The Virgin Islands National Park's hills, valleys and beaches on St. John are breath-taking. However, within its 7,000 plus acres on the island is the complex history of civilizations - both free and enslaved - dating back more than a thousand years, all who utilized the land and the sea for survival.
History
Civilizations lived on St. John long before the Europeans arrived to the region, as evidenced by the petroglyphs, or rock carvings left by the Taino people. These carvings are found especially on the Reef Bay hiking trail. These people were all but driven into extinction by Europeans in the 17th century seeking new territories as colonial properties.
Natural History
Much of the vegetation on the Island is second generation growth. Almost the entire Island was clear-cut to make way for sugar cane production during the colonial era. Some native species like the tyre palm remain, but much growth today are introduced species.
Submerged Lands
In 1962, Congress expanded the boundary of Virgin Islands National Park to include 5,650 acres of submerged lands to protect and preserve the beautiful coral gardens and seascapes. Today, the Park conducts research, and has developed policies and practices aimed at protecting the fragile coral reef systems.
Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument
The need to protect reefs from further degradation led to a Presidential Proclamation establishing the Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument in January 2001. Hurricane Hole is the only area of the Monument accessible by land. Virgin Islands Coral Reef Monument includes federal submerged lands within the 3 mile belt off of the island of St. John. These waters support a diverse and complex system of coral reefs, and other ecosystems such as shoreline mangrove forests and segrass beds that contribute to their health and survival.
Climate
Climate is temperate year-round ranging from low eighties during the winter months to the low - mid nineties in the summer.
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