St. John, USVI
Johnny Horn Trail

A walk through several levels of land and history.

13. Johnny Horn Trail

Length: 1.8 miles. Time: 2 hours, one way. Difficulty: 2. Trailhead: Begins at the end of the Leinster Bay Trail at Watermelon Bay.

The trail was named after Johan Horn, commandant on St. John during the 1733 slave rebellion. The hike ascends steeply to an upland dry forest and scrub, following the ridges southward to Emmanus Moravian Church at Coral Bay on the south shore.

Near the trailhead, a short spur leads to Watermelon Bay and provides the closest access to offshore Watermelon Cay.

Continuing on the main trail, in less than 100 yards you'll come to a second spur that veers to the left. This spur goes to the ruins of a Danish guardhouse at Leinster Point.

The guardhouse was intended to block slaves trying to escape to nearby Tortola in the BVI.

Climbing the main trail, you'll ascend a hill where the trail forks. The Johnny Horn proceeds to the right. The left spur leads to the Windy Hill estate ruins about a hundred yards down the trail.

It later became a popular boarding house but was destroyed during the hurricane of 1916.

Continuing on the last leg of the Johnny Horn trail, you'll cross a gut and then climb a 400-foot hill with a good view of picturesque Coral Bay Harbor.

Descend to Emmaus Moravian Church, one of the oldest sites on the island.

The first church here was built in 1782 but it was destroyed 3 times. The last one, which has thick concrete walls that should withstand almost anything, is from 1919.

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