I don’t know about you, but sometimes I enjoy taking a walk that leads me to somewhere beautiful. And we have so many options around St. John to do just that. Today I am going to tell you about one of my favorites – the hike to Ram Head.
Ram Head is located in the southeastern section of the island, and south of Coral Bay. To get to Ram Head, you will first take Route 10 east (if coming from Cruz Bay), and then you will take a right at the Coral Bay sign, which is Route 107. You will drive just under four miles until you see the parking lot for Salt Pond on your left. This is where the hike begins.
As you can see in the image above, the hike from the parking lot to Ram Head is 1.2 miles. I timed the hike on my Apple Watch, and it took me 38 minutes. I did, however, stop to take numerous pictures along the way.
The hike to Ram Head isn’t extremely tough when it comes to the terrain. What makes this hike tough is the heat. There is very little shade along the path, so you will definitely want to wear sun protection and bring plenty of water. It’s also best to do this hike early in the morning before it gets too hot out.
The hike from the parking lot to Salt Pond Bay beach is .3 miles, or about five to 10 minutes. It’s a wide path, that is mostly dirt, but it is rocky in some spots. The hike to Ram Head is definitely a sneaker or sandal with straps type of hike in my opinion.
Once you arrive at Salt Pond Bay, you will walk across the sand. At the end of the beach, follow the path to your right and along the shoreline. The path will then go into the woods and up a hill. Follow that for a bit, and soon you will reach Blue Cobblestone beach.
Be very careful as you walk across the cobblestones, as some are loose and wobbly. I twisted my ankle pretty badly when hiking this stretch once, and it was no fun at all.
Toward the end of Blue Cobblestone beach, you will see a sign that simply says “Trail” and points to your left. Follow that up a short, but winding hill and you will soon see Ram Head in front of you.
After walking for a few minutes, you will come to a cut in the land. The wind whips up and through this little section. It’s a great spot to cool off before making the final climb up to Ram Head. From here, it’s just a few minutes and you will be at the top of Ram Head.
The views at the top of Ram Head are some of the most spectacular on island. You can see a great deal of St. John’s south shore in one direction and several islands in the British Virgin Islands in the other direction. You can even see St. Croix to the south on a clear day.
Ram Head is also an integral part of St. John’s history.
“It has been speculated that this remote and inhospitable region provided a hideout for runaway slaves, called maroons, who lived here just before the slave rebellion in 1733,” according to seestjohn.com. “This was a time of severe drought on St. John. Food could not be easily grown and was in scarce supply. The biggest problem the maroons faced was finding fresh water. The underground springs had dried up along with the freshwater pools of the major guts. On Ram Head, however, the maroons could provide themselves with food and water. Water could be found stored in the cactus that proliferated on the peninsula and the sea around the point provided excellent fishing. Whelks could be picked along the rocky portions of the coast, and conch could be harvested on the grassy seabed of Salt Pond Bay.”
The site continues, “For these reasons, Ram Head is thought to have been a stronghold for the Akwamu tribesman who rebelled against slavery in 1733. When the tides of battle turned against the rebels, a group of warriors committed suicide here rather than face capture.”
How to Get to Ram Head
It’s best to take a rental car or an island tour out to this part of the island. The taxis will drive you to Salt Pond, but they do not routinely go past this area. This means that you may get a ride out, but you will most likely will not get a ride back unless you schedule it in advance with your driver. The cost of a taxi from Cruz Bay to Salt Pond is $30 for one person or $21 for two or more people. You can opt to pay the taxi to wait for you, which costs $1 per minute. The bus is another option, however I have heard countless stories from hikers who were left stranded after missing the bus.
Interested in seeing more of St. John? Please contact me to learn more about my island tours. I am a licensed tour guide with a five-star rating on TripAdvisor. Feel free to check out my website at ExploreSTJ.com or email me at jenn@explorestj.com.
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