Coppermine National Park

The newest national park in the British Virgin Islands, the Coppermine is a remote, windswept spot overlooking the rocky, rough north coast and the island’s airport. Legend has it that Spanish settlers first mined silver here in the mid-1500s, and that Indians may well have built mines here even earlier than that. The ruins you see today date back to 1838, when Cornish miners established a copper mining operation here. It had a short, unprofitable life and closed four years later. The mines were reopened in 1859 and were worked until 1867. Some preliminary preservation work has taken place here to stabilize the ruins, but there is little in the way of facilities. A parking lot, sign, and unofficial trail are all you can expect. But it is a dramatic setting, and well worth the trip. If you’re lucky, a plane will land at the airport while you are here, adding to the drama.