A visit to the Morne Trois Pitons National Park, an extraordinary rain forest 16 mi/26 km southeast of Portsmouth and 3 mi/5 km east of Roseau, is the highlight of any visit to Dominica. The park occupies 17,000 acres/6,900 hectares in the southern part of the island and includes waterfalls, wild orchids, calm lakes, swift-moving rivers and giant ferns that can reach 30 ft/9 m in height. Because of the diversity of its natural treasures, the park is designated a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Morne Trois Pitons is a mountain with three peaks, the highest of which measures 4,550 ft/1,356 m. A hiking trail leads to the summit, which is usually covered by clouds.
The park has three impressive waterfalls. Middleham Falls is the island's tallest (250 ft/76 m), and it takes about two hours to hike to the falls and return.
Trafalgar Falls are easier to reach and more popular, with a beautiful double cascade. You can get to Trafalgar by taking a 15-minute taxi or a public minivan ride from Roseau and then another 10- or 15-minute walk from the parking lot near the Papillote Wilderness Retreat. A hydroelectric dam has eliminated some of the middle-of-nowhere feeling, but the falls are still spectacular. The cascades reveal themselves one by one, and by the end of the trail, you're on a platform over a rushing river. You can walk down to the bottom of the falls, but the path is rocky and can be treacherous.
The third waterfall is the Emerald Pool which is located on the northern side of Morne Trois Pitons. From the visitor center, there is an easy walk of about 20 minutes through the rain forest to this delightful waterfall and crystal clear pool.
Inexperienced hikers may wish to engage a guide to the Middleham Falls, but generally the falls are signposted well. You don't need a guide for the other two.
Another attraction in the park is the Boiling Lake, a bubbling, opaque, flooded fumarole—the second largest of its kind in the world. At a temperature of 197 F/92 C, it's not a place for swimming, and it smells like rotten eggs. Steer clear of the edge, which drops some 40 ft/12 m to the lake.
The hike to Boiling Lake through the Valley of Desolation—think lunar landscape—can last three hours or more each way. The trail is extremely challenging and even treacherous in places, especially if it's raining: Go with an experienced local guide. The hike begins south of the village of Laudat near the TiTou Gorge. The gorge is a narrow river that runs through several miles of rock fissure. You can swim up the first part—just five minutes or so—to a small waterfall. It is extremely dramatic—perhaps one of the reasons it was used as a location in the Pirates of the Caribbean movie.
Two other hikes, easier than the trip to Boiling Lake but requiring some significant stamina, lead to Freshwater Lake and Boeri Lake, both crater lakes. These hikes also begin near the village of Laudat and go about 2,800 ft/850 m up Morne Micotrin. The mountain views and the bird-watching are spectacular.
You can drive all the way to Freshwater Lake, the island's largest lake, and then hike the loop trail all the way around it. Some claim that a beguiling mermaid lives in the waters. An hour beyond it, on a steeper and narrower trail, lies Boeri Lake, also in a magnificent setting with wonderful views. The weather is cooler at this altitude (3,000 ft/915 m), and the vegetation is a combination of rain forest and cloud forest, with lichen-covered tree ferns and bromeliads.
Both trails are clear and well-signposted so you do not need a guide. Finish up with a hot drink and a local lunch at the Freshwater Lake visitor center.
You will need two or three days to see the main attractions within the park, including the Boiling Lake. There are more than five volcanoes to see, so more time will be needed if you plan to see adventure farther afield, for which you would definitely need a guide.
There is a fee to visit each of the attractions within the park. A discounted pass that's good for an entire week is available—it is a good value if you plan to spend more than one day in the park.
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