Hiking on my own on St John vs. paying for an excursion? Logistics,Safety,Transport

[mikeerdas]

How feasible would it be for me to do a St Johns hiking trip on my own from St Thomas vs. paying for an all-day excursion?

 

I recall reading somewhere that some excursions provide little more than transportation.

 

I tend to:

 

1) Not like being part of group tours anyway and to hike alone; this way, I go at my own pace (typically fast!)

 

2) If I can do it on my own, and speed hike, I'd be able to get back to St Thomas earlier than later and do some snorkeling with my wife. She's not a hiker and has graciously given me the green light to go off on my own to hike on the St Thomas port day.

 

Is it easy enough to take a ferry on my own and hike on my own? Or would I need additional (private) transport from the docks on St John to wherever the trailheads are?

 

Finally, and not to snub tour guides, but I love hiking for the sheer visual pleasure of it. Sounds crass, possibly, but I'm not interested in learning the names of the flora and fauna. I prefer to go off on my own and experience things unfiltered. It's a different type of experience than being led by a knowledgeable guide, but it's the type of experience I prefer.

 

Finally, how safe is it to hike on my own on St Johns? I regularly hike in the Appalachian Mountains here in North Carolina and never feel unsafe.

 

I'm willing to pay for a guided excursion if safety is an issue.

 

Thanks.

 

Mike

[Ms411]

You can walk to the Lind Point Trail from the ferry dock at St John. In fact, your wife could shop in St John for about an hour, and take a cab to Caneel and meet you there for snorkeling after you've hiked there.

 

It's probably safe for you to walk the trail alone - there will be other hikers within shouting distance, and it's in the National Park so there are usually rangers patrolling somewhere in the area, but I've never heard of any incidents.

 

You can then hike back while she takes a cab back.

 

You need transportation to get to the other trails.

[mikeerdas]

Thanks MS411.

 

> You can walk to the Lind Point Trail from the ferry dock at St John. In

> fact, your wife could shop in St John for about an hour, and take a cab

> to Caneel and meet you there for snorkeling after you've hiked there.

 

Sounds great. I'll have to go online and look for a NPS map to see where that trail leads.

 

> It's probably safe for you to walk the trail alone - there will be other

> hikers within shouting distance, and it's in the National Park so there are

> usually rangers patrolling somewhere in the area, but I've never heard of

> any incidents.

 

Excellent, thanks again.

 

> You can then hike back while she takes a cab back.

 

> You need transportation to get to the other trails.

 

Is public transportation available? And/or do you know the going rate for transport to the other trail heads?

 

Mike

 

 

[Ms411]

The Reef Bay Trail is another popular trail, but the only way to get there if you're not driving is by cab. But then you also wouldn't have transportation back, so that's probably not a good idea.

 

There are other trails that branch out from the Lind Point trail, and they're marked on the NPS map. They should be enough to keep you busy for 1/2 day.