Salt River National Historic Park
Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve! Not only is Salt River important historically, it is also a protected ecological preserve. Salt River is also known as Columbus Landing. Columbus landed at this spot in America’s Paradise in 1493, but encountered the not-so-friendly Carib Indian tribe. This led to the first documented conflict between Europeans and Native Americans. Some believe that Columbus never set foot on land, sending out a search party to explore the new land. Either way- we are proud of this beautiful area, which is recognized as a National Landmark. Salt River is no longer a fresh water supply, but is now a tropical ecosystem that supports threatened and endangered species. The NPS works jointly with the government to manage this 1,015 acre park, which holds some of the largest mangrove forests in the Virgin Islands as well as coral reefs and a submarine canyon. The park is open 9am to 4pm on weekdays from November 1st – June 30th, and 10am to 3pm weekdays from July 1st – October 31st. The visitor center is closed indefinitely. To fully experience Salt River, we recommend you sign up for the historical and ecological kayak tours.
Read more in this downloadable brochure.