Dirt road to Annaly Bay Tide Pools

Last time I was there, in April, that road was horrendous. Even the guys in the Tan Tan tour Jeeps had trouble navigating it. Be very careful.

I second that be very careful. We rent a Jeep and do it when family is in town, but there has been more then a time or two that we were all praying. If you don't have a really good driver with you think about it and then think again. And tan tan will do tours to take you there and then you won't have the stress.

Why on earth don't people just walk there? It's an absolutely horrible "road," and it's not a long hike at all. I met Wave, the owner of Tan Tan Tours, when he was there to bail out one of his Jeeps that got stuck... as we walked merrily by. We always park either at the top of the Jeep trail or at Carambola. Either is accessible even by those roller skates that the rental companies pass off as cars.

To answer your question... I was there on July 23, after the rain, and it seems to be getting worse every time I see it.

To me its a long very scary hike, especially when it's damp/rainy/muddy, which it was when I went and being in the rain forest I can only assume it often is. . Its a very narrow trail next to a huge drop off (most of the way), so I always warn people that if you are afraid of heights this is NOT the hike for you. I am afraid of heights, but I was trying to be a trooper but by the time I got to the tide pools I was totally convinced my husband was trying to kill me! 😉

I don't like heights and had no problem with the hike.

I took a rental down there back in February.. it was the highlight of my trip.. Love that place.
Why would anyone hike that trail is beyond me.. its WAY more fun to drive it
If you have any 4x4 sense its not that bad at all... of course that was a few months ago.. might me a mud slide now

"Off Roading" is scary to some, fun to others.
Last week I was on the "road" above the pools just off W. Scenic and it was fine (i.e. "fun").
Here's a picture. This area didn't have deep ruts because it was relatively flat.

Looking down towards Annaly Bay...

But as some have mentioned, the torrential rains of the last two months may have gutted some of the tracks leading down to ridge above the pools. I've got an inquiry into two of the tan tan drivers I'm acquainted with for their expert opinion.

The other way (and easiest way) to approach the pools is in a kayak, ...which is what we're going to be doing this weekend provided the weather and seas cooperate! Getting down there from Canebay is no problem, it's the getting back that can be a bummer.

Virgin Kayak has peddle and sail kayaks.

I took a rental down there back in February.. it was the highlight of my trip.. Love that place.
Why would anyone hike that trail is beyond me.. its WAY more fun to drive it
If you have any 4x4 sense its not that bad at all... of course that was a few months ago.. might me a mud slide now

oh yeah, why walk and experience nature and have some breathtaking views when you can just drive *-)

I took a rental down there back in February.. it was the highlight of my trip.. Love that place.
Why would anyone hike that trail is beyond me.. its WAY more fun to drive it
If you have any 4x4 sense its not that bad at all... of course that was a few months ago.. might me a mud slide now

oh yeah, why walk and experience nature and have some breathtaking views when you can just drive *-)

Not everybody has the health or physical ability to enjoy all the beauty this island has to offer. And....there are some great hikes which begin where the 4x4 road ends. A shout-out to Tan-Tan Tour Jeeps for keeping certain areas open for the rest of us, whether by foot or 4x4.

Kayaking the coastline, however, is still my favorite way to see the island. If you don't own your own, hook up with Bryan at Virgin Kayak, or look him up on Facebook.com at Kayak St Croix. He does some great tours and is very knowledgeable about the natural and native history of the island.

The Maroon Ridge Coastline was spectacular this morning. Cane Bay > Davis Bay/Carambola > Annaly Bay > Ham's Bluff

(click to see them bigger and more beautiful)

The black basalt (volcanic) rock of this area has been carved by centuries of waves, creating unique formations, bay and pools. I love the way the swells roll up onto the basalt plateaus and then the water drains back in a thousand little waterfalls. It's so beautiful I've dubbed it "God's Coastline."

Note: I'm campaigning to return "Ham's Bluff" to it's original Spanish name: "Cabo Del Diablo".... i.e. Cape of the Devil.
Much better and more original. "Ham" btw, is not the name of a person. It is the Dutch word for "shinbone" which is what the ridge and terminate bluff looks like... a shinbone. God's Coastline is also appropriate, if you get the chance to explore it by kayak on a relatively calm day like today.

I wanted to pull ashore and jump in the tide pools, but by the time I was on my way back, the swells were sending crashers into the beach.

Nice pics Niel. I have never been there but these pics and the posts have given a new light on how to get there