Maho Bay. (264064)

I have a special affinity for Caribbean waterfalls and if I can ever get this website in shape, I’m gonna devote a lot more time exploring them. My goal is to visit every significant waterfall on every island that’s safe enough to visit. At my age, that’s more a fantasy than an achievable goal, but it doesn’t stop me from dreaming.

I’ve already crossed a few islands off the list, including St. John. I’ve been three times, the last one in May 2025 when I explored all the waterfalls. Well, I explored some damp cliffs. On St. John, the word waterfall comes with a disclaimer. Waterfalls here are mostly ephemeral, flowing only after periods of heavy rain and then for only a short time. But oh my, if you are lucky enough to be there when that’s happening, it’s a sight you won’t forget. I haven’t been that lucky, hence the damp cliffs in my photos.

A trip to St. John is not complete without a donkey encounter. (263656)

I can’t say for certain that I’ve explored all the waterfalls on St. John. I suspect there are a few elusive ones in the southeastern mountains, but I’m virtually certain that if any are there, they’re not anything to get excited over and again, they will only have water after a good rain.

St. John is a small island of less than 20 square miles, with Virgin Islands National Park encompassing over half of it. The park is full of trails and historical ruins. It’s hard to hike for more than ten minutes anywhere on the island without encountering the ruins of an old sugar mill or a stone structure of some sort.

Jossie Gut Sugar Estate on Reef Bay Trail. (263729)

This is the Caribbean, so there are tropical plants all over the place, but don’t come here looking for a lush tropical rain forest. Your hike will most likely be very dry and, depending on where you are, very hot. The entire island is mountainous, but it’s just too small for any watercourses to gain appreciable size before flowing south into the Caribbean Sea or north into the Atlantic Ocean.

Catherineberg Sugar Mill. (4113)

I found only two significant waterfalls on the island, with one of them having three separate tiers. In addition are a half dozen of so smaller falls that would look pretty good after heavy, prolonged rain, but aren’t very impressive at most times. The two big ones are worth visiting even when totally dry. I’m not aware of any names for these waterfalls.

Sorry, but I’m not able to provide a detailed guide to visiting these waterfalls. That’s part of my long-range goal, but for now you’ll have to settle for an overview and a few general observations.

Stone steps at the beginning of Reef Bay Trail (263708)

Everyone who visits St. John hears about Reef Bay Trail, among the most popular hikes on the island. Located on the south side of Centerline Road (the road running along the crest of the mountains) near the center of the island, the trail takes you to Petroglyph Trail, which leads to the famous petroglyphs at the waterfall. Reef Bay Trail also leads to the impressive Reef Bay Sugar Mill, one of the better-preserved historic sugar mills on the island.

Reef Bay Sugar Mill. (263822)

Petroglyph Trail comes out right at the waterfall between the lower two sections of the falls. It’s essentially a single drop with just a short section of flat water between. The petroglyphs are in the flat section. The total height for both sections is about 70 feet, with the upper one 45 feet.

The main lower section of the waterfall on Petroglyph Trail. (01-01-263762)

On the river-right side is an obvious path that ascends alongside the lower two sections to the upper part, which you can’t see from the lower viewpoint. Experienced waterfallers won’t have any trouble getting up there, but the average island visitor probably shouldn’t attempt it.

The upper falls is really nice and unexpected. It’s about 75 feet high, with a main drop, then cascades through a short narrow chasm, then a little drop into a pool. I would love to see this waterfall with a healthy flow. Unfortunately, during my visit it was just a trickle.

The upper drop of the waterfall on Petroglyph Trail. (01-01-263765)

The other major waterfall is in Battery Gut, also on the south side but closer to Cruz Bay. Reaching it requires creekwalking up Fish Bay Gut to Battery Gut, then continuing the creekwalk up Battery Gut to the falls. Along the way, you’ll see most of the minor waterfalls on the island that I know about.

Nature trail at the beginning of the Fish Bay Gut creekwalk. (263624)

My trek to the monster waterfall was one of most rewarding waterfalling adventures I’ve had anywhere. As expected, I didn’t encounter another soul, which is what I like. The environment here is quite different from most other hikes I’ve made, even those on other Caribbean islands. Calling it a creekwalk is a little misleading, though. Nearly every foot of it was a boulder hop.

One of the small waterfalls in Fish Bay Gut. (01-03-263871)

There are several small waterfalls all along the way, and with a good flow, some of them would be quite nice. I wasn’t sure what to expect at the end, and in fact I was beginning to think I had already seen everything. Then, bam! There it was. Seriously? This is in St. John?

One of the small waterfalls in Battery Gut. (01-04-263884)

I couldn’t see the top of the falls, so I’m not sure how high it is. I’d estimate it to be 50-60 feet. I’ve read it’s 70 feet and that wouldn’t surprise me. But what is more impressive is how the waterfall sits in a massive amphitheater-like setting. It’s hard to comprehend what this would look like with a good flow of water.

The monster waterfall in Battery Gut. (01-02-263918)

Waterfallers with a lot of creekwalking experience won’t have any trouble with this trek, but casual hikers need to stick with the petroglyph waterfall. Also, if the water is up, it’s gonna make this hike challenging. If it’s a little dicey before you reach Battery Gut, turn around because you’ll never make it to the big falls.

Our trip to St. John was as much a relaxing-on-the-beach vacation as it was a serious waterfalling adventure. Patricia doesn’t do bushwhacks or creekwalks, but she loves a good hike, and she didn’t want to spend all her time on the beach. We hiked to the petroglyph waterfall together, as well as a few other hikes. But when it came to Battery Gut, I was on my own. She dropped me off at the start of the hike and then drove over the mountain to Maho Bay, our favorite beach on Saint John.

After I finished exploring Battery Gut, I followed Fish Bay Gut upstream and picked up L’Esperance Trail and followed it up to Centerline Road. A right turn on the road took me after a short walk to Cinnamon Bay Trail, which I descended to North Shore Road at Cinnamon Bay. Another road walk took me to the beach at Maho Bay, where I spent the afternoon with Patricia doing absolutely nothing. Well, except for imbibing a few tropical drinks. Okay, more than a few.

Termite nest on L' Eesperance Trail (263933)

When we got back to our rental and told the host about our day, she was gobsmacked. She said she’d been living here all her life—not a spring chicken, was she—and had never heard of these waterfalls or of anyone creekwalking those guts and climbing up and over the mountain from the Caribbean to the Atlantic.

Sunrise view from our B&B at Coral Bay. (264165)

I found that interesting given how small the island is and that the waterfalls are included in a popular St. John guidebook. To be sure, my hike wasn’t anything special for anyone in decent physical shape. But it just goes to show, just as I have often experienced in North Carolina, sometimes the waterfallers know more about nearby waterfalls than the locals do.

• Trailhead for Reef Bay Trail: 18.347518, -64.742834
• GPS for the waterfall at the end of Petroglyph Trail: 18.331411, -64.743430
• Beginning of creekwalk to the monster waterfall in Battery Gut: 18.326436, -64.764356
• Monster waterfall in Battery Gut: 18.330476, -64.767384
• Best little grocery store and fish market on St. John: Calabash Market in Coral Bay