Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge (V.I.)

Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge is a wildlife refuge for threatened and endangered species, with particular emphasis on the leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea), located on the southwest corner of Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. Its two miles (3 km) of sandy beaches are ideal for nesting leatherbacks. The National Wildlife Refuge is open to the public for limited hours on Saturdays and Sundays. The Aklis Archeological Site, a prehistoric shell midden on the coast, is in the refuge. The 4-acre (1.6 ha) site dates back to the year 400 and show evidence of human occupation for over 200 years, and has yielded a wide variety of artifacts, including pottery and stone tool fragments, and human remains. The site is subject to gradual erosion. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. The last scene of the 1994 film The Shawshank Redemption was filmed in the refuge. Sandy Point NWR is administered as part of the Caribbean Islands National Wildlife complex.