Francis Bay Trail

The Francis Bay Trail is the premier birding destination in Virgin Islands National Park, looping through one of St. John's largest and healthiest mangrove wetlands adjacent to the calm, turquoise waters of Francis Bay. The flat, easy path circles the pond and mangrove forest margin, offering exceptional views of wading birds, waterfowl, and forest species that use the ecotone between the mangrove and dry subtropical forest. The birding list for the Francis Bay wetland exceeds 100 species, including yellow-crowned night-herons, green herons, belted kingfishers, mangrove cuckoos, and a variety of shorebirds and warblers during migration periods. Caribbean moorhens, black-necked stilts, and spotted sandpipers are resident breeders. Red mangroves line the water's edge with their distinctive arching prop roots, providing nursery habitat for fish and invertebrates that support the bay's healthy coral reef ecosystem offshore. The boardwalk section of the trail allows close viewing of the mangrove root system without disturbing nesting birds. A small beach at the bay's edge is one of the few clothing-optional beaches in the national park system. Binoculars are strongly recommended. The trail connects to a short spur to Francis Bay Beach for swimming and snorkeling.