Permit· St John· Virgin Islands (BVI, USVI and Spanish Virgins)
Trunk Bay Boat Exclusion Area & Day-Use Rules
18° 21.2′ N · 64° 46.2′ W · approximate
How the rules differ at Trunk Bay, the park's busiest beach: no overnight mooring field or pay station, a buoyed boat-exclusion swim area, and a beach fee even if you arrive by water.
Practical
Position approximate: inside Trunk Bay off the beach (from the Wikipedia point for Trunk Bay). Unlike Maho, Francis or Caneel, Trunk Bay has no NPS overnight pay station (stations are at the Cruz Bay finger pier, Caneel, Francis, Leinster, Salt Pond and Great Lameshur per the island guide) and no big-boat moorings in the Compendium list. Boats may not operate in the buoyed swim area; vessels under sail or motor under 26 ft LOA may reach the beach only through the red-and-green-buoyed beach channel and must stay in it; boats that can be pulled fully out of the water may stay on the beach, others must leave right after landing passengers (NPS marine page). The green dinghy tether at Trunk Bay beach is only for vessels 16 ft LOA or less. Scuba diving is prohibited inside the Trunk Bay boat exclusion area. Entering the amenity area by land or water without paying the fee is prohibited: US$5 per person aged 16+ (US$2.50 Senior/Access pass), card or mobile payment only from October 1, 2026 (NPS fees page). Anchoring is prohibited in the beach channels and park-wide for boats 60 ft and under except at designated anchorages. Beach hours 8 am to 4 pm (island guide); lifeguards on duty. Best approach: a Hawksnest or Cinnamon mooring and a dinghy, or a taxi.
Best for
Knowing the rules before landing a dinghy at Trunk Bay
Nearby
- Trunk Bay Underwater Snorkel Trail0.1 NM away
- Jumbie Bay Snorkel0.2 NM away
- Gibney (Oppenheimer) Beach & Denis Bay0.3 NM away
- Hawksnest Beach0.5 NM away
- Cinnamon Bay0.7 NM away
- Cinnamon Bay Boat Exclusion Area & Dinghy Rules0.7 NM away
- Hawksnest Bay Moorings0.8 NM away
- Myrah Keating Smith Community Health Center0.8 NM away