Hiking Jack and Isaac Bay – St. Croix, Virgin Islands

Hiking is one of my favorite ways to explore.

It started when I was living in Hawaii, where I was spoiled with arguably some of the best hikes in the world.

I had been a little bummed lately and missing Hawaii for this reason, because I crave the feeling of getting lost in nature and forgetting about society for a little while. (Yes, I’m living on a beautiful Caribbean island and was moping about missing different islands—I realize how dumb I sounded.) In all fairness, I haven’t had a car, so I haven’t been able to get out and explore much since I moved here. But let this be a reminder to open your eyes to what’s around you—there is beauty to be found wherever you are in the world.

I had heard about this hike from someone who had been dirt-biking in the area, but I don’t think I was prepared for how beautiful the trail was. It blew me away and certainly lives up to the Hawaii hikes I’ve been missing so much.

This isn’t your average travel blog post about exactly where to go and what to do

Because honestly, that’s not how I hike… or do anything really. I tend to wander off and do my own thing, and this hike was perfect for that because there were so many offshoots of the trail to explore. I have the best experiences when I fully immerse myself in nature and explore instead of blindly following a path to a set destination and back.

There is a parking lot and set start to the trail by point Udall, but we parked near Cramer Park and started on a path going by the telescope (which is actually pretty cool and looks like a huge satellite). This took us over the mountain and dropped us down near Horseshoe Bay, where we spent the day. The beach was beautifully untouched and secluded. We only saw a few people passing through over the course of the day, and no one on the trails, so we had the beach to ourselves. On the way back, we hiked around a rocky point and got back on the trail farther down.

On Top of the World at the Isaac Scenic Viewpoint

When we got back to the top of the trail we had followed originally, we took an offshoot to what the internet calls the ‘Isaac Scenic View.’ We found ourselves on the highest point of the island for the sunset, with views of the ocean that went on for miles. It was so breathtaking that photos don’t do it any justice (see the sunset photo at the top of this post). We could see the entire island and were right above Point Udall, the Easternmost point of the United States. I love views like this because they put things into perspective and clear my mind. It was a perfect end to the day and the best part of the hike.

In Summary

If you’re ever in St. Croix, this hike was one of the most beautiful I’ve ever been on. If not, open your eyes to what’s already around you. I think we tend to get comfortable and spend so much energy looking towards the next big thing that we miss what’s right in front of us and the moment we’re in right now.