US Virgin Islands Hotel & Tourism Association

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Virgin Islands National Park Post Ernesto Operations Update: Clean-ups and Closures

Virgin Islands National Park                  1300 Cruz Bay Creek 

Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument                         St. John, VI 00830 

U.S. Department of the Interior                                                                        www.nps.gov/viis

Virgin Islands National Park News Release 

Release Date: 08/14/2024

Contact: Ahmad Toure

ST. John, U.S. Virgin Islands— The tropical storm watch for the U.S. Virgin Islands has been lifted as of 2PM Wednesday August 14, 2024. Virgin Islands National Park has been making assessments of storm damage in the park since late morning August 14, 2023. The park plans to assemble a team to begin post storm clean up on Thursday morning, August 15, 2024. The following park sites will remain closed until Friday August 16, 2024: Cruz Bay Visitor Center, Trunk Bay Fee Station, and Caneel Bay. 

Mariners:

Now that the tropical storm watch for Ernesto has passed, the Virgin Islands National Park and Virgin Island Coral Reef National Monument mooring systems are again open for public use. The following areas will remain closed for public use until the park fully reopens from post storm cleanup status: Cruz Bay Visitor Center finger pier and Redhook dock. The Caneel Bay dock remains closed to public use. 

Mariners with vessels secured or anchored in Hurricane Hole have a 72-hour time limit to remove their vessels after the storm warning has passed; remove by 2:00 p.m. August 17, 2024. The Storm Berth Permit Office will be sending a reminder for permit holders of the 72-hour time limit to remove their vessels from the chain system. 

As a reminder, vessels are prohibited from attaching to shoreline vegetation, including mangroves, or other features (including rocks). 

Park Facilities and Amenities Closures:

Virgin Islands National Park facilities and amenities such as bathrooms and trash cans will remain closed until the park fully reopens after post-storm clean up has concluded and park alerts are removed. Virgin Islands National Park facilities that are expected to remain closed until Friday August 16, 2024, include the Cruz Bay Visitor Center and Bookstore, Caneel Bay, Trunk Bay Fee Station, as well as all bathrooms and trash cans. If you are using any of the areas that have closures of bathrooms and trash cans, be prepared to practice Leave No Trace (LNT) principles and pack out all materials. These facilities are expected to reopen at their normal opening times on Friday, August 16, 2024 unless otherwise updated. 

Concessions Closures:

The following park concessions will remain closed until post storm clean-up has completed: Trunk Bay Paradise Aqua Tours, Trunk Bay Snack Bar/Gift Shop, and Caneel Bay Beach Club at Honeymoon. Cinnamon Bay campground will reopen on August 15, 2024, in the evening for current reservations. 

Other:

The public meeting scheduled for August 14, 2024, with the topic, “General Information Regarding the National Park Service Request for Qualifications Process,” is canceled and will be rescheduled at a later date after Potential Tropical Cyclone Five has passed. 

Stay safe and thank you all for your attention to these matters. We will keep the public informed about park operations and park opening after the storm via our website and social media pages.