Can you camp on a beach in St. Thomas?
No, you are not allowed to camp on any of the beaches in St. Thomas. There is only one beach that sorta, almost allows it – Magens Bay. They have a grassy area in the Magens Bay park where you are allowed to camp for a few nights for a fee.
You are not technically camping on the beach – the camp area is about 100 feet from the beach. So you can still hear the waves and ocean sounds right outside of your tent.
You can make reservations here: Magens Bay Authority.
Now there are a lot of beaches where you could easily get away with camping. These beaches are not the easiest to get to and tend to be used almost exclusively by locals.
And they tend to be pretty remote.
Hypothetically, if I were in the mood for pitching a tent on some white sand in St. Thomas, I could imagine doing something along the lines of:
1. Search online for remote and secluded beaches on island.
2. Go on Google Earth and look for beaches that look difficult to reach. I might go a step further and find beaches that appear to have no road access.
3. Rent a kayak and pack my tent and supplies and paddle in from a more accessible beach.
(Again, while beaches in St. Thomas are public, you aren’t permitted to camp – you have been warned. Also, I can’t vouch for the safety of you and/or your camping crew when going on such an adventure. So do so at your own risk of death and prosecution.)
So, at least at the time of the writing of this somewhat useless article, The Lost Mango is the only campgrounds on St. Thomas. I hope that will change in the future as I love camping.
(Soapbox Disclaimer: I’m about to be on my high-horse so please forgive potentially self-righteous and self-promoting commentary.)
Resorts are indirectly under attack by the world of AirBnbs here in the islands. This has resulted in the proliferation of short-term rental villas.
But sadly, this hasn’t resulted in any glamping or camping options. St. Thomas is perfect for camping – incredible views, near perfect weather year-round and exotic tropical fauna.
So come camping in St. Thomas only a 1,000 feet above the beaches.