Starting October 1, Trunk Bay on St. John no longer accepts cash for its daily entrance charge. Visitors aged 16 and over must pay $5 using a credit card, debit card or mobile payment option. Those 15 and younger enter at no cost.
The National Park Service implemented the change to streamline transactions and enhance visitor convenience. The agency stated the shift would cut processing times, reduce cash handling, lower administrative expenses and minimise payment errors.
Visitors can obtain passes in two ways: at the Trunk Bay fee station itself, or beforehand through Recreation.gov, the federal government's online recreation booking system. The Recreation.gov app offers a QR-code option for payment. The Park Service recommends installing the app in advance, as mobile coverage in the area may be unreliable.
Seniors and those holding qualifying Interagency Access passes qualify for a 50 percent reduction, paying $2.50 instead. This discount requires presenting the pass in person at the fee station.
The amenity fee at Trunk Bay differs from the general entrance charge for Virgin Islands National Park and Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument, neither of which levy admission fees. Visitors driving through park roads also face no toll. Notably, the Trunk Bay fee applies even on federal park entrance-fee-free days.
This cashless transition forms part of a wider modernisation of payment systems across Virgin Islands National Park. The Cruz Bay Visitor Center has similarly moved to electronic-only payment for federal park passes.
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