Cinnamon Bay St. John is the longest beach on the island, and it is the only place inside Virgin Islands National Park where you are allowed to camp. That combination makes it a different kind of beach day than Trunk Bay or Maho. You get a half mile of sand, easy snorkeling, a set of plantation ruins across the road, and a real restaurant and store steps from your towel. Here is what to know before you go.
Why Cinnamon Bay St. John Is Worth the Drive
Most first-time visitors stop at Trunk Bay because it is famous and Maho because of the turtles. Cinnamon sits between them on the North Shore and gets noticeably less foot traffic per square foot of sand, simply because there is so much more sand to spread out on.
The beach faces north, so it picks up more swell than the protected bays farther east. On a calm day it is glassy and perfect for kids. On a winter day with a north swell running, you may find small waves and a shore break, which is why you sometimes see people bodysurfing here and almost nowhere else on St. John. There are no lifeguards, so read the water before you swim.
The other thing that sets Cinnamon apart is that it is a full facility beach. Restrooms, showers, a store, a food truck, a restaurant, and rental gear are all right there. If you are traveling with family and want a beach you can stay at all day without packing a cooler, this is the one.
Getting to Cinnamon Bay and Parking
Cinnamon Bay is on North Shore Road, Route 20, roughly 4 miles from Cruz Bay. In a jeep that is about 15 minutes of switchbacks and one very good overlook. Taxis and safari buses run the North Shore route all day and the campground puts the ride at about 30 minutes from the ferry dock, since drivers usually make stops along the way.
Remember that cars drive on the left on St. John and the road is steep with tight turns. If you have not driven here before, our St. John car rental guide covers what to expect and what a jeep actually costs.
Parking is a paved lot at the campground entrance rather than the roadside pull-offs you use at Maho. Get there before mid-morning in high season. The front spaces are reserved for taxi loading, so drive around and park in the lot proper.
Snorkeling at Cinnamon Bay
Snorkeling here is beginner friendly. The water is shallow and clear, and the short swim out toward Cinnamon Cay, the small island off the right end of the beach, is where most of the life is. Expect sea turtles grazing the grass beds, rays, and the usual reef fish along the rocky edges.
Cinnamon also hides a genuinely unusual set of underwater sites. The National Park Service notes an underwater fish holding pen near Cinnamon Cay that was likely built by the Taino or their ancestors, a submerged historic village, and a sunken plane from the 1940s. None of it is signposted. Give yourself a couple of hours and treat it as a scavenger hunt.
Wind matters more here than at the calmer bays. If the north side is choppy, move on. Our guide to the best snorkeling in St. John lays out which bay to pick on which kind of day.
The Nature Loop and the Sugar Plantation Ruins
Directly across North Shore Road from the campground entrance is the Cinnamon Bay Nature Loop, an easy half mile walk through the ruins of the Cinnamon Bay sugar plantation. There is an accessible boardwalk section, interpretive stops, and bay rum trees, the source of the St. John Bay Rum cologne that was once made on the island.
The area is one of the most historically dense sites on St. John. Layers here run from early Taino settlements and sacred sites through the Danish colonial plantation era. Stone walls and mounds are still visible, including the remains of what was once the oldest standing building on the island before Hurricane Irma. Do not climb on, mark, or move anything, and if you spot an artifact leave it where it is and tell park staff.
If you want more than half a mile, the Cinnamon Bay Trail climbs from here toward Centerline Road and connects to America Hill. We break those down in our St. John hiking trails guide.
Camping at Cinnamon Bay Beach and Campground
Camping inside Virgin Islands National Park is permitted only by reservation at Cinnamon Bay. That is the whole list. There are three accommodation styles:
- Bare sites. A wooden platform and a picnic table. You bring the tent, bedding, and towels. There are 31 of them scattered through the property, and they have no electricity.
- Eco-tents. Queen bed with linens, a fan, a light, one outlet, side tables, and an outdoor picnic table with a propane camp stove and cook kit. Some have bunk rooms and sleep up to four.
- Cottages. Concrete units with a queen bed, a day bed with trundle, a small refrigerator, a fan, and the same outdoor cook setup.
Bathrooms are four shared bath houses with individual shower and toilet stalls, plus a barrier-free accessible restroom and shower in the main building. There is no air conditioning anywhere on the property. Fans and trade winds only.
Rules worth knowing before you book
A few things catch people off guard. Check-in is 4pm and check-out is 10am. There is a two-night minimum, rising to seven nights for Christmas and New Year’s week, Presidents Week, and Easter week. Reservations take a 50 percent deposit with the balance due 30 days out. Park rules cap stays at 14 consecutive nights in any three-month period and 30 nights per calendar year.
It is a quiet, smoke-free, no-pets property with quiet hours from 10pm to 7am, and it is explicitly not a place for groups looking to party. Nothing may be staked into the ground because the campground sits on a sensitive archaeological site. Bring a headlamp, because the paths have no lighting at night.
Rates, opening dates, and availability change, so confirm current details on the campground official site and the National Park Service camping page before you build a trip around a stay there.
Food, Rentals, and Facilities
The Rain Tree Cafe serves breakfast and dinner in an open-air dining hall. Lunch, cold drinks, and ice cream come from a food truck near the beach. The camp store stocks cold drinks, limited groceries, ice, charcoal, basic toiletries, bug spray, beach towels, and reef-safe sunscreen. That last one matters, because the U.S. Virgin Islands has banned non-reef-safe sun products. Leave the aerosol cans at home.
Watersports rentals cover snorkel gear, paddle boards, kayaks, and beach chairs, and the operator also runs guided hikes, yoga, art classes, and lessons. A beach wheelchair is available. Day visitors can use the restrooms, showers, store, food truck, and rentals without staying overnight.
Cinnamon Bay St. John vs. Trunk Bay and Maho Bay
Pick Cinnamon if you want room to spread out, a full day at one beach, or a long walk on sand. Pick Trunk Bay if you want the postcard view and the underwater snorkel trail. Pick Maho Bay if you want the highest odds of swimming with a turtle in flat, shallow water. Most people do all three in a week, and our St. John beaches guide ranks the rest of the North Shore.
Where to Stay Near Cinnamon Bay
Camping is one way to wake up on the North Shore. The other is a villa on the hillsides above it, around Peter Bay and Catherineberg, where you get the same water views with air conditioning, a private pool, and a full kitchen. Several of the homes we manage are a short drive from Cinnamon, which makes an early-morning snorkel before the parking lot fills genuinely easy.
Cinnamon Bay FAQ
Is there an entrance fee for Cinnamon Bay?
No. Unlike Trunk Bay, Cinnamon Bay does not charge a beach entrance fee, and Virgin Islands National Park has no general park entrance fee. Camping, rentals, and food are paid separately.
Can you visit Cinnamon Bay if you are not camping?
Yes. The beach is public national park beach and day visitors are welcome to park, swim, and use the restrooms, showers, store, food truck, and watersports rentals.
Is Cinnamon Bay good for kids?
On a calm day, very. The water is shallow and the sand is soft, and having restrooms and food on site makes a long day easier with small children. Just watch the surf on windy north-swell days, and note that there are no lifeguards.
Planning Your St. John Trip
Cinnamon Bay is one of those places that rewards an unhurried morning, so build it into a day rather than a stop. If you are still deciding where to base yourself, browse our collection of St. John villas or reach out to our local team. We live here, we know which house puts you closest to the water you actually want to swim in, and we are happy to help you sort it out.
