America Hill Trail

The first 0.1 mile is the steepest and gets more sun. The lower approach eases after that and crosses a gut that is usually dry. Soon after, follow the left-hand America Hill sign. The five switchbacks make for a steadier, more shaded climb, though the heat and humidity can still make them feel longer. It is a short route, but not a flat stroll; the climb is what makes it a good add-on to a Cinnamon Bay day instead of just another quick stop.

At the top, the path reaches a clearing with weathered gray and pink estate masonry and an eastward view across Maho and Francis bays. On a clear day you can pick out Waterlemon Cay and Soper's Hole on Tortola. The viewpoint is relatively narrow; the clearest view comes from the left side of the ruin. Frame a little of the stonework with the bays beyond, but keep well away from the walls. The masonry is unstable, so do not climb on it or enter the house.

The estate's exact construction date is disputed, so it is better not to assign the house a century. Records from 1863 list imported food and wine, clothing, a Panama hat, a horse whip and dominoes, among other goods. That small inventory gives you a more vivid sense of life on this hill than an uncertain age claim. On April 5, 1917, the Danish flag was lowered here and the American flag raised during the transfer of the islands. Cinnamon Bay itself has a much longer history of Taino settlement and Danish colonial plantation activity; its factory ruins by the trail start are a different historic site from the America Hill estate.

Use the Cinnamon Bay beach parking lot, then walk to the trail start beside the factory ruins on North Shore Road. A few roadside spaces by the ruins are limited. Leashed dogs are allowed on park trails. If you want an easier history walk, the nearby half-mile Cinnamon Bay Nature Loop is the shorter choice, but it does not go up to America Hill.