Beach · Virgin Islands National Park
Pebbles, coral edges and snorkeling just across the road.
Overview
Map
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Virgin Islands Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Virgin Islands National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
Recorded for this place
North and South Haulover Beaches“You're nearing Haulover, where two pebble beaches sit on opposite sides of East End Road. Come for snorkeling around boulders and coral rather than lounging on sand.”
Plays as you drive up to South Haulover Beach in the Parkwolf Virgin Islands Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
South Haulover is a small pebble beach on St. John’s east end, across East End Road from North Haulover. There’s little sand; the main reason to stop is to snorkel along the rugged shoreline. I’d pick it to look for reef life, not for a soft-sand swim.
Park along East End Road and cross over for the south side; the north beach is the one reached by a short path. Parking is roadside and limited, and the water entry is rocky, so water shoes are useful. Snorkeling suitability depends on your ability and on wind and water conditions.
At either end, the pebble shore turns into boulders and coral. That’s the snorkeling route: fish and other marine life use these edges, with possible sightings including jacks, mackerel, blue tangs, parrotfish and sea cucumbers. The eastern edge reaches deeper water. For a shore photo, include both the pebbles and a rocky margin so the cove reads as more than a strip of water; it’s right off the road, with no approach hike.
Wildlife
151 sightingsWhite-tailed DeerMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
115 sightingsGreen IguanaMost seen around 9 AMSighting map
62 sightingsBrown PelicanMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
35 sightingsGreen Sea TurtleMost seen around noonSighting map
32 sightingsAmerican FlamingoMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
26 sightingsNurse SharkMost seen around 7 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Virgin Islands. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
ModerateBrown Bay Trail3.2 mi · 2 hr · 1.4 mi awayA steep first rise leads to Brown Bay and old estate ruins.
ChallengingJohnny Horn Trail1.8 mi · 3 hr · 2.9 mi awayStone ruins and ridge views on a steep bay-to-harbor traverse.
ChallengingRam Head Trail2.6 mi · 2 hr · 3 mi awayCactus slopes and island views reward the rocky beach crossing.
EasyDrunk Bay Trail1.8 mi · 1.3 hr · 3 mi awayA salt pond path ends at a rough, rocky Caribbean shore.
ModerateTektite Trail1.3 mi · 1 hr · 3.1 mi awayRocky climb to Great Lameshur Bay views and plantation ruins.
EasyYawzi Point Trail0.6 mi · 45 min · 3.5 mi awayColonial stonework, rocky coves and two bay views in one short walk.
EasyLeinster Bay Trail1.6 mi · 1 hr · 3.5 mi awayAn old Danish road leads to Waterlemon Bay and Cay views.
EasyAnnaberg Historic Trail0.3 mi · 1 hr · 3.5 mi awayA short climb to an old sugar mill and windmill
Beach · 0.1 mi awayNorth Haulover BeachA short trail leads to pebble shore and nearshore snorkeling.
Beach · 1.9 mi awayBrown Bay BeachA shallow, tucked-away bay with seagrass and sugar-era ruins.
Sight · 2.9 mi awayMurphy Great House RuinsClimb to a hillside ruin above Leinster Bay and Waterlemon Cay.
Beach · 2.9 mi awayDrunk BayA rough, rocky shore with surf and strange stone figures
Beach · 3 mi awayLeinster Bay BeachA rocky bay shore that suits snorkelers more than sunbathers.
Beach · 3.1 mi awaySalt Pond Bay BeachCurved sand, rocky-shore snorkeling and a short walk make this feel earned.Sight · 3.1 mi awayWaterlemon CayA reef-ringed cay, reached by a real open-water swim.
Beach · 3.3 mi awayBlue Cobblestone BeachA jade-green cobble shore where waves rattle the stones.Parkwolf’s Virgin Islands ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
