Parks around St John

Virgin Islands National Park's hills, valleys and beaches are breath-taking. However, within its 7,000 plus acres on the island of St. John is the complex history of civilizations - both free and enslaved - dating back more than a thousand years, all who utilized the land and the sea for survival.

Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument includes federal submerged lands within the 3 mile belt off the island of St. John. These waters support a diverse and complex system of coral reefs, and other ecosystems such as shoreline mangrove forests and segrass beds that contribute to their health and survival.

The refuge consists of the entire island and is located 2 miles south of St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands. The vegetation is comprised mostly of cactus, brush, grasslands and there is a rocky shoreline. Long-term plans call for the elimination of black rats in order to enhance the value of the area for breeding seabirds. The surrounding waters are used by divers and snorkelers to view coral ...

The refuge has diverse habitats including sub-tropical dry forests, mangroves, brush, grasslands and 22 small islands. The small rocky cays serve as temporary home to 13 species of nesting seabirds. The larger cays consist of sub-tropical dry forest habitats. The largest refuge seabird colony is on Peninsula Flamenco where 60,000 Sooty Terns nest. The Mt. Resaca Unit, on the main island of Cul...

Welcome to Buck Island! Before you come please watch our 2014 Telly Award winning film 'Caribbean Gem.' Watching this will catch you up on 50+ years of National Park Service protection and civic engagement. Learn what we do every day to preserve this resource for Virgin Islanders and Visitors alike. Watch Now! via News Release>> For GMP/EIS Info, see News Release>>

The refuge hosts the largest nesting population of leatherback sea turtles under US jurisdiction. Since 1981 Earthwatch volunteers have assisted in translocating leatherback nests that are in erosion zones and providing a presence to deter egg poaching. Over 350 leatherback nests may be laid during the nesting season. In addition, hawksbill & green turtles nest on the refuge. Sandy Point has t...

Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve uniquely documents the human and natural Caribbean world from the earliest indigenous settlements in the central Caribbean to their clash with seven different colonial European powers to the present day..

The refuge contains several ecologically distinct habitats including; beaches, coastal lagoons, mangrove wetlands, and upland forested areas. Some of excellent examples of sub-tropical dry forest in the Caribbean can be found on refuge lands. The marine environment surrounding the refuge contains coral reefs and sea grass beds. The refuge and its surrounding waters are home to at least two pl...

The El Toro Wilderness now contains a total of 10,000 acres and is managed by the Forest Service. All of the Wilderness is in the state of Puerto Rico. In 2005 the El Toro Wilderness became part of the now over 109 million acre National Wilderness Preservation System. In wilderness, you can enjoy challenging recreational activities and extraordinary opportunities for solitude. In an age of "...inc...

"The greatest thing I have learned is how good it is to come home again." Eleanor Roosevelt This simple statement expresses her love for the modest house she called Val-Kill. The only National Historic Site dedicated to a first lady, Val-Kill welcomes visitors in the style of Mrs. Roosevelt. Come and be part of the entire Roosevelt Experience at Val-Kill.

The Jobos Bay Reserve, located in Aguirre along the southeast coast of the island, is the second largest estuarine area in Puerto Rico. It is a multiple component Reserve that includes vast mangrove forest, mangrove islets, seagrass beds, and coral reefs. The Mar Negro area, most prominent for its dark waters, consists of mangrove forests and a complex system of lagoons and channels interspersed ...

Cabo Rojo National Wildlife Refuge Cabo Rojo NWR, on the southwestern side of Puerto Rico, was established in 1974 when 587 of land were obtained from the Cental Intelligence Agency as an upland buffer for the Cabo Rojo Salt Flats (a potential Western Hemisphere Shorebird reserve) and its potential value as habitat for migratory birds. The 1249 acre Cabo Rojo Salt Flats, previously under private...

Desecheo National Wildlife Refuge The island of Desecheo is located 14 miles west of Puerto Rico and is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean on the north and the Caribbean Sea on the south. The refuge encompasses the entire rugged island. From 1940 to 1952 the island was used as a practice target for aerial bombardment by the US War Department and from 1952 to 1960 Desecheo was used as a survival tra...

Laguna Cartagena National Wildlife Refuge The present lagoon is a remnant of what was once a large open expanse of water and one of the most important freshwater habitats for migratin waterfowl and aquatic birds in Puerto Rico. Due to agricultural practices, about 90 percent of the lagoon is covered with cattail. Intensive cattle grazing and sugar cane production have greatly altered the origin...

Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1980 to protect critical breeding and nesting habitat for the endangered American crocodile and other wildlife. The refuge is located in north Key Largo and is currently comprised of 6,700 acres including 650 acres of open water. It contains a mosaic of habitat types including tropical hardwood hammock, mangrove forest, and salt marsh. ...

Within sight of downtown Miami, yet worlds away, Biscayne protects a rare combination of aquamarine waters, emerald islands, and fish-bejeweled coral reefs. Here too is evidence of 10,000 years of human history, from pirates and shipwrecks to pineapple farmers and presidents. Outdoors enthusiasts can boat, snorkel, camp, watch wildlife...or simply relax in a rocking chair gazing out over the bay.

Everglades National Park protects an unparalleled landscape that provides important habitat for numerous rare and endangered species like the manatee, American crocodile, and the elusive Florida panther. An international treasure as well - a World Heritage Site, International Biosphere Reserve, a Wetland of International Importance, and a specially protected areas under the Cartagena Treaty.

The Marjory Stoneman Douglas Wilderness now contains a total of 1,296,500 acres and is managed by the National Park Service. All of the Wilderness is in the state of Florida. In 1978 the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Wilderness became part of the now over 109 million acre National Wilderness Preservation System. In wilderness, you can enjoy challenging recreational activities and extraordinary opportun...

Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge is located seven miles west of the city of Boynton Beach in Palm Beach County, Florida. The refuge was established in 1951 under the authority of the Migratory Bird Conservation Act and is managed through a license agreement between the South Florida Water Management District and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. In total, the refuge inc...

Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge, was established September 30, 1969. It is a coastal refuge bisected by the Indian River Lagoon into two separate tracts of land totaling over 1000 acres. The 735 acre Jupiter Island tract provides some of the most productive sea turtle nesting habitat in the United States, and the 300 acre sand pine scrub mainland tract is valued because more than 90 percent o...

The National Key Deer Refuge was established in 1957 to protect and preserve Key deer and other wildlife resources in the Florida Keys. The refuge is located in the lower Florida Keys and currently consists of approximately 9,200 acres of land that includes pine rockland forests, tropical hardwood hammocks, freshwater wetlands, salt marsh wetlands, and mangrove forests. These natural communities...

The Florida Keys Wilderness now contains a total of 6,197 acres and is managed by the Fish & Wildlife Service. All of the Wilderness is in the state of Florida. In 1975 the Florida Keys Wilderness became part of the now over 110 million acre National Wilderness Preservation System. In wilderness, you can enjoy challenging recreational activities and extraordinary opportunities for solitude. In an ...

Florida Panther NWR was established in 1989 under the authority of the Endangered Species Act to protect the Florida panther and its habitat. The refuge consists of 26,400 acres and is located within the heart of the Big Cypress Basin in southwest Florida. This subtropical ecosystem covers more than 2,400 square miles of diverse wetland and upland habitat types. The refuge encompasses the northe...

The freshwaters of the Big Cypress Swamp, essential to the health of the neighboring Everglades, support the rich marine estuaries along Florida's southwest coast. Protecting over 729,000 acres of this vast swamp, Big Cypress National Preserve contains a mixture of tropical and temperate plant communities that are home to a diversity of wildlife, including the elusive Florida panther.

Great White Heron National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1938 as a haven for great white herons, migratory birds, and other wildlife. The refuge is located in the lower Florida Keys and consists of almost 200,000 acres of open water and islands that are north of the primary Keys from Marathon to Key West. The islands account for approximately 7,600 acres and are primarily mangroves with som...