Virgin Islands National Park · U.S. Virgin Islands

Leinster Bay Trail

1.1 mi of trail, end to end · about 30 ft of climbing · 150 ft of descent · 10 ft–160 ft · hiking

160 ft 19 ft · 1.1 mi high 160 ft

Johnny Horn Trail the Park Service's write-up

2-4 Hours · dogs allowed · reservation required

Start Johnny Horn Trail

Distant boats dot turquoise water of varying shades on a brilliantly sunny day.
The views make the climb worthwhile!

This 1.8 mile strenuous trail begins at the east end of the Waterlemon Bay beach and ascends past historic sites on both sides of the trail. At the top of the first hill, a side trail on the left leads to a hilltop site with great views in all directions. The Johnny Horn Trail continues past the start of the Brown Bay Trail at 0.7 mile, to the near the top of Base Hill where there are good views of Coral Bay. Also, at this point there is a spur trail to the left that leads to the top of the hill with great views of Hurricane Hole and continues down to meet the main trail along the road. The main trail continues, following a road down to the paved road at the Moravian church in Coral Bay.

Accessibility The trail is steep and rocky in places. The first portion of the trail is a moderate climb and leads to great views and historic sites. Visitors may chose to just do this first portion and then enjoy the cool clear water of Leinster Bay.

This hike on nps.gov

On the parks map

All 30 trails in Virgin Islands National ParkFind a trailOn the parks mapPark on nps.gov

About this trail's facts

The lines are the National Park Service's public trails layer, the trailheads and the waterfalls, views, peaks and historic places along them the Service's public points of interest, read 2026-10-16 and simplified for the map; the length is the line's, end to end. The write-ups are the Service's own "things to do" text, unedited. Heights come from USGS 3DEP through Terrain Tiles on AWS (Mapzen/Tilezen), read along each line and rounded; a short trail on steep ground can be off by a few tens of feet. Closures change: check the park's own site before you go.