Spend a Tuesday or Thursday with us volunteering in Virgin Islands National Park! Got more time? Camp at Cinnamon Bay! Or make a donation! Any and all help is much appreciated! Thank you!
Friends of Virgin Islands National Park maintains the 27 miles of park trails and helps uncover, restore, maintain, and interpret the ruins.
This work happens thanks to individual volunteers, Virgin Islands' students, and service groups who pitch in to help maintain our trails and historic sites. In addition, this work would not be possible without the generosity of our donors and members who share our passion for Virgin Islands National Park.
Tuesday & Thursday Walk Up Volunteer Crew
Every Tuesday & Thursday from November to the end of May a crew heads out to clear and clean trails and ruins for hikers, and ensure that erosion and other issues are addressed. It is a great opportunity to explore new parts of St. John and help protect and preserve our patch of paradise! Join us!
Meeting point is 8AM in the NPS Maintenance Parking Lot next to Mongoose Junction or 8:30AM in the Cinnamon Bay Campground parking lot! From there volunteers may either ride with us in our van to the day's work location or follow in their own vehicle. Typically we are back at the maintenance lot by 2:30PM. Note: No parking is available in the Maintenance Lot so please come by taxi or use the Lumberyard Parking lot in town.
While we work to accommodate the skills, ages, and capabilities of every group of volunteers, this is physical work in hot weather!
You will need closed sneakers or hiking boots, water, lunch, and a hat. We will provide all the tools.
If you have any questions, please contact Taylor, our Trails Manager at twhite@friendsvinp.org
Service Groups At Cinnamon Bay Camp
Running from mid-November until the end of May service and volunteer groups are welcome! The volunteer scope of work includes trails maintenance, clearing of historical sites, native tree planting projects, invasive species removal, and trash/debris removal.
Volunteers are expected to donate a minimum of 4 days of labor in exchange for 7 nights of accommodation at our campground at Cinnamon Bay. We ask for a $100 donation per week per person. The minimum time commitment is 1 week and the maximum is 6 weeks.
The volunteer campground is a three minute walk to Cinnamon Bay's beautiful white sand beach with excellent swimming and snorkeling. Living at the camp comes with some unique challenges and volunteers are expected to be resourceful, adaptable, and resilient. The campground is equipped with propane stoves, propane grills, kitchenware, picnic tables, and coolers for food storage, drinking water, a shower, toilets, and kitchen sink. Each volunteer will be given a cot and assigned a large 12 person tent. Volunteers are responsible for feeding themselves and there will be one supply trip to Cruz Bay per week.
Please note that there is no cell phone coverage at camp. Cell service is available at the east end of the beach. The national park campground at Cinnamon Bay is now open. While this is an entirely separate entity from the Friends Volunteer Camp our volunteers are allowed to use the guest WIFI at the front desk area.
Volunteers need to be in good physical health and prepared to work from 8am to 2pm in hot and humid conditions. Every participant should have close toed shoes, a day pack, sun protection, long pants, a mask, and capacity to carry a minimum of 3 liters of water. The Friends will supply all necessary tools, training, gloves, and transportation. Volunteers will need to cover the cost of airfare and food.
We happily work with Group Leaders to arrange seminars and hikes in down time. If you are interested in bringing a service group to St. John, please contact Mark Gestwicki, our Program Director at mgestwicki@friendsvinp.org
Camp at Cinnamon Bay Volunteer Crew
We currently have very limited dates available. They are February 26 to March 5, March 5-12, March 12-19, March 19-26 and May 14-21, 2023. Please complete the application form below only if these dates work for you.
Running from mid-November until the end of May, this is a perfect opportunity for individuals, couples, families and small groups! The volunteer trail crew's scope of work includes trails maintenance, clearing of historical sites, native tree planting projects, invasive species removal, and trash/debris removal.
Volunteers are expected to donate a minimum of 4 days of labor in exchange for 7 nights of accommodation at our campground at Cinnamon Bay. We ask for a $100 donation per week per person. The minimum time commitment is 1 week and the maximum is 6 weeks. Space per week is limited!
The volunteer campground is a three minute walk to Cinnamon Bay's beautiful white sand beach with excellent swimming and snorkeling. Living at the camp comes with some unique challenges and volunteers are expected to be resourceful, adaptable, and resilient. The campground is equipped with propane stoves, propane grills, kitchenware, picnic tables, and coolers for food storage, drinking water, a shower, toilets, and kitchen sink. Each volunteer will be given a cot and assigned a large 12 person tent. Volunteers are responsible for feeding themselves and there will be one supply trip to Cruz Bay per week.
Please note that there is no cell phone coverage at camp. Cell service is available at the east end of the beach. The national park campground at Cinnamon Bay is now open. While this is an entirely separate entity from the Friends Volunteer Camp our volunteers are allowed to use the guest WIFI at the front desk area.
Volunteers need to be in good physical health and prepared to work from 8am to 2pm in hot and humid conditions. Every participant should have close toed shoes, a day pack, sun protection, long pants, a mask, and capacity to carry a minimum of 3 liters of water. The Friends will supply all necessary tools, training, gloves, and transportation. Volunteers will need to cover the cost of airfare and food.
If you have any questions, please contact Mark Gestwicki, our Program Director at mgestwicki@friendsvinp.org
Summer Trail Crew
A professional summer job opportunity for Virgin Island youth interested in conservation. This six week program is open to high school students (ages 15-19).
Support Our Trail Program
If you enjoy hiking in Virgin Islands National Park but can’t volunteer, please support our work. We depend on the generosity of our donors and members who share our passion for Virgin Islands National Park! Your friendship and support makes a difference!