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Excerpted from St. John Off The
Beaten Track ©
2006 Gerald Singer
The Caneel Hill Trail begins in Cruz Bay about twenty yards past
the Mongoose Junction parking lot and rises to the summit of
Caneel Hill. The trail then descends, running along the ridgeline
to the saddle, or low point, between Caneel Hill and the next
mountain peak, Margaret Hill. From the saddle, the trail leads
to the top of Margaret Hill from where it descends the northern
face of the mountain arriving at the North Shore Road just
across from the entrance to the Caneel Bay Resort. The total
distance is 2.4 miles.
Be prepared. The trail to the peak of Caneel Hill is a steep
and steady incline, gaining 719 feet of elevation in less than
one mile.
The trail passes through typical dry forest terrain in an area
once dedicated to the cultivation of cotten.
In the late nineteenth century, the cotton plantations were
sold or abandoned and the land was used primarily for pasture
and for the cultivation of small provision garden plots until
its acquisition by the National Park in the 1950s.
Before the “discovery” of the New World, the only
cotton available to Europe came from Africa. Since the fibers
of this variety of cotton were too short for it to be woven,
clothing was usually made from wool.
Upon their arrival to the Caribbean, the European conquerors
came upon a different variety of cotton; one with long fibers
from which, the indigenous inhabitants of the region wove fabrics
and made hammocks. The discovery made it possible for the Europeans
to manufacture comfortable cotton clothing as well as fabrics
used for other purposes.
Mongoose Junction to the Caneel Hill Spur
About a third of the way up the trail (0.3 mile) you will come
to the intersection of the Caneel Hill Spur Trail, which will
be to the left running downhill. The spur trail eventually crosses
the North Shore Road, and then continues on to meet the Lind
Point Trail.
At the spur intersection, remain on the Caneel Hill Trail, which
continues to the right and uphill. A bench near the top of
the trail will provide a welcome location to stop and rest
and enjoy the spectacular northerly views. From the bench,
it’s just about 100 yards further to the top of Caneel
Hill.
At the peak of Caneel Hill you will be treated to a magnificent
panorama. In 1995, Hurricane Marilyn destroyed the wooden viewing
platform, but there is still a bench where you can sit and rest
at the end of this strenuous climb. From this vantage point you
can see a great deal of the Virgin Island archipelago and on
clear days you may even be able to see as far as the mountainous
El Yunque rainforest on Puerto Rico.
From the summit of Caneel Hill, the trail continues to the east
toward Margaret Hill. The track at first follows the southern
side of the ridge between the two mountain peaks offering spectacular
views of the southwestern side of St. John. It then crosses
over the ridge and runs along the northern side of the mountain
from where you will enjoy views of the island's north shore
and beyond. The trail continues to descend until it reaches
the saddle (lowest point on the ridge) between Caneel and Margaret
Hills where the trail once passed an old tamarind tree beneath
which was a rustic wooden bench. In 2006, it was discovered
that the this section of trail went through private property,
to remedy this, the Park moved this part of the trail some
50 yards to the north.
An abandoned Park trail, semi-improved by the Trail Bandit and
local hikers, runs between the saddle and Route 20, just west
of the Caneel Bay Resort.
From the saddle, the trail ascends once again, taking you back
into the pristine environment of the Park following the mountain
ridge to access the Margaret Hill Overlook and the summit of
Margaret Hill before descending once again to its eastern terminus
at the North Shore Road at Caneel Bay.
The Margaret Hill Ascent of the Caneel Hill Trail begins at the
entrance to the Caneel Bay Resort on the opposite side of the
North Shore Road. The trail ascends 840 feet in the course
of a little over one mile to reach the summit of Margaret Hill.
From here, it continues on to Caneel Hill and then down to
Cruz Bay near the Mongoose Junction parking lot.
The Margaret Hill ascent is shadier, cooler, and not as steep
as the Caneel Hill ascent. As soon as you leave the paved roadway
and enter the lush tropical forest, you cannot help but be
overwhelmed by the serene natural beauty of your surroundings.
The trail rises gently, shaded by pepper cinnamon, guavaberry
and genip trees. A stand of teyer palm, said to be the only
indigenous species of palm on St. John, lines a section of
the trail. About 50 yards up the trail is a dry stacked native
stone wall overgrown with anthuriums and strangler figs.
You may notice a point where the main trail seems to fork. Here
a spur trail to the left, maintained periodically by local hikers,
leads to the Water Catchment Trail. The Margaret
Hill Trail continues steeply up the hill to your right.
As you gain elevation, views of the north shore and outer cays
begin to open up through the foliage. This will be your signal
to watch for a large triangular rock on the high side of the
trail that is covered with beautiful native orchids.
After passing the area of native orchids you will come to a switchback
in the trail where there is another spur trail on the left
leading to the Water
Catchment Trail. Continuing on, you will
come to a third trail intersection where there is a National
Park Service directional sign. The path to the left leads to
Centerline Road (Route 10) and the head of the Water Catchment
Trail.
Continuing along the Caneel Hill Trail, you will come to another
large rock reminiscent of the orchid-covered one below. At this
point, the trail becomes rather steep and rocky and leads to
a scenic overlook with a view to the north. It is only a few-minutes
walk from this overlook to the top of Margaret Hill.
When you reach the top of the hill, there is a nice view to the
south, but the really spectacular overlook lies about 50 yards
further down the trail where there is a spur to the left leading
to a large rock outcropping. The spur is marked by a National
Park Service sign. Climb up on the large flat rock and enjoy!
Shortcut to the Overlook
If all you want to do is get to the Margaret Hill Overlook and
prefer not to take such a long hike, you can begin your walk
at the entrance to the Water Catchment Trail at Centerline Road.
Walk down to the spur trail. From there it’s a much shorter
walk to the overlook. See map on page 30.
From the Margaret Hill Overlook, the trail continues to Caneel
Hill and then runs back down to Cruz Bay near Mongoose Junction.
Connect the two ends of the Caneel Hill Trail by using the Lind
Point Trail to get back to where you began.
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