Forty yards from the backyard, through National Park land, is Caneel Hill Trail, which drops down to the secluded white sand beaches on the North Shore (Honeymoon Beach, Caneel Bay and Solomon Bay) in less than 45 minutes, and extends to the town of Cruz Bay with a half-hour hike in the other direction.

A 1/4-mile hike brings you to the Caneel Hill Observation Platform, where you can see a 360-degree view of both the Caribbean and Atlantic as well as the entire Western half of St John. From Caneel Trailside Cottage's doorstep you can literally hike through the forest to get everywhere you will need to be on the western half of St. John.

A lush garden surrounds the private brick patio that encloses a swimming pool with teak poolside chaises and a barbecue area. A wide shaded veranda for outdoor dining and relaxing adds great space to enjoy the breeze and idle away from it all. The veranda looks out over the southwest end of St John and offers expansive views of the Caribbean all the way to St. Croix.