Hike Dominica – Boiling Lake Trail Description & Local Hiking Guides
Overview of hiking Dominica Boiling Lake and the Valley of Desolation:
- Time required: 6-8 hours round trip
- Degree of Difficulty: 9 out of 10
- Height: Just over 3,100 feet (950 meters) at the highest point. Actual vertical hiked was well over 5,000 feet (1500m), as the trail-head began around 1,650 feet (500m) above sea level and the trail traveled up & down a few mountain ridges along the way…
- Distance: Just over 8 miles (13km) round trip, although it seemed much longer
- Guide Required: YES – Although you could probably find the trail-head yourself and most of the trail is well marked, having a guide eases your mind that you are in fact on the right path. In some sections you hike down rocky gorges / gullies and the guide will take you directly to where the trail picks up again in the rain-forest.
The Boiling Lake and Valley of Desolation trail is the iconic Dominica hike. We met our guide in the town of Laudat and drove a short distance to a parking lot near the Titou Gorge attraction. We got to the actual trail-head by crossing a narrow pedestrian bridge overlooking the river that feeds the gorge.
This Dominica hike starts off in the shadow of Morne Macaque, which is just over 3,770 feet (1150m) tall. For the first hour or so, the trail allows for a leisurely walk through the lush rain-forest on a natural rocky trail combined with sections of wooden stairs. A sign, “You are now entering the Morne Trois Pitons National Park” eventually announces our actual entry to the park. This next part of the trail had a gradual incline to it and was muddy in spots, before it descending steeply down to the Trois Piton river. Along the way, our guide identified the various tree and plant species we encountered. A great start to the hike!
After the river crossing, the trail gets steeper and our guide informed us that we would soon be entering the Montane (or Cloud) forest section of the hike. For the next hour or so, we crossed all sorts of different and beautiful terrain, mostly on natural paths, although some of the really steep sections had wooden stairs built into the sides of the mountain.
We stopped at a couple of clearings that have great views of Caribbean sea and took pictures of Roseau and the Western coastline. Eventually we came to the top of Morne Nicholls, which is approximately 3100 feet (950m) above sea level. There was a fairly large flat area on top, where we had a snack and took in the magnificent views of the southern half of the island’s mountainous terrain. We also got a glimpse of the steam coming from Boiling lake in the not too far distance – across a valley or two.
From there we traveled down some fairly steep gorge sections that reminded me of dried out river beds, between the mountains. There were also sections of really muddy wooden stairs in some near vertical areas. It took us probably 20-30 minutes to reach the aptly named “Valley of Desolation”… At that point, I felt like I was on another planet – It was totally surreal.
In a sharp contrast to the hike to reach this area, this landscape was barren, with no vegetation. The ground was rocky and an eerie grey colour, dotted with blues and greens, along with patches of orange-yellow-gold. Water was bubbling out of the ground everywhere. We were on part of the active volcano where the rust colours of the water and rocks are due to the high mineral content, specifically yellow sulfur crystals. The nasty smell of sulfur was in the air, however it was constantly being blown away by the ever-present gusts of wind. We had to be careful of what we touched, as some of the water was actually boiling out of the ground – Our guide told us stories of how some tourists bring eggs here to boil and eat. We found a stream that was not too hot, and our guide dug into the bed and pulled up handfuls of warm grey mud that we then applied to our faces – A Caribbean mud mask of sorts.
Lesson learned – Next time I’m Caribbean hiking near an active volcano or mineral / sulfur spring, I’m going to wear old clothes as the mineral and crystal deposits in the air and on the ground seem to find a way onto your clothing – and it’s impossible to get out later.
At that point, we could barely contain our anticipation… We have been hiking for some time and needed to reach the final destination of the Dominica hike – the Boiling Lake. After walking past a small waterfall and crossing another river, it was another 20 minutes or so of down and up and up and down rocky trails before we reached the flat plateau which overlooks the lake.
This again didn’t seem real – It was ‘unworldly’ seeing a tall thin waterfall dropping into a 200 foot (60m) wide pool of grey water which was literally boiling in the centre. With steam rising off the surface of the water everywhere it looked like the world’s largest outdoor sauna.
Our guide informed us that we were not in the volcano’s crater and the waterfall wasn’t feeding the lake, but rather this was actually a flooded ‘fumerole’. The pool was being fed by a couple of streams, whose water seeps down through cracks in the ground where it meets volcanic lava which boils the water forcing it back up to the surface, where it continues to boil and evaporate. Apparently there have been dry years where there was no pool of water at all, just a geyser spewing hot water high into the air! We ate our lunch and rested a bit, trying to soak in what we were seeing, before heading back down the same way we came.
I gotta tell you, this Dominica hike “started to get old” when we reached the final 30-45 minutes of the trail, especially when we were descending long sections of wooden stairs. It’s interesting how that same section of trail at the beginning of the hike was so enjoyable, yet when we were descending it it, it was hell. We never thought it would end – It seemed to go on forever! The problem was that the repetitive downward movement on our sore and tired legs were now taking their toll. My legs were shaky and my hiking partner’s knees were aching.
That said, we were in for a treat at the end of the hike a few minutes later when we reached Titou Gorge. We took off our hiking shoes and socks and waded into the refreshing shallow pool to cool our burning feet – very soothing, and revitalizing!
During our full day hike, we came across 3 other small groups – That’s it. This is a popular hike, although its reputation for being strenuous keeps most tourists away.
In summary, Dominica’s Boiling Lake hike was truly ‘epic’ – A ‘bucket list’ item for hikers for sure! It was a long leisurely paced 7 hour hike for us, and thanks to the varied terrain, most of the time we were filled with awe at the rugged and natural beauty of the park. Sometimes we were hiking on ridges, sometimes between them in gorges, ruts and valleys… We walked and climbed through lush rain-forest, on barren rocky dried out sections, skirted craters, crossed rivers, and experienced hot mineral springs and mud pools. Of course, seeing a “boiling lake” was a once in a lifetime experience!
* Please note that the information provided on this page is based on 2017 conditions prior to Hurricane Maria – The trail may have changed as the island recovered *
For a guide / tour to experience Dominica hiking on the Boiling Lake Trail, these local Tour Operators will take good care of you (Click on a Tour Operator name below for more details):
- E Voyage Hiking
- Cool Breeze Tours (coolbreezetours9@yahoo.com)
- Dylan Williams (dylan_williams_14@hotmail.com)
- Derick Joseph (d_eklipse@hotmail.com)
- More Coming Soon…
For a more colourful review, check out our personal Dominica hiking experience with our Boiling Lake Blog Post
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