you might want to check out. As I remember they were quite flexible and sturdy but well-aerated. Depending on where you're going to hike, good sandals can work just fine but if you're really going to get into some arid areas you'll need a covered shoe to protect you from cactus. Some of those points can run right through cheap sandals and sneakers and that's PAINFUL!

Happy Hiking and enjoy your visit! Many visitors regularly take advantage of lower airfares and accomodation during "hurricane season" and have wonderful experiences. The weather invariably is as perfect as the rest of the year but there's less hustle and bustle. Cheers!

Nick,

Your post about nothing getting you into the Caribbean during that timeframe brings a smile to my face. Not that I am laughing AT you, but, as most people in the United States mis-believe, being in the VI during hurricane season is much, MUCH better than being on the Eastern or Southern coast of the United States during the same time...ESPECIALLY Florida! Granted, hurricanes happen every year in the Atlantic and Caribbean, but if you look at the map, we are but a teeny tiny speck in the middle of a HUGE bunch of water. The odds of one hitting here are MUCH slimmer than one hitting the United States. In the almost 9 years I have lived here (never leaving except for little one week vacations), I have only seen one 'true' (in my opinion) hurricane (Georges), and he was really nothing much to speak of. As STT Res said, we had one in '95 (Marilyn) and in '89 (Hugo), but it had been 65 years without one before Hugo. Worrying about hurricanes here is akin to worrying about tornadoes in Kansas. Sure they happen all the time...but what are the odds that one will hit YOU? Mighty slim. We prepare for them...keep our eye out for them...but we don't worry about them too much here.

I remember watching the news back when Hugo hit STX and thinking "Why would anybody go to the Caribbean in September? " Odds are against any one particular island being hit in any one particular year, but odds are very good that some island is going to get hit. And odds are pretty good that one of these years the VI will get hit. If I WANTED to experience a hurricane, that's when I'd head for the Caribbean. I don't and since there's a good nine or ten months of the year when there won't be a hurricane, it's fairly easy to schedule my trips during that period. Apparently a lot of other people have the same strategy, which is why it's the slow season.

You don't think the snow in the U.S. has anything to do with the winter being the high season here? How about the fact that summer is pretty pleasant all around the continental U.S.? Think that might also have some bearing on our 'slow' time of year? I'm not saying that YOU should come down during hurricane season, Nick (which is June 1st thru November 30th ), but I don't think you should try to disuede anyone else from coming during that time, either. Rates are cheaper, less crowds, it's not as 'touristy'...IMHO, I think it's better during this time of year. Just one man's observation, though.

Well said, Marty.

When I saw Nick's last post I was inclined to respond but then said to myself, "Ah, just let it go." but you filled in the gap which I declined. However, since you dove in, I'll add my two cents for whatever they may be worth.

Nick, visitors mostly come to the Caribbean between November and May because they want to get away from the winter drudge in the Northern hemisphere. Once the weather starts to brighten up in the Northern hemisphere, they enjoy their summers up there. Their decision really has little to do with hurricane season.

As TS (not yet a hurricane) Alberto approaches the Florida Gulf Coast area as the first named disturbance to form and grow, I stand by my earlier post today. Cheers!

I was between St. John and St. Thomas in August 2 years ago and it was not that bad. A few afternoon showers passing through cooling it off. Take your chances and it will pay off. Enjoy.

I always laugh at my brother when he asks why I live on the TX Gulf Coast, "They have hurricanes from June to November". I guess he completely forgets they have earthquakes 12 months a year in CA where he lives. 🙁
At least I get 72 hours notice.

Nick
Your comments are somewhat short sighted. If 'potential' disaster dictated peoples actions, real estate values in CA would not be blowing through the roof. People travel to and are in love with the islands of Hawaii and they are active volcanoes!

Be aware...certainly, but do not be afraid of what nature has to show us.

I love my October/November week in STX and sorely missed it last year when I went elsewhere (Spain). The weather has always been great with one exception - Wrong Way Lenny in 1999. That was in mid-November, generally considered safe even though it is technically still in hurricane season. To this day though I still look at it as a learning experience and found positives to take away from it.

I also go to STX in March. The two are completely different experiences. I love the laid back vibe of the off season, and the hustle of the winter season. I'm really hoping to be back on the boardwalk come late October!!

I love going to the Caribbean. And if there's nine months of the year when I'm pretty much guaranteed that no hurricanes are going to interfere with my plans, that's the time I'm going to schedule my vacation there. Why wouldn't I?And people really do consider hurricane season when they plan Caribbean vacations.

Tourism dries up so much from late August into October that businesses close down. Not in June. Not in July. Not in early August. It really is more than just an odd coincidence that the least touristed period coincides with the peak hurricane season. There really is a connection there.

I also apologize for engaging in pointless debate again and will try to do better.

Oh, and to the original poster----

Sorry this has gotten sidetracked. Excellent help really is available here and I hope that you'll post again if you do have other questions.

I always have to laugh at people who say things like "California has earthquakes 12 months a year." We haven't had one single good shake in about 10 years! I would rather live in California with an earthquake now and then instead of on the Gulf Coast where you are sure to get a tropical storm or hurricane EVERY year, or in Tornado Alley (why do you think they call it that?!) where your house gets wiped off the map yearly. And in defense of poor maligned California, the worst earthquake zone in the continental U.S. is in New Madrid, Missouri. There are also major earthquakes in Washington State and New York. So why do you live on the Gulf Coast anyway? 😉

Low taxes,
Lower gas prices and
muuuuuuch lower real estate cost. 😀

Don't get me wrong, CA is nice but I still prefer 72 hours notice.

Wow! Can of warms! Funny.
I really appreciate everyone's point of view. Thanks for the hiking info as well.
We are booked, we are going! I guess I'll take life on the edge for this one. I am so excited!
Thanks everyone.......Cat

cat: People around here can really get off the track, can't they? 😉

I vote for running shoes/walking shoes. Some of the trails are a bit overgrown and I don't think Tevas give enough protection.

I thought you may enjoy a few links that I have for the hiking trails on St. John. They have lots of pictures. The only hike we did was the Rams Head Trail - and we enjoyed it. The view at the top will be hard to beat. There was a sandy beach, rocky beach, and uneven dirt path. We bought some hiking/water reef sneakers from REI. Mine are the brand North Face and my husband has Merrell. I loved mine and they worked perfect. My husband got blisters on the back of his ankles and does not recommend the Merrell shoe. Here are the links:

http://www.stjohntour.com/

http://www.stjohnbeachguide.com/Trails.htm

The National Park Programs
http://www.nps.gov/viis/InterpProgram.htm