Things To Do Archives - Shades of Blue Charters

Did you know that one of the most picturesque beaches on St John was used for a few movies like “the Four Seasons“ and “Columbus“ and only has parking for a few cars?

That’s right. It’s Gibney Beach and Oppenheimer Beach located on Hawksnest Bay on St John. Originally owned by the Gibney family of New York, the 40 acre piece of property has been divided and sold in a number ways over the years. A small parcel of the property on the northeastern corner was sold to Robert Oppenheimer (an atomic scientist on the Manhattan Project, aka the Father of the Atomic Bomb) in 1957. The property was donated to the people of St John by Oppenheimer’s daughter after his death and now houses a community center that can be rented out for parties, gatherings and even weddings. Oppenheimer Beach is also the location of the iconic tire swing hanging from a palm tree that is leaning out over the water. Sadly, the palm tree and the tire swing did not survive hurricanes Irma and Maria.

The remaining Gibney property is private and contains the original Gibney family home as well as two guesthouses. One is the Gibney Beach Cottage and is one of only a handful of vacation rentals directly on the beach in St John. The other is the Gibney Garden Cottage. The beach area in front of the vegetation line is open to the public, but when visiting, please be respectful of the tenants there. The cottages are both visible from the water now due to Hurricanes Irma and Maria, but previously were tucked in behind luscious palm and seagrape trees that are beginning to grow back.

Still beautiful even now, Gibney Beach and Oppenheimer Beach is a perfect place to relax and feel like you are the only ones on the island. Be sure to get there early as parking is limited. Driving along North Shore Road, look for the white picket fence on the left after Hawksnest Beach. Just after the picket fence is an iron gate that marks the entrance to Gibney and Oppenheimer Beaches. Do not block the gate. If you are lucky enough to get a parking spot, head through the gate and down the paved road to the community center on the right and beach to the left.

In our opinion, a boat day will be the best day of your vacation, but you probably won't spend every day on the water. On our USVI vacations, we always try to carve out some time to try different hikes. We usually head out first thing in the morning, get our hike in, and then we're on the beach by late morning, give or take. Where we go really depends on what we need that day. For example, if we don't have a lot of time or energy, we'll do a short easy hike, like the Lind Point Trail down to Honeymoon Beach. Or, if we need some time in the shade, we'll do the Reef Bay Trail and check out the petroglyphs on the way.

One of our favorites is Ram's Head on the east end of St John. The trail is pretty exposed, so don't forget water and sun protection. I don't recommend flip flops on this trail. This hike can be hot but there's usually a breeze, especially at the end of the trail, high atop the bluff. Expect the hike to take 45-60 minutes each way.

To get there, head over to the Coral Bay area and make a right at the intersection with all of the signs. Follow this road until you see the Salt Pond parking area on the left. Walk down the hill to Salt Pond beach and keep on going. Follow the curve of the shoreline to the right and you're on your way. The trail is pretty obvious. On the way, you'll descend to a blue stone beach after which you will begin your ascent up to the bluff. The climate on the east end is different - much drier - and you'll notice a lot of cactus on your way up. The panoramic views at the top are awesome and make it worth the effort!