Reef Bay hike with kid

GG53 · Post by **GG53** » Thu Apr 25, 2013 9:04 am

We are leaving tomorrow for St John. Grandsons ages 5 and 2 1/2 will be coming with us. Do you think the guided Reef Bay Hike with the boat return would be possible for that age group? Thanks for any advice.

PA Girl · Post by **PA Girl** » Thu Apr 25, 2013 9:11 am

We took our 7yo in February. He is used to hiking at home and did great on the trail. I think a 5yo that is used to walking long distances would be fine. I do, however, think it is too challenging for a 2.5 yo. Some of the terrain is rocky and uneven (our son fell several times) and it is HOT in places.

54b · Post by **54b** » Thu Apr 25, 2013 11:47 am

Agree with PA Girl...I know your 5 yo can likely hack it as we had a 5 yo in tow when we did it last June. Since you're doing the guided tour, it'll all be downhill short of a quick spur trail up to the Petroglyphs (not steep). He'll be spent by the end of it, but fine, and like most 5 year olds, he'll be raring to go again after a quick nap on the boat ride back to Cruz.

But the 2-1/2 yo will definitely be a challenge as you'll have to carry him the first mile (pretty steep descent, dropping over a 1000 vertical feet with lots of step downs) and knowing 2-1/2 year olds (as I have one currently), you'll likely have to carry him the 2nd mile too even though it's relatively flat. In addition to the length of hike and terrain, I also think the combination of heat, humidity and typically short attention span of the average 2 yo would make the experience less than enjoyable as well.

Hope that helps.

Pia · Post by **Pia** » Thu Apr 25, 2013 2:39 pm

Unless you want to carry the 2 1/2 year old I would say no. Also did you book yet ? They only have 2 spots left on Monday but currently have space on Thursday.

Pia

tochin · Post by **tochin** » Thu Apr 25, 2013 3:24 pm

How hard and how long is the hike from Little Lameshur up to the petroglyphs and the reef bay house ruins? Is it possible (and easier) to check out the highlights of the Reef Bay hike that way? Can the sugar mill ruins be included from this way as well? Is it easier for children than the steep downhill trail? Thanks!

54b · Post by **54b** » Thu Apr 25, 2013 4:23 pm

tochin wrote:How hard and how long is the hike from Little Lameshur up to the petroglyphs and the reef bay house ruins? Is it possible (and easier) to check out the highlights of the Reef Bay hike that way? Can the sugar mill ruins be included from this way as well? Is it easier for children than the steep downhill trail? Thanks!

Six of one, half dozen of the other...from the Reef Bay Trail head on Centerline road to the Petroglyphs, it's about 1.3 miles, mostly downhill....of course that also means it's 1.3 miles straight back up the gut to your car after you've seen the Glyphs.

The distance from Little Lameshur to the Glyphs is about 1.5 miles and it's not flat it all...in fact there's basically one big hill between Lameshur and the Glyphs. So going there and back you'll have to climb twice and every bit as much as you would have coming from the trailhead on Centerline Road.

Now from the Glyphs to the Sugar Mill Ruins is about a mile and relatively flat the whole way...the problem is, there's no easy way to get to the Glyphs and that's why the Guided Reef Bail Trail hike put on the by the NPS is so popular...because instead having to climb back up, you get to take a boat back to Cruz Bay.

Besides the Guided Reef Bay Trail, the easiest way to do it, especially with kids is to take two cars and drive the South Shore road towards Fish Bay, take a right on Marina Road and then a left on Reef Bay Road to where it dead ends and allows access to Reef Bay Beach. You park one car there.

Then you all get in the other car and go all the way back to the trailhead at Centerline Road...you hike down the Reef Bay Trail stopping at the Glyphs and then at the Sugar Mill Ruins near Reef Bay...right next to the Sugar Mill ruins is quick little spur trail that takes you up and over a small hill and lets you out on a section of Reef Bay Beach that will allow you to walk west toward Fish Bay...you then along the beach about a mile or so to the end of Reef Bay beach (where it almost meets Fish Bay) and that's where your first car is waiting...on that stretch, there is a short outcropping of rocks that form a point between two beachheads that you have to negotiate, but it's not too bad.

Long story short, take the National Park Guided Tour if you're looking to keep it easy.

mindehankins · Post by **mindehankins** » Thu Apr 25, 2013 7:33 pm

54b - How easy is access to Reef Bay beach from this parking area? We liked the beautiful deserted beach very much! If we just wanted to visit the beach, could we park and carry our chairs in? And (this is silly, but) this is the beach that you would be on, if you did the NPS hike and walked left down the beach, right? The super shallow one?

54b · Post by **54b** » Thu Apr 25, 2013 9:33 pm

mindehankins wrote:54b - How easy is access to Reef Bay beach from this parking area? We liked the beautiful deserted beach very much! If we just wanted to visit the beach, could we park and carry our chairs in? And (this is silly, but) this is the beach that you would be on, if you did the NPS hike and walked left down the beach, right? The super shallow one?

Minde, we'll need another forumite to chime in on the actual description of the hike down from the Reef Bay Road to the western most side of Reef Bay Beach (aka Parrett Bay)...when I did it we used the private access trail from the Reef Bay Holiday Villa down to the beach which is not far from the public access trail...but I know the public access route is readily accessible...this is the spot where surfers go on STJ, so if they can get a surf board down there, it must not be that difficult. I think there are stairs for the steep part. See #21 on Trail Bandit's map:

http://www.trailbandit.org/maps-online/ ... hiking-map

As for other question, it's hard to describe...but I'll do my best. When you look at the map of STJ, Reef/Genti Bay looks like an upside down V...and in the middle of that V is where the Reef Bay trail ends on the beach and where I'm thinking the NPS Boat picks people up....however, you can not walk from that part of the Reef Bay beach directly back to Western side where the public access area is because there are steep rock cliffs jutting out. You have go back inland to the Sugar Mill ruins and next to the ruins is a trail up and over a hill that will help you get over to part of Reef Bay Beach (See "L" on Trail Bandit's map linked above) that will then allow you the ability to walk westward toward Fish Bay...again, it's mostly sandy beach, it's about a mile and there is a short rock scramble about halfway.

As for Reef Bay, the actual bay part of it...yes, it's very shallow and not what I'd considered good for swimming....some parts are calmer than others. Also, the sand is coarse and unless you walk close to the water's edge, can be quite a challenge to walk in as your feet sink down with every step...as for taking chairs down, you could do that, maybe watch the surfers if they're there....more than anything I consider this a hikers beach for people who just want beach comb and it would like be best if done early in the morning.

Hope that helps.

54b · Post by **54b** » Fri Apr 26, 2013 10:29 am

For Minde and anyone else interested in knowing more about the Reef Bay Coastal walk, there's a good video on YouTube of it including the walk down from Reef Bay Road...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51uVA2BJrpI

mindehankins · Post by **mindehankins** » Fri Apr 26, 2013 8:00 pm

Thanks so much! Going to take a look and see if I think I could do the walk.

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