NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Virgin Islands National Park

Virgin Islands National Park is a United States National Park covering approximately 60% of the island of Saint John in the United States Virgin Islands. The park is famous for scuba diving and snorkeling and has miles of hiking trails through tropical forests. The World Conservation Union or International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) is an international organization dedicated to natural resource conservation. ... Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada A national park is a reserve of land, usually, but not always (see National Parks of England and Wales), declared and owned by a national government, protected from most human development and pollution. ... Image File history File links Red_pog. ... File links The following pages link to this file: U.S. Virgin Islands Geography of the U.S. Virgin Islands Categories: CIA World Factbook images ... Charlotte Amalie is the capital of the U.S. Virgin Islands, a territory of the United States of America. ... is the 214th day of the year (215th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The National Park Service (NPS) is the United States federal agency that manages all National Parks, many National Monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations. ... Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada A national park is a reserve of land, usually, but not always (see National Parks of England and Wales), declared and owned by a national government, protected from most human development and pollution. ... Saint John is the smallest of the three main United States Virgin Islands (USVI), a United States territory. ...

Ferries from Red Hook and Charlotte Amalie on Saint Thomas make regular stops at Cruz Bay, Saint John, near the park, which averages 725,000 visitors per year. ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1000x750, 327 KB) Galen S. Swint Taken May 6, 2005, by Galen S. Swint. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1000x750, 327 KB) Galen S. Swint Taken May 6, 2005, by Galen S. Swint. ... Charlotte Amalie is the capital of the U.S. Virgin Islands, a territory of the United States of America. ... Saint Thomas is an island in the Caribbean Sea and a constituent of the United States Virgin Islands (USVI). ... Cruz Bay is a town on the west coast of St. ...

One of the Virgin Islands National Park's most famous attractions is Trunk Bay which sports a white sand beach and underwater snorkeling trail.

Plan accordingly and you'll be able to traverse the likes of the sugar-plantation-ruins-littered Cinnamon Bay Nature Trail and the Bourdeaux Mountain Trail that leads to the highest point on the island at 1,277 feet above sea level and whose view is best described as "what you must see from heaven." The most popular hike however is the Reef Bay Trail. This route paves the way to witnessing the beauty of the surrounding forestlands, remnants of sugar mills, historical petroglyph rock carvings, a spring-fed waterfall and reflection pool, and a chance for rest and relaxation or snorkeling excitement at Genti Bay.

Visitors can stay on Saint John nearby but off park land, or they may elect to stay in one of park's two campgrounds, Maho Bay and Cinnamon Bay, which offer varying levels of comfort.

Virgin Islands National Park also includes Hassel Island, just off Charlotte Amalie harbor, as well as a few isolated sites on the island of St. Thomas. Hassel Island (also sometimes Hassell Island) is a small island of the U.S. Virgin Islands, a United States territory located in the Caribbean Sea. ... Map of U.S. Virgin Islands Saint Thomas is an island in the Caribbean Sea, a county and constituent district of the United States Virgin Islands (USVI), an unincorporated territory of the United States. ...

Basic facts Each year, about 700,000 people visit the park. Virgin Islands National Park is spread out on 14,689 acres (59 km²) of land! It became the 29th U.S. national park in 1956, when Laurence Rockefeller visited the area and thought the land was incredibly beautiful. The fee to enter the park is free if you are 16 & under, adult admission is $4. The park covers almost 60% of St. John Island, and a small portion of Hassel Island as well.

Features The main features of the Virgin Islands National Park are the coral reefs and oceans. They almost completely surround the park. The coral reefs are changing rapidly, because new coral species are replacing the old ones. For example, in 2006, the Elkhorn and Slaghorn coral were introduced to the Virgin Islands. Another important feature of the Virgin Islands are the tropical forests. The tropical forests hold most of the parks plants and wildlife. The plants and wildlife are what the Virgin Islands Park is famous for. Bats are the only mammal native to the island. Wild donkeys and crabs are other very common species.

Climate The climate conditions at the Virgin Islands National Park are subtropical. The average rainfall per year is 55 inches. In the winter, trade winds blow from 11 to 21 knots. The average temperature for the park is 79 degrees Fahrenheit. At the Virgin Islands, the dominant plant species are dry tropical forest plants.

When to visit The best time to visit the Virgin Island National Park would be December through April when the weather is nice, and the ocean temperature is warm. When you pack your bags, make sure to bring some sunscreen, bathing suit, sunglasses, and shorts. It can get pretty hot! Camping is available to the park, as well as lodging.

ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1000x750, 288 KB) Reef Bay and Virgin Islands National Park (St. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1000x750, 288 KB) Reef Bay and Virgin Islands National Park (St. ...

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Categories: IUCN Category II | 1956 establishments | National parks of the United States | Protected areas of the United States Virgin Islands The parks of the United States National Park system are one type of protected area in the United States and are operated by the U.S. National Park Service. ... Acadia National Park preserves much of Mount Desert Island, and associated smaller islands, off the Atlantic coast of Maine. ... The National Park of American Samoa is a national park on the American territory of American Samoa, distributed across three separate islands: Tutuila, Ofu, and Taâ€˜Å«. Authorized by Congress in 1988, the National Park Service entered into 50-year leases for all park land from Samoan village councils on September... Arches National Park preserves over 2,000 natural sandstone arches, including the world-famous Delicate Arch, in addition to a variety of unique geological resources and formations. ... 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Entrance to the Visitors Center, Saguaro National Park, West. ... Crescent Meadow in the Giant Forest, called by John Muir the Gem of the Sierras Sequoia National Park is a national park in the southern Sierra Nevada, east of Visalia, California in the United States of America. ... Shenandoah National Park encompasses part of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the Blue Ridge region of Virginia. ... Established in 1978, Theodore Roosevelt National Park is a United States National Park comprising three geographically separated areas of badlands in western North Dakota. ... Established in 1975, Voyageurs National Park is a United States National Park in northern Minnesota near the town of International Falls. ... Wind Cave National Park is a United States national park 10 miles (18 km) north of the town of Hot Springs in western South Dakota. ... Established in 1980 by the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, Wrangell-St. ... Yellowstone National Park is the centerpiece of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, the largest intact ecosystem in the Earths northern temperate zone. ... Yosemite National Park (pronounced Yo-SEM-it-ee, IPA: ) is a national park located largely in Mariposa and Tuolumne Counties, California, United States. ... Zion Canyon as seen from the top of Angels Landing at sunset Zion National Park is a United States National Park located in the Southwestern United States, near Springdale, Utah. ... Image File history File links Red_Dot. ... Acadia National Park preserves much of Mount Desert Island, and associated smaller islands, off the Atlantic coast of Maine. ... Image File history File links Red_Dot. ... Arches National Park preserves over 2,000 natural sandstone arches, including the world-famous Delicate Arch, in addition to a variety of unique geological resources and formations. ... Image File history File links Red_Dot. ... Badlands National Park, in southwest South Dakota, preserves 242,756 acres (982 kmÂ²) of sharply eroded buttes, pinnacles and spires blended with the largest protected mixed grass prairie in the United States. ... Image File history File links Red_Dot. ... Big Bend National Park is a national park located in Texas, USA. For more than 1,000 miles (1600 km) the Rio Grande / RÃo Bravo forms the international boundary between Mexico and the United States; Big Bend National Park administers approximately one-quarter of that boundary. ... Image File history File links Red_Dot. ... Biscayne National Park is a U.S. National Park located in southern Florida, due east of Homestead, FL. The park preserves Biscayne Bay, one of the top scuba diving areas in the United States. ... Image File history File links Red_Dot. ... Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park is a United States National Park located in western Colorado. ... Image File history File links Red_Dot. ... Bryce Canyon National Park Bryce Canyon National Park is a national park located in southwestern Utah in the United States. ... Image File history File links Red_Dot. ... Canyonlands National Park, located near Moab, Utah and the Arches National Park, was designated as a National Park on September 12, 1964. ... Image File history File links Red_Dot. ... Capitol Reef National Park is a United States National Park, in south-central Utah. ... Image File history File links Red_Dot. ... Carlsbad Caverns National Park is a United States National Park located in the Guadalupe Mountains of the southeastern corner of New Mexico (Eddy County). ... Image File history File links Red_Dot. ... The Channel Islands National Park is a national park that consists of five of the eight Channel Islands off the coast of the U.S. state of California, in the Pacific Ocean. ... Image File history File links Red_Dot. ... Located in South Carolina, the 34 mi² (89 km²) Congaree National Park is the largest tract of old growth bottomland hardwood forest left in the United States but one of the smallest national parks. ... Image File history File links Red_Dot. ... Image:CraterLake Oregon USA.jpg Crater Lake with Wizard Island Crater Lake National Park is a United States National Park located in Southern Oregon whose primary feature is Crater Lake. ... Image File history File links Red_Dot. ... Brandywine Falls Cuyahoga Valley National Park preserves the rural landscape along the Cuyahoga River between Akron and Cleveland in northeast Ohio. ... Image File history File links Red_Dot. ... Death Valley National Park is a mostly arid United States National Park located east of the Sierra Nevada mountain range in southern Inyo County and northern San Bernardino County in California with a small extension into southwestern Nye County and extreme southern Esmeralda County in Nevada. ... Image File history File links Red_Dot. ... Denali National Park and Preserve is located in Interior Alaska and contains Mt. ... Image File history File links Red_Dot. ... Dry Tortugas National Park preserves Fort Jefferson and the Dry Tortugas section of the Florida Keys. ... Image File history File links Red_Dot. ... Everglades National Park preserves the southern portion of the Everglades (all south of Tamiami Trail), but represents only 20 % of the original wetland area. ... Image File history File links Red_Dot. ... Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve is one of several large U.S. National Parks in Alaska. ... Image File history File links Red_Dot. ... There is also a non-adjoining national park in Canada by the same name. ... Image File history File links Red_Dot. ... The area around Glacier Bay in southeastern Alaska was first proclaimed a U.S. National Monument on February 25, 1925. ... Image File history File links Red_Dot. ... Grand Canyon National Park is one of the United States oldest national parks and is located in Arizona. ... Image File history File links Red_Dot. ... Grand Teton National Park is a United States National Park located in western Wyoming, south of Yellowstone National Park. ... Image File history File links Red_Dot. ... Great Basin National Park is a United States National Park, located in east-central Nevada near its border with Utah. ... Image File history File links Red_Dot. ... Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve became a United States National Park by an act of Congress on September 13, 2004. ... Image File history File links Red_Dot. ... Cades Cove panorama The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a United States National Park that straddles the ridgeline of the Great Smoky Mountains, part of the Blue Ridge Mountains which are a division of the larger Appalachian Mountain chain. ... Image File history File links Red_Dot. ... Guadalupe Mountains National Park is located in the Guadalupe Mountains of West Texas and contains Guadalupe Peak, the highest point in Texas at 8,749 feet (2,667 m) in elevation. ... Image File history File links Red_Dot. ... HaleakalÄ National Park is a United States national park located on the island of Maui in the state of Hawaii. ... Image File history File links Red_Dot. ... Hawaiâ€˜i Volcanoes National Park, established in 1916, displays the results of 30 million years of volcanism, migration, and evolutionâ€”processes that thrust a bare land from the sea and clothed it with complex and unique ecosystems and a distinct human culture. ... Image File history File links Red_Dot. ... Established from Hot Springs Reservation, Hot Springs National Park is a United States National Park in central Arkansas adjacent to the city of Hot Springs. ... Image File history File links Red_Dot. ... Isle Royale National Park is a U.S. National Park in the state of Michigan. ... Image File history File links Red_Dot. ... A Joshua tree silhouetted by a rock Joshua Tree National Park is located in south-eastern California. ... Image File history File links Red_Dot. ... Katmai National Park and Preserve is a United States National Park in Alaska, notable for the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes and for its brown bears. ... Image File history File links Red_Dot. ... Established in 1980 by the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, Kenai Fjords National Park is a United States National Park on the Kenai Peninsula in southcentral Alaska near the town of Seward. ... Image File history File links Red_Dot. ... This article is about Kings Canyon National Park, USA. For Kings Canyon, Australia, see Kings Canyon (Northern Territory). ... Image File history File links Red_Dot. ... Established in 1980 by the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, Kobuk Valley National Park is a United States National Park in northwestern Alaska north of the Arctic Circle. ... Image File history File links Red_Dot. ... Established in 1980 by the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, Lake Clark National Park and Preserve is a United States National Park in southwestern Alaska. ... Image File history File links Red_Dot. ... Map of Lassen area showing hydrothermal features (red dots) and volcanic feature or remnant (yellow cones). ... Image File history File links Red_Dot. ... Mammoth Cave National Park is a U.S. National Park in central Kentucky, encompassing portions of Mammoth Cave, the most elongated cave system known in the world. ... Image File history File links Red_Dot. ... Mesa Verde National Park is a U.S. National Park and UNESCO World Heritage Site located in Montezuma County, Colorado, United States. ... Image File history File links Red_Dot. ... Mount Rainier National Park is a United States National Park located in southeast Pierce County, Washington. ... Image File history File links Red_Dot. ... Looking toward Magic Mountain from the Cascade Pass trail North Cascades National Park is a U.S. National Park located in Washington state. ... Image File history File links Red_Dot. ... Olympic National Park is located in the U.S. state of Washington, in the far northwestern part of the state known as the Olympic Peninsula. ... Image File history File links Red_Dot. ... Petrified Forest National Park is located in northeastern Arizona, along Interstate 40 between Holbrook and Navajo. ... Image File history File links Red_Dot. ... Established in 1968 from unprotected land as well as small portions of existing state parks, Redwood National Park is a United States National Park on the northern coast of California between Eureka and Crescent City. ... Image File history File links Red_Dot. ... Rocky Mountain National Park is located in the north central region of the U.S. state of Colorado. ... Image File history File links Red_Dot. ... Entrance to the Visitors Center, Saguaro National Park, West. ... Image File history File links Red_Dot. ... Crescent Meadow in the Giant Forest, called by John Muir the Gem of the Sierras Sequoia National Park is a national park in the southern Sierra Nevada, east of Visalia, California in the United States of America. ... Image File history File links Red_Dot. ... Shenandoah National Park encompasses part of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the Blue Ridge region of Virginia. ... Image File history File links Red_Dot. ... Established in 1978, Theodore Roosevelt National Park is a United States National Park comprising three geographically separated areas of badlands in western North Dakota. ... Image File history File links Red_Dot. ... Established in 1975, Voyageurs National Park is a United States National Park in northern Minnesota near the town of International Falls. ... Image File history File links Red_Dot. ... Wind Cave National Park is a United States national park 10 miles (18 km) north of the town of Hot Springs in western South Dakota. ... Image File history File links Red_Dot. ... Established in 1980 by the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, Wrangell-St. ... Image File history File links Red_Dot. ... Yellowstone National Park is the centerpiece of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, the largest intact ecosystem in the Earths northern temperate zone. ... Image File history File links Red_Dot. ... Yosemite National Park (pronounced Yo-SEM-it-ee, IPA: ) is a national park located largely in Mariposa and Tuolumne Counties, California, United States. ... Image File history File links Red_Dot. ... Zion Canyon as seen from the top of Angels Landing at sunset Zion National Park is a United States National Park located in the Southwestern United States, near Springdale, Utah. ... Image File history File links US_Locator_Blank. ... This is a list of U.S. national parks by date of establishment. ... This is a list of United States National Parks by state. ...

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