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Contact: Edward Kahle
Contact: Angie Alvino
CHRISTIANSTED, VI. – Park Service officials have completed the assessment of Christiansted National Historic Site, Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve and Buck Island Reef National Monument. All sites reopened at 11:00 a.m. Monday August 18, 2025.
In a statement, the National Parks of St. Croix’s Superintendent, stated “Thankfully Hurricane Erin spared the island of St. Croix. Our thoughts are with anyone who may be in the path of this ferocious storm. Hurricane Erin served as a powerful reminder that we are just entering the peak of hurricane season and that we should all be prepared for what may come down the road.”
www.nps.gov
About Christiansted National Historic Site:
Christiansted National Historic Site, known locally as the gem of the Caribbean, preserves the historic structure and grounds within its boundaries and interprets the Danish economy and way of life in Christiansted between 1733 and 1917. Rich and vibrant history abounds centered around colonial administration, the military and naval establishment, international trade and enslaved people, religious diversity, architecture, skilled artisanship and crime and punishment. The park consists of seven acres centered on the Christiansted waterfront with five historic structures for visitors to view and enjoy: Fort Christiansvaern, the Danish West India & Guinea Company Warehouse, the Steeple Building, Danish Custom House, and the Scale House. Visitors are encouraged to tour the grounds while enjoying a picnic lunch and majestic ocean views. No place in the Caribbean still demonstrates the architectural, economic, and political influence of Europe like Christiansted National Historic Site.
About Buck Island Reef National Monument:
Buck Island is a small uninhabited located just 1.5 miles north of the island of St. Croix. While there are numerous islands of similar size and appearance in the Lesser Antilles Buck Island possesses a distinctive feature which sets it apart, namely the magnificent elkhorn coral barrier reef. For over 50 years, the National Park Service has monitored the parks’ marine and terrestrial ecosystems and conducted and supported scientific research. It has one of the world’s most important turtle nesting beaches for hawksbill sea turtles and provides safe nesting for local and migratory species of birds, including brown pelicans and least terns. The elkhorn coral barrier reef that surrounds two-thirds of the island has survived hurricanes and diseases, remains extraordinary with dramatic coral formations, deep grottoes, diverse reef fishes, sea fans and soft corals. Buck Island is also the scene of history and culture including historic accounts of enslaved Africans from St. Croix who were sent to Buck Island to harvest ironwood trees and to gather shellfish and lobsters, and to tend goats that were released on the island to free range and forage.
About Salt River Bay National Historical Park & Ecological Preserve:
The Salt River Bay watershed, located on St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, has drawn human settlement for over two millennia. From the island’s first settlers who arrived by canoe from the Orinoco River delta nearly 2000 years ago to early English and Dutch colonists in the early 17th century, to Danish sugar planters of the 18th and 19th century, the rich and diverse natural resources of the watershed have been attractions for settlement. Additionally, the park contains the only known site where members of the Columbus expedition.
About the National Park Service: More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's 423 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov, and on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
-NPS-
Last updated: August 18, 2025