Camping in St. Croix

Out on the west end, where few tourists stay, Mount Victory Camp (Creque Dam Rd., Frederiksted340/201–7983 www.mtvictorycamp.com) offers a remarkable quietude that distinguishes this out-of-the-way spread on eight acres in the island's rain forest. If you really want to commune with nature, you'll be hard-pressed to find a better way to do it on St. Croix. Hosts Matt and Carmen are on hand to explain the environment. You sleep in a screened-in tent-cottage ($90–$110) perched on a raised platform and covered by a roof. Each has electricity and a rudimentary outdoor kitchen. There are also some bare tent sites for $25 per night. The shared, spotlessly clean bathhouse is an easy stroll away. The location feels remote, but a lovely sand beach is a 2-mile (3-km) drive down the hill. In another 10 minutes you're in Frederiksted. Reservations are preferred.