The Newfound Bay Trail starts east of Vie’s Snack Shack
just past a new house with a stone wall and just west of the
small pond on the north side of the road.
There appears to be some confusion as to whether the Newfound Bay Trail is a public road or private property. Following is some feedback from hikers on the trail concerning this matter. My best advise would be to ask Vie at Vie's Snack Shack about the advisability of hiking the trail at at any given time.
The trail begins as an old washed out road bed climbing steeply
through a cactus scrub environment.
Maran Bush
Trail on South Side of the Hill
The presence of Maran Bush
suggests that the area was grazed. Maran, being poison to most
animals, can proliferate while other species are destroyed by
the grazing. Goats that have escaped captivity still roam the
area.
view of pond
Old House
At a large old tamarind tree the road turns sharply to the left
and passes by an old house. It then continues uphill steeply
alongside a gut.
Tamarind Tree at
Top of Hill
Tamarind Tree
At the top of the hill is another large old tamarind tree. Aloes
in the area indicate that there was probably a residence nearby
at one time.
Found on South Side of the Hill
Stones at Top of Hill
Goat bones, and fragments of old and new bottles
lie nearby. There is also a pile of stones arranged in a rectangular
fashion, which I am told is a grave marker.
View to the South from the Hilltop
From the hilltop there are views through the trees of both
the north and south coasts of the island.
On
the north side of the hill, the trail descends steeply through
a dry forest environment leading to a flat area just inshore
of Newfound Bay. Another large tamarind tree can be found here
as well as an old stone wall.
Tamarind Tree on
North Side Flats
Trail on North Side of the Hill
Old Stone Wall
Newfound Bay
Newfound Bay was the first settlement on the east end. According
to a land record of 1764, four families had pooled their resources
and bought land there. By the early 19th century there was a
thriving community of free blacks at Newfound, Haulover and Hansen
Bays, whose inhabitants made their livings primarily by fishing
and charcoal making.
In 1880 it was reported that" the Widow George owned a house
where she rented rooms for the night."
Drift Plastic
Newfound Bay is protected by a barrier
reef with an opening in the center of the bay allowing boats
to enter the calm watrs within and enjoy a tranquil anchorage.
An onshore breeze brings flotsam to the shore making Newfound
Bay a drift plastic collector’s
paradise.
Private Property?
There appears to be some confusion as to whether the Newfound Bay Trail is a public road or private property. Following is some feedback from hikers on the trail concerning this matter. My best advise would be to ask Vie at Vie's Snack Shack about the advisability of hiking the trail at at any given time.
St. Thomas Source 01/17/2005
EAST Hosts Newfound Bay Hike and Snorkel By Source Staff
The Environmental Association of St. Thomas invites the public to join them in a hike and snorkel at St. John's Newfound Bay on Sunday, Jan. 23. The group will be led by botanist Barry Devine, and marine biologist and regular Source columnist, Elizabeth Ban.
According to an EAST release, Newfound Bay is one of the most interesting, diverse and isolated places on St. John. The bay and surrounding salt pond represent an environment in transition. Here, the geology of salt pond formation can be seen along with a diverse array of plant and wildlife.
At Newfound, dry forest, shrublands, coastal hedge, mangroves and wetlands abound with native plants and some endangered species. The marine environment includes seagrass beds and near-shore coral reefs teeming with fish and other sea life.
This is a physically demanding hike with very little shade, so hikers need to evaluate their physical condition before participating. Those planning to take part are reminded to bring water, snacks, snorkel gear and bathing suits.
Those traveling from St. Thomas will need to take the 9 a.m. ferry from Red Hook to Cruz Bay where a safari bus will transport hikers to the trail head.
The cost will be $20 for EAST members, $25 for non-members and $5 for those able to provide their own transportation. For more information, call 774-1837
01/02/2012 Message From Dalma Simon representing EAST:
Please remove all references to the Environmental Association of St. Thomas/St. John (E.A.S.T.) conducting hikes to New Found Bay, St. John. In 2009 we did plan a hike but it was cancelled due to the objections of the family that owns the property. We have not planned or conduted any hikes to New Found Bay or have any future plans opn doing so.
Your failure to remove references will leave us no option but to seek legal action against you.
"Vie says the route to Newfound Bay is a public road, but, the people who live on the road have posted "No Trespassing" signs thinking they own it. Please do not attempt to access this cache on this trail unless you speak to Vie (or another local) to see if the homeowner on the road has become more welcoming to hikers."
08/23/2011 Message:
Hello
My husband and I are avid hikers and have used your site for all of it's great information on St John. Thank you for all of the great hikes your site has directed us to. However, to let you know, we just followed your directions for the Newfound Bay trail. Upon finishing our hike, we were chased by an angry swearing woman who told us that we were trespassing on her property. We were descending the"old washed out road" that steeply ascends from Rt. 10. She came out of a white camper at the top of the hill. We hope this information can contribute to your site.
06/27/2010 Message:
Love your site and am excited about trails I didn't know about. I want to hike the Newfound trail and happened to be out there yesterday. I think I see where it starts at the washed out road past Vies but there is a sign that reads "keep out" and something about an Estate, Wellingtons? it was raining so I couldn't see it well. Will there be trouble from property owners for going through here or was I in the wrong place? Approximately how long is this trail or how much time should I allow. Thanks for your help!
08/12/2009 Message:
Thank you very much for a very informative and inviting homepage.
We (Mette and I from Copenhagen, Denmark) visited the USVI for the first time this summer. And your homepage was a great help and inspiration in our planning. Especially the information about hiking trails to the variaous historical places was useful.
When I went to use the Newfound Bay trail from Hansen Bay (called after one af my ancestors??)I was met with a rope tied across the start of the trail saying in tall letters: Private property, owner Wilkinson, No trespassing".
Asking the people living in the "new house" next to the start of the trail, I was told, that the Wilkinsons are nor living in the area, but just not want to have people walking the area.
I went anyway! But it was obvious, that this trail is not much used - a marvelous wlak though!!
Once again thank you for the great site - and we are looking forward to coming back to St. John next year.
Kind regards
Ebbe
