Buck Island Reef National Monument

17° 47.2′ N · 64° 37.1′ W

A 176-acre uninhabited island 1.5 miles off St Croix's northeast coast, ringed by elkhorn barrier reef and protected since 1948 as 'one of the finest marine gardens in the Caribbean Sea'. The national monument (1961, expanded in 2001) covers about 19,000 acres of reef and sea, with a marked underwater trail, a summit trail and the white sand of Turtle Beach.

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Practical

Coordinate from Wikipedia (island center). Monument rules (NPS Know Before You Go, April 2026, and Superintendent's Compendium, July 2026): open 7 am to 5 pm every day, including all waters; no overnight anchoring or mooring; no fishing, collecting or possession of fishing gear anywhere in the monument (no-take, including shells and coral cobble); no beaching, no jet skis or towed toys, no glass, no pets ashore or in the water, no alcohol ashore (it must stay on the boat); drones prohibited; idle speed, no wake around the West Beach anchoring area, the lagoon and the pier. There is no entry fee (NPS fees page). Permits: the NPS permits page (May 2025) says that since January 17, 2025 anchoring in the designated West Beach area needs no permit and new procedures will be announced, while the Compendium (July 2026) still says an anchoring permit is required (email the park for an application): call 340-773-1460 or ask at Fort Christiansvaern before you go. The waters and bottom north of the island are designated non-recreational to protect threatened corals; the island is critical habitat for the endangered St Croix ground lizard and nesting hawksbill turtles. Approach: the Coast Pilot warns that Buck Island Bar sweeps about a mile north of the island and shoals extend 1.8 miles east; give it a 2-mile berth when coming from the northeast. Buck Island Light (339 ft, red skeleton tower) is on the summit.

Best for

St Croix's signature day trip: reef, beach and summit

Season

Year-round, 7 am to 5 pm; best in settled trades, as the lagoon and cuts get rough in big north swell

Practical

Best for

Season

Nearby