St. Croix Heritage Trail

The St. Croix Heritage Trail is a self guided tour of the island’s many historic sites, cultural attractions, and natural areas. The trail links many of St. Croix’s major historic attractions such as Whim Plantation Museum, St. George Village Botanical Gardens, and Christiansted National Historic Site, as well as plantation and sugar factory ruins, churches, scenic views, and more.

The St. Croix Heritage Trail was designated one of fifty Millennium Legacy Trails by the White House Millennium Council in 2000. The Millennium Legacy Trails were originally designed as nationally recognized trails symbolizing the spirit of efforts to connect the nation’s culture, heritage and communities. Unfortunately, due to budget cuts the Millennium Legacy Trails program was canceled and as a result the ‘trail’ and its markers are no longer being maintained, and the informative map is no longer available in print. The good news . . . we can provide you with a digital copy of the map that was originally published for the St. Croix Heritage Trail (thanks to Michael Baron, the original creator of this wonderful map)!

The historic sites, ruins, attractions, and nature areas remain on St. Croix today, and can still be accessed by the public on a self guided driving tour, which allows you to explore the island at your own pace. This island journey traverses the entire 28 mile length of St. Croix linking historic seaports, the winding North Shore, the ‘farm-belt’ of the central plain, the mountainous East End, and the rainforest of the West End. The route offers a wide cross section of St. Croix’s culture, history, attractions, and landscapes for you to experience. Along the way, you will find museums, recreational opportunities, locally made products, agriculture and catch a glimpse of St. Croix’s African-Caribbean heritage. Make sure you stop for some local food, look for the St. Croix flora and fauna, and enjoy some of the pristine beaches and warm Caribbean waters, to truly round out your Heritage Trail journey.

If you would like to visit some of the places originally included on the St. Croix Heritage Trail, here is a list of some of the Historic Sites, Attractions, and Natural Sites & Protected Areas, as well as their general locations:

HISTORIC SITES:

Christiansted:

Christiansted National Historic Site: Fort Christiansvaern, the Steeple Building Museum, Danish Customs House, Scale House, the Danish West India & Guinea Company Warehouse, and the Government House (Christiansted, Hospital Street)
Apothecary Museum (Christiansted, Corner of Company and Queen Cross Streets)

Frederiksted:

Fort Frederik (Frederiksted, Strand Street)
Customs House (Frederiksted, Strand Street)
Emancipation Park (Frederiksted, Strand Street)

Best Preserved Plantations & Ruins:

St. George Village Botanical Garden (West End, Route 70/Centerline Road)
Estate Diamond/Cruzan Rum Distillery (West End, Route 64/West Airport Road)
Estate Whim Plantation Museum (West End, Route 70/Centerline Road)
Estate Mt. Washington (West End, off of Route 63)
Estate Butler Bay (West End, off of Route 63)
Lawaetz Museum at Little La Grange (West End, Route 76/Mahogany Road)
Estate Fountain (Carambola Golf Course, Route 69)
Estate Rust-op-Twist (North Shore, Route 80/North Shore Road)
Estate Rattan (Mid Island, access from The Rattan Inn)
Estate Little Princess (Mid Island, off of Route 75)
Estate Anna’s Hope (Mid Island, off of Route 70)
Estate Shoys (East End at The Buccaneer, Route 82/East End Road)
Estate Diamond Keturah (East End, off of Route 62/Southside Road)

Churches & Cemeteries:

For more information about the historic churches of St. Croix, please read our Visit Historic Churches blog.

Friedensthal Moravian Church (Christiansted, Route 75)
St. John’s Anglican Church (Christiansted, Route 75/King Street)
Holy Cross Roman Catholic Church (Christiansted, Corner of Prince and Company Streets)
Lord God of Sabaoth Lutheran Church (Christiansted, Corner of King and Queen Cross Streets)
The Steeple Building (Christiansted, Corner of Hospital and Company Streets)
St. Anne’s Catholic Church (Mid Island, Route 66)
Kingshill Lutheran Church (Mid Island, Route 70/Centerline)
St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church (West End, Route 70/Centerline)
Friedensfeld Midland Moravian Church (Mid Island, Route 72)
Holy Cross Anglican Church (Mid Island, at intersection of Routes 72 and 669)
St. Luke’s African Methodist Episcopal Church (West End off of Route 705)
St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church (Frederiksted, Corner of Hospital and Market Streets)
Holy Trinity Lutheran Church (Frederiksted, Corner of Hospital and Hill Streets)
St. Paul’s Anglican Church (Frederiksted, Corner of Prince and King Cross Streets)
Christiansted Town Cemetery (across from St. John’s Anglican Church)
Frederiksted Town Cemetery (across from Holy Trinity Lutheran Church)

Von Scholten Schools:

Diamond School (West End, Route 70/Centerline Road)
La Grande Princesse School (Mid Island, off of Route 75)
Peter’s Rest School (Mid Island, Route 70/Centerline Road)
Kingshill School (Mid Island, Route 70/Centerline Road)
Mt. Victory School ruins (West End, Route 58/Creque Dam Road)

ATTRACTIONS:

Christiansted National Historic Site (Christiansted, Hospital Street)
Government House (Christiansted, Corner of Hospital and King Streets)
Apothecary Museum (Christiansted, Corner of Company and Queen Cross Streets)
Base Array Telescope (East End, Route 82)
Point Udall (East End, Route 82)
Salt River Bay National Historic Park and Ecological Preserve (Mid Island, off of Route 80/North Shore Road)
St. George Village Botanical Garden (West End, Route 70/Centerline Road)
Cruzan Rum Distillery (West End, Route 64/West Airport Road)
Estate Whim Plantation Museum (West End, Route 70/Centerline Road)
Fort Frederik (Frederiksted, Strand Street)
Lawaetz Museum at Little La Grange (West End, Route 76/Mahogany Road)
St. Croix LEAP (West End, Route 76/Mahogany Road)
Estate Mt. Washington (West End, off of Route 63)
Ham’s Bluff Lighthouse (West End, access from the end of Route 63)

NATURAL SITES & PROTECTED AREAS:

Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge (West End, access from Route 661)
Caledonia Gut
Annaly Bay (West End, access from St. Croix Carambola Beach Resort)
Creque Dam Road (West End, Route 58)
Salt River Bay National Historic Park and Ecological Preserve (Mid Island, access from Route 80/North Shore Road)
Estate Little Princess (Mid Island, access from Route 75)
Buck Island National Monument (Off coast of East End)
Green Cay National Wildlife Refuge (Off coast of East End, access/view from Tamarind Reef Resort & Green Cay Marina, or Chenay Bay)
Jack’s and Isaac’s Bays (East End, access/view from Route 82)
Great Pond (East End, access from Route 60/Southshore Road)
Southgate Pond (East End, access from Route 82)
West End Salt Pond (West End, access from Route 661)
Billy French Ponds (Mid Island, access from Route 62/Southside Road)
Altoona Lagoon (East End, access from Route 82/East End Road)