Parking
Use the Lameshur Bay parking area. Take the connecting path to the lower Lameshur Bay Trail, then follow the Europa Bay branch; the mapped distance includes this approach.
Overview
About Europa Bay Trail
Why go
- Short walk to a salt pond and coral-rubble shore
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Virgin Islands map
Full mapElevation5–86 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
1 active Virgin Islands alert
- ClosureCaneel Bay restricted areas and closed pierAt Caneel Bay, use only designated public areas; other areas and the pier remain closed. - Areas beyond the public areas remain closed because of present safety risks.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Virgin Islands Tour Guide
Your drive to Europa Bay Trail, narrated.
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 area
Salt Pond Bay and Ram Head0:00 / 0:34
“Salt Pond Bay's parking area is coming up, with a rocky quarter-mile walk down to the beach. The sandy middle gives you a gentle water entry, while the rocky edges are the more interesting snorkeling.”
Plays on the road 1.4 mi from the trailhead in the Parkwolf Virgin Islands Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- The Fish That Make Sand
- A Cactus Comes of Age
- Corals Beneath the Mangroves
- Reef Bay Trailhead and Petroglyphs
- 26 audio storiesacross Virgin Islands’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor White-tailed Deer, Green Iguana, Brown Pelican, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 22 trails, 42 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“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!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Europa Bay Trail
The short routeEuropa Bay Trail is a brief out-and-back from Lameshur Bay parking, following a short access…
Europa Bay Trail is a brief out-and-back from Lameshur Bay parking, following a short access path and the lower Lameshur Bay Trail before branching down to the bay. The full walk is about 1.1 miles round trip, including the approach, and takes about an hour with time at the water. It is a quick way to reach the south shore rather than a long hike.
What you reachThe branch ends at a salt pond and a coral-rubble beach.
The branch ends at a salt pond and a coral-rubble beach. The shared approach crosses open, dry forest; the named spur itself is about 0.3 mile from its junction with Lameshur Bay Trail. The pond is noted as a bird-watching spot. Lameshur Bay Trail continues farther toward Reef Bay, so this is a distinct side trip rather than the whole connector.
Access and petsStart at Lameshur Bay parking and take the connecting path to the lower Lameshur Bay Trail,…
Start at Lameshur Bay parking and take the connecting path to the lower Lameshur Bay Trail, then follow the Europa Bay branch; the distance above includes that approach. No drinking water, toilets, or food were documented on the route. Leashed dogs may use park trails, but pets are prohibited on beaches; since the destination is a beach, leave pets behind if you plan to go all the way to the shore.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Virgin Islands
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.
