Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge

Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge is located on the Frederiksted side of the island of St. Croix. It’s 3.5 kilometers south of Frederiksted, on the southwest coast, making it just a five or six minute drive from downtown Frederiksted.

Visiting the Wildlife Refuge

The wildlife refuge is home to several species of marine life and waterfowl and shorebirds. This also happens to be the location of one of St. Croix’s most pristine, white sand beaches. Within the confines of the Sandy Point Wildlife is a protected pre-historic archaeological site called the Aklis site.

Visitors come to enjoy the wildlife, enjoy the beach, take in the historical significance, or all three. Because of these three major draws to Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge, there are a number of restrictions here that don’t exist on other beaches on St. Croix.

Despite the restrictions listed in the preservation section below, there is plenty to love and relish about Sandy Point. This beach and wildlife refuge is pristine and safe for nature’s living creatures for good reason. Everyone is respectful of the environment and cognizant of the fragile conditions. For that reason, you won’t find large parties of wild partygoers on this beach. This is the place to come for quiet relaxation.

Having said all that, the view from Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge is spectacular. Notably, the final scene of the movie, The Shawshank Redemption was filmed here. You’ll most definitely want to bring your camera or phone to capture the stunning scenery. You might even be lucky enough to see a sea turtle, and you’ll certainly want to have a picture or two to bring back home with you!

When to Visit & What to Bring

It is open on a seasonal basis, from September through March, on Saturday and Sunday only, from 10 AM to 4 PM. This is to protect the animals, particularly sea turtles, during their mating season.

For a visit to Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge, bring some long-sleeved apparel, a sun hat, sunblock and possibly some long, loose-fitting pants. Bring your own water and food, too, because there is no place to get water or food once you’re there, and it would be a shame to cut your visit short just to get water.

It’s unlikely you’ll encounter more than a handful of people here at any given time. Even though Sandy Point is one of the longest sandy beaches in the entire U.S.V.I., it’s known for being a wildlife refuge more than a beach.

Preservation

Island residents take their responsibility as a nature steward very seriously. Visitors are very welcome, as long as they are respectful toward the environment.

The list of prohibited things includes:

• pets, horses, domestic livestock
• open fires
• grilling
• camping, tents
• umbrellas
• digging (even kiddie pails and diggers are prohibited)
• garbage dumping/littering
• interacting with, touching, or disturbing plants or animals

The list of permitted things includes:

• swimming
• fishing
• photography
• observing plants and wildlife
• hiking (but without a walking stick)
• educational teaching and learning

The Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge is closed from mid-April to August in order to preserve the nesting habits of the sea turtles.

The Aklis Archeological site is a 4-acre prehistoric site that has been dated all the way back to the year 400. In 1989, when Hurricane Hugo made a direct hit on St. Croix, the extreme wave motion uncovered a dense collection of artifacts, including ceramics, stone tools, burial sites and even human remains. Several important archeological studies have been conducted at this protected site, which is listed on The National Register of Historic Places.

The Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge is taken care of by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services, who take this area very seriously. They have an entire conservation plan laid out, identifying ecological threats, assessing resources and assigning special designations to ensure ongoing protection.

Wildlife - Flora & Fauna

At 383 acres, Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge is a critical nesting habitat for at least three endangered and threatened turtle species, including Leatherback, Green, and Hawksbill turtles. In one recent year of egg-counting by volunteers for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services, there were 98 Leatherback eggs, 1006 Green turtle eggs and 178 Hawksbill eggs. It’s quite common to see these amphibious creatures in the sand or just off the shore. The clarity of the water here makes them very easy to spot. There are opportunities to join guided tour groups to watch turtle eggs hatching at certain times of the year. You would have to call the Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge for information.

Birdwatchers will be excited at the chance to see Gray Kingbirds, Black and White Warblers, Great Blue Herons, Double-Crested Cormorants and more.

A large swath of the Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge is designated wetlands, with a small portion designated as woodland, with sparse vegetation and a grove of mangrove trees along the coastline.