Commissioner Jean-Pierre L. Oriol of the Department of Planning and Natural Resources reminds campers that guidelines must be adhered to while camping on the Columbus Landing Site at Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve and within the East End Marine Park during the Easter Holiday. The Department manages the Columbus Landing Site area in cooperation with the National Park Service. The Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve is a dynamic tropical ecosystem that protects significant natural and cultural resources. The following guidelines will keep these resources clean, healthy, and preserved for generations to come. Copies of these guidelines are available on our website dpnr.vi.gov.
Guidelines for Campers at Salt River Bay Columbus Landing Site
- Identification must be shown if requested by a DPNR Enforcement Officer.
- No digging of any kind will be tolerated. Fire pits and trash pits are prohibited. Smoothing of the ground surface is allowed by hand, brush, rake or leaf rake only. No heavy equipment picks, or shovels are allowed on site.
- Campfires will be allowed if placed within a metal container or on bare sand, EXCLUDING the use of wooden pallets to avoid marine debris. Fires and hot coals should be supervised and monitored always.
- All trash shall be removed from the site by individuals or individual families. Anyone caught littering will be cited with a violation of local littering laws. Beach and ground cleanup activities are encouraged, even for those areas outside of individual campsites.
- A trash bin will be provided from March 25-April 8. The use of additional trash bins and portable toilets are encouraged. Do not place trash at bin site after the bin is removed on April 8th, carry it out.
- No motorized vehicles will be allowed on the earthen fort at Columbus Landing. Violators who drive onto the earthworks will be cited with a violation of the Antiquities and Cultural Properties Act (Title 29, Chapter 17 of the VI Code) and will be subject to a civil fine of up to $500.
- Any fights, altercations, or loud, boisterous, or drunken activities will be dealt with by DPNR Enforcement Officers to the fullest extent of the law.
- Dogs and horses are prohibited.
- No cutting of brush or other vegetation, especially mangroves, or any of the trees on the beach.
- No marine organisms, native plants, or artifacts should be disturbed or removed from the site. Any violators will be persecuted to the full extent of the law.
Guidelines for Campers and Recreational Activities Within the East End Marine Park
- The following activities are strictly PROHIBIITED within the East End Marine Park bays and shorelines:
- Spearfishing, the harvest of conch, lobster, octopus, and whelk – regardless of season.
- The use of motor vehicles, ATVs, UTVS, and motorized bikes on beaches and salt ponds
- Fishing from motorized and nonmotorized vessels
- Shoreline fishing is allowed within the marine park from Chenay Bay to Cramer’s Park on the north shore and Grapetree Point to Great Pond on the south shore with the use of hook and line only.
- All temporary structures should be dismantled and removed from campsites at the end of your stay.
- All fires within park boundaries require a permit from V.I. Fire Service.
- Do not damage, trim, burn or remove coastal vegetation.
- All trash and debris, including wooden pallets, must be removed from the campsite.
