Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve, St. Croix

During his second voyage in 1493, Christopher Columbus landed on what is now the island of St. Croix, the first documented encounter between Europeans and Native Americans. Today, this historic landing site is protected in Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve, which also preserves the broader Salt River watershed and the pristine coral reef it nurtures offshore. In 2004, TPL helped add over 8 acres of virgin hardwood forest to the park and preserve, bringing to 120 acres the land TPL has conserved on St. Croix.