Reef Bay Hike

[BasUR]

For those of you who have done the NPS Reef Bay Hike... How difficult is it? My youngest child will be 7 and I'm wondering how hard it would be for her.

Thanks for any info.

[mrsb]

We did the hike last year and the trail is fairly easy. The worst part was the grassy part leading down to Genti Bay. There are some pickys in that part. The guided tour goes slow and it's all downhill. Bring lots of water, bug spray and tissues just in case.

[waterguy]

Just remember that if it's to rough and they can't pick you up by boat it's a long hike back up.

[Anthony]

Did it in August in 06 and would not have wanted my girls (6 & 9) with me. A lot of mosquitos - and a pretty long walk. Unless your kids are hikers already, I would not recommend it. They could be pretty wiped out by the end.

[Jumbiegirl]

We took an 8-year old a few years ago and he did great. I think he enjoyed it.

[daytonpaul]

I agree with Anthony's advice. But if you do it:
shoes and socks and take plenty of water. The fall in elevation happens in the first 1/2 mile which means the climb back up is the last 1/2 mile. It is a great hike-done it twice. Good luck!!!

[PA Girl]

It probably depends on the "outdooriness" of the child.

When we did the walk in 2005, there were several families with 6 to 10 year olds. The kids seem to have a great time, most skipped after the ranger like she was the pied piper.

On the other hand, I personally know kids that would be miserable within 10 minutes of starting out.

[RJ in Wisconsin]

OK, I've got some info. for you seeing as you have been so helpful for me.

My husband and I did the Reef Bay hike on our own in March. We noticed no bugs whatsoever, so maybe it depends on the time of year. We passed the NPS hikers on the way down. They seemed to go at a nice slow pace, so I would think a seven-year-old (or a healthy 60+-year old) would have no trouble with the hike. We veered off the main trail & went to the Petroglyphs & then back to the main trail & down to the ruins & the beatiful bays. We were all alone for quite some time & even when the NPS hikers caught up to us at the bay, it is such a large stretch of beach that we didn't even feel like others were there.

But, here was the kicker. A nice boat came and picked all of them up (we were drooling over that boat). We, on the other hand, faced the hike of our lives - about 2 1/2 miles straight up the mountain. I thought it was never going to end. I bet we lost 10 pounds after that hike! We had no water with us - I guess we were just lucky that the trail is mostly shaded (the only part that's out in the open is when you get to the ruins & bay). We did have water back at our jeep, so the thought of that was what kept us climbing (even though that darn water was hot).

So, I guess I would summarize by saying, yes, I think you & your family will have no problem taking the NPS hike which is relatively simple. I think a seven-year-old would not get tired out & would find it a lot of fun. It is a gorgeous hike & I would do it again (just not the up-the-mountain part).

[savvy]

My husband and I did the NPS Reef Bay Trail hike in mid-February. We wore light weight long pants because we heard the biting insects can be merciless. However, there was not a biting bug to be seen. It was very hot, even in the shade, so wish we would have worn shorts. We wore our swimsuits underneath so we could swim at Genti Bay and were glad we did. My husband swam out to the shuttle boat, I took the dinghy. I would not have wanted to climb back up that trail. We brought water and a light lunch. Although there were lots of people (it would have been nice to take photos at the waterfall/petroglyph area without someone's children trying to be in everyone's photos), it was well worth the crowd to NOT have to hike back up! We enjoyed the explanations and insights from the ranger, asked some questions privately, and saw a pair (mother and baby) of humpback whales cavorting in Reef Bay once we got on the boat shuttling us back to Cruz Bay. (I also got jewelry out of the deal - my husband told me if I did the hike with him, he'd buy me some petroglyph jewelry)!

[Steve S]

(I also got jewelry out of the deal - my husband told me if I did the hike with him, he'd buy me some petroglyph jewelry)!

Ahh, just one of a long list of how to get jewelry out of a "frugal" husband. This would make an interesting poll question/ forum thread - "What I had to do to get jewelry on St. John."

[patr]

How long does the hike take with the NPS?

What time do you have to be at the NPS, and what time does the boat return?

Are reservations required? Cost? I know everyone suggest packing water, how about lunch??

[SoCaTraveler]

I called the NPS today to get a reservation for June (I read you should book well in advance). They told me the hike would start @ 9:30 a.m. and we'd return around 2:30 or 3 p.m. I believe they said hikes are offered on Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays.

The hike is free but the boat transportation for the return trip is $21 per person (they didn't mention a lower cost for kids, even though I mentioned 2 people in our reservation are kids).

I asked about the difficulty and they said it's all downhill and not difficult... sounds like a slightly different answer than some of the answers I've seen here.

[madforstjohn]

We did the hike 2 years ago with a 15 yr old, 13 yr old, 2 9yr olds and a 7 yr old. I can assure you the 7 and 9 yr old kids loved it and had no trouble at all. They loved the bats and the petroglyphs and the ranger's stories and the mills and ruins and the boat ride back. The teenagers on the other hand were a little bored. Had to leave too early and they were not working on a tan or shopping!

[savvy]

Guess I'm just getting old....
You need to pay the taxi for your trip and then pay the boat crew for the shuttle back to town, so best not to bring any big bills. It would be easier to just pay for everything at the NPS ahead of time, but it doesn't work that way.[/img]