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Excerpted from St. John Off The
Beaten Track ©
2006 Gerald Singer
The trail to Ram Head Point begins at the eastern end the beach
at Salt Pond Bay.
This walk can be particularly sunny and hot, so bring water
and sun protection. For this reason, the best time to take this
hike is early in the morning when it is still cool, possibly
at sunrise.
Visiting Ram Head at sunrise, sunset and full moon can be an
impressive experience. Those choosing to undertake this adventure,
however, should exercise extreme caution. The steep, narrow and
slippery path, which can be tricky enough during the day, is
even more perilous during periods of low light. Bring a flashlight
and walk slowly and carefully.
Begin by walking along the small rocks and
coral rubble along the eastern shore of the bay. Here the West
Indian top shell, locally called whelks, can be found adhered
to the rocks near the water line. They are an island delicacy
and are often prepared during carnival time.
After about 100 yards, a defined trail begins and leads up over
a hill. The trail ascends to an elevation of about 100 feet and
then descends to sea level. There are great views along the whole
length of the Ram Head Trail, however a particularly fine vantage
point can be found at the top of this hill.
There are four mature Lignum vitae trees growing right alongside
the trail near the top of the first hill. At one time, much
of the Ram Head peninsula was covered with Lignum vitaes, but
most were cut down by pre-colonial woodcutters. This is one
of the few places on the island where you will still find mature
Lignum vitae trees in their natural state.
Lignum vitae is the heaviest and densest wood in the world and
will rapidly sink to the bottom when placed in water. It resists
rot caused by insects and moisture so effectively that remains
of Lignum vitae wood used as posts for dwellings by Taino Indians
discovered in Tutu, St. Thomas were shown by carbon dating to
be more than 800 years old.
When someone's problems were especially severe or when someone
was carrying an extremely heavy emotional burden, their troubles
were said to be "heavier than a lingy vitae cross.”
The path descends to a blue cobblestone beach. This beach may
be a destination in itself providing uncrowded swimming conditions
and access to excellent snorkeling just north of the beach.
Blue Cobblestone Beach is a favorite snorkel.
The trail to Ram Head continues at the south end of the beach.
Walk along the coast until you see the path, which should be
marked by a National Park information sign.
This section of trail gains elevation through a series of switchbacks
and proceeds up the hill to the saddle area of the peninsula.
The predominant plant species here are the barrel or Turk's head
cactus, which produces an edible fruit and attractive black caper
trees, identified by their dark bark and narrow leaves.
You will often see wild goats grazing along the rocky hillside.
These goats have degraded the environment by eating much of the
vegetation, resulting in the erosion of the topsoil in times
of rain.
At the top of this hill you come to the saddle or low point
between two hills. A fault line cuts across the narrow peninsula
here. The views are dramatic. You can look down the cliffs on
the eastern side and see waves crashing onto the small cobblestone
beach between the cliffs. The view to the west is tranquil and
serene, in stark contrast to the windy and rugged eastern exposure.
The trail continues up the next cactus-covered hillside via
a series of switchbacks leading to the top of Ram Head Point.
Ram Head Point
Geologically, the rock that makes up this headland is the oldest
rock found on St. John. Evidence supporting this theory was
gained when geologists, using diamond tipped drills, bored
into the rock at Ram Head. They drilled down more than a half
mile before breaking through the last of the rock. The new
substance brought up by the drill was examined and shown to
be the same material that makes up the ocean floor, indicating
that no other rock was there before it.
It has been speculated that this remote and inhospitable region
provided a hideout for runaway slaves, called maroons, who
lived here just before the slave rebellion in 1733.
This was a time of severe drought on St. John. Food could not
be easily grown and was in scarce supply. The biggest problem
the maroons faced was finding fresh water. The underground springs
had dried up along with the freshwater pools of the major guts.
On Ram Head, however, the maroons could provide themselves with
food and water. Water could be found stored in the cactus that
proliferated on the peninsula and the sea around the point provided
excellent fishing. Whelks could be picked along the rocky portions
of the coast, and conch could be harvested on the grassy seabed
of Salt Pond Bay.
For these reasons, Ram Head is thought to have been a stronghold
for the Akwamu tribesman who rebelled against slavery in 1733.
When the tides of battle turned against the rebels, a group of
warriors committed suicide here rather than face capture.
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