Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge

Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge opens to the public at weekends only: Saturdays and Sundays, 10 a.m. until 4 p.m., early September to late March, and it costs nothing. It closes each spring and summer while leatherback sea turtles nest. The refuge sits at the southwest tip of St. Croix and protects about two miles of undeveloped beach.

Sandy Point hours and open days

Spring is the one time of year that takes a phone call. Tourism guides list the closed season as April 1 to about September 1. The refuge's own page, from the Fish and Wildlife Service, says "roughly mid-April to August." In a year when turtles come early or nest late, those dates can move, so if your only weekend falls in late March or April, call the refuge before you make the drive. For the rest of the season, you can plan on it: two days a week, six hours a day.

If you're on the island midweek, the refuge won't be open. Happily, the other west-end beaches are, and Dorsch, Rainbow and the Frederiksted town beach are all a short drive back up the coast. Some older articles mention weekday openings on cruise-ship days, and we couldn't find anything recent to back that up, so ask the refuge if you're hoping for one.

What the refuge is

This is a federal refuge under the Fish and Wildlife Service. It dates to 1984, when the government purchased 340 acres, then owned by the West Indies Investment Company, with one stated purpose, to protect leatherback nesting habitat. Another 43 acres came later, to protect the Aklis archaeological site and a stand of Vahl's boxwood, an endangered tree.

The service describes it as crucial nesting habitat for leatherbacks, and tourism guides call it the country's largest leatherback nesting site. Hawksbill turtles, listed as endangered, and green turtles, listed as threatened, nest on the same beach. Every rule below comes back to that. People are welcome here as guests of the turtles, which is a fine thing to be, and that's what has kept the beach so empty.

You won't find hotels, bars or beach chairs along this stretch of coast. The two-mile beach is wide and open, the water is clear and blue, and on most weekends you can walk a little way from the parking and have a good piece of it to yourself. It's about as far from a resort day as you can get on this island, and it costs nothing.

The rules on the sand

A few rules protect the nests, and they're simple to follow once you know why they're there.

• Nothing goes into the sand. Eggs could be anywhere under the surface, so objects can't be driven or staked into the beach. If you bring an umbrella or a canopy, weigh it down with sand in five-gallon buckets.
• Pets stay home. Pets aren't allowed on the refuge, leashed or not.
• No driving on the beach. Keep your car on the road and in the parking areas.
• Take everything back with you. There are no concessions or trash service, so what you bring comes home again.
• Stay out when it's closed. The refuge shuts at 4 p.m. and for the nesting months, and going around the gate means entering a closed federal refuge.

Shells, sand and anything you find near the Aklis site stay where they are too. If you're hoping to fly a drone, ask the refuge first, and bring a good camera either way. The view from ground level on a clear winter afternoon is very fine.

Getting to the gate

You can reach the refuge from Frederiksted, or from the end of the Melvin H. Evans Highway. Coming from mid-island, just go straight ahead when the highway ends and you'll come to the entrance. Past the gate, it's a long drive inside the refuge to the main parking lot, so allow for it, especially toward closing time. The refuge's gates close at 4, and you'll want to start back well before then if you've walked far down the beach.

You'll want a rental car, since St. Croix has no rideshare. If you haven't driven here yet, take a minute with driving on the left. It's a very easy drive once you're on the highway.

What to bring

The refuge has very little shade and no facilities, and that makes packing the most important thing you'll do. For a good day, bring:

• Plenty of water, and more than you think, since there's none to buy.
• Your food and drinks for the day, in a cooler.
• Towels and sturdy sun protection: a hat, a sun shirt and a mineral sunscreen.
• Low beach chairs, which sit on the sand and need no staking.
• An umbrella only if you've also brought buckets to weigh it down.
• Binoculars, if you like birds.
• A trash bag for the ride home.

Stop at the restroom in town first, as there isn't one on the beach. Frederiksted is the place for a last stop, and its restaurants are where you'll want to be afterward.

Swimming at Sandy Point

The water is clear and blue, and on a still day, lying back in it is the whole idea. There's no fringing reef off this beach, and the sea drops to a deep sandy bottom just offshore. That's exactly what makes it right for leatherbacks, which can come straight in from deep water without crossing rock or coral. For you it means two things. First, snorkeling offers less than it does elsewhere, although you might see sea turtles and rays. Second, the water gets deep quickly, so keep children close and stay near the shore. With no facilities on the refuge, don't count on a lifeguard. For a reef and some fish, the Frederiksted Pier and the snorkeling beaches we like best are close by.

Leatherback turtles at Sandy Point

Nothing else with a shell comes close to a leatherback, the world's largest turtle. NOAA Fisheries puts adults at 750 to 1,000 pounds and 5 to 6 feet long, living on soft open-ocean prey such as jellyfish and salps. No other turtle dives as deep, down to about 4,000 feet, and they can stay under for up to 85 minutes. It's been on the endangered list since 1970.

Nesting here runs March to July, always after dark. A female digs a large pit and a deep egg chamber, lays about 100 eggs, covers them and returns to the sea. She'll do this several times in a season, at intervals of 8 to 12 days, and then not again for 2 to 4 years. The eggs take about two months to hatch. Our short page on leatherbacks at Sandy Point has more on them, and for the other species and where to see them, try sea turtles of St. Croix.

What this means for your visit: the nesting all takes place after dark, in months the refuge is shut, so don't expect to meet a turtle on a daytime walk. You may see one in the water, and you're always walking above the place where they nest. Walk on the wet sand near the waterline when you can, stay clear of any markers or stakes you see (those are research gear), and fill in any holes you or the children dig before you leave.

This year's nest count

Researchers have worked this beach since 1977, and the Sea Turtle Project posts its nest counts as the season goes on. Here's what they looked like in mid-October 2026, next to the whole of 2025.

Big swings between years are normal for sea turtles, since a female skips years between nesting seasons. Two things stand out. Greens far outnumber the leatherbacks the refuge was founded to protect, and hawksbills nest here in good numbers too, with four of them fitted with satellite tags in October 2025. That's why the project's patrols are still at work on this beach after the leatherback season has ended, and why you'll want to keep to the wet sand on your walk, even in September.

The Ocean Foundation, a nonprofit, sponsors the project alongside the refuge, and grants and donations pay for it. If you've enjoyed your day, adopting a hatchling at seaturtlecensus.com is a nice way to say thanks. Each adoption supports a nesting beach patrol.

Turtle Watch

There's one way in during the closed season. It's called Turtle Watch, an outreach program from the Sea Turtle Project and the refuge, and it has been going at Sandy Point since at least 1997. A group meets at the education pavilion for a presentation, then heads down to the dark beach in search of nesting turtles and meets the research team.

It's worth being clear about who it's for. The program is built for St. Croix youth, children and family groups, and full-time residents have priority. Sessions run on Friday or Saturday evenings in April, with about 30 people per session, and they're free, though donations to the project's education work are welcome. The 2026 season filled completely, and demand runs well ahead of the dates. Sightings aren't guaranteed. Keen visitors can write to [email protected] early, and should allow three business days to hear back. Our turtle watch page has more, and the Sea Turtle Project also answers questions about research-season visits at [email protected].

Birds on the beach

Bring binoculars. Least terns nest in the area, and they dive aggressively to defend their nests and chicks, which gives you one more reason to keep your distance from the upper beach. As a rare stretch of quiet shoreline, the refuge is also a place where tired migrants come down to rest. A rare white tern turned up here in 2024. For the island's wider list, see our St. Croix wildlife guide.

The Aklis site

People have been coming to this beach for a long time. Inside the refuge is Aklis, a prehistoric shell midden dated to about the year 400, which joined the National Register in 1976. Part of the refuge's later land was bought specifically to protect it. There's nothing to tour, and it's slowly eroding, so please leave anything you find exactly where it is. It's good to know it's there as you walk.

Fitting Sandy Point into your week

Sandy Point fits best on a weekend at the start or end of your stay, so look at the weekends before you buy flights. If your trip covers a Saturday or Sunday from September through March, here's a good way to spend it:

• Morning: stock the cooler in Frederiksted and get to the gate at 10.
• Midday: walk the beach, float, and have your lunch. Two or three hours is about right, given the sun.
• Afternoon: head back to Frederiksted for a late lunch or a cold drink.
• Evening: see the sun go down along Frederiksted's waterfront or Rainbow Beach. The refuge will have closed by then, and our sunset beaches guide has the best seats.

September is an especially nice time to go: the refuge has just reopened, and it's a quiet month across the island. For a sense of which weeks work best overall, see the best time to visit, and our seven-day itinerary shows how a west-end day fits in. Coming in the closed months? You won't be short of beaches. The south shore's Ha'penny Beach has a lot of the same quiet.

And yes, you may have heard the film story. The Shawshank Redemption shot its last scene on this beach.

The refuge through the year

Who'll love it

Walkers and beach lovers have two miles of open shore to themselves, and it's among the best free days on the island. Photographers get a wide beach, clear water and a sky with no buildings under it. Families with older children enjoy the space, and they'll have an easier time if you bring a good cooler and plenty of shade you can hold down with a bucket. Families with very small children may find a beach with no shade or restrooms a bit of work; Rainbow Beach has calm water, with a bar and watersports nearby.

Cruise visitors: if your ship docks in Frederiksted on an open weekend, the refuge is a short ride south of the pier. Agree on a pickup time with your driver before you go, since no taxis wait at the end of the long road in.

Staying near Sandy Point

Sunset Sea-Clusion, near Frederiksted, is far and away our closest home, roughly five miles from the refuge by map, which means a swim in your own pool the moment the gate closes. If you're over by Christiansted or out on the East End, it's a fine day trip. You'll see live dates for each home on our rentals page, so you can see what's open for the weekend you want.

Questions guests ask

What are Sandy Point's hours?

It opens at 10 a.m. and closes at 4 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays including holidays, from early September through late March. It's closed during the week and for the spring and summer nesting season.

What time does Sandy Point close?

4 p.m. Allow time for the walk back along the beach and the long drive from the parking lot to the gate.

When does Sandy Point Beach open for the season?

At the start of September. For the 2026 to 2027 season, the first open weekend was September 5.

Is Sandy Point open in April?

Plan on it being closed. Tourism guides list the closure from April 1, while the Fish and Wildlife Service says "roughly mid-April." Phone the refuge, (340) 773-4554, if April is your only chance.

Does it cost anything to visit?

No. Admission is free. It's a good idea to bring everything you'll need, since there's nothing to buy there.

Are there restrooms or food?

No. The refuge has very little shade and no facilities, and there are no concessions. Bring your own water, food, towels and sun protection, and make your last stop in Frederiksted.

Can I bring an umbrella?

Yes, as long as nothing goes into the sand. Use five-gallon buckets of sand as anchors. Low beach chairs are fine too.

Can I bring my dog?

No. Pets aren't allowed on the refuge, because of the turtle nests and hatchlings.

Will I see a turtle?

Probably not on the beach during the day, since leatherbacks nest at night from March to July. Rays and turtles sometimes show up in the water. The Turtle Watch program runs on some April evenings, with priority for St. Croix residents.

Is it good for swimming?

Yes, and the water is lovely on a calm day. There's no reef offshore and the bottom drops off quickly, so stay close to shore and keep children near you. Don't count on a lifeguard.

Was The Shawshank Redemption filmed here?

Yes. The final scene was filmed on this beach, where it stands in for Zihuatanejo, Mexico.