Hike St. Lucia – Mount Gimie Trail Description & Local Hiking Guides
Overview of hiking St. Lucia’s Mount Gimie trail:
- Time required: 5 – 7 hours
- Degree of Difficulty: 7 out of 10
- Elevation: 3,117 feet [950 meters] (Actual hiking vertical is approximately 1,970 feet [600m], as the trail starts somewhere around 1,150 feet [350 meters]), although there are a few ups and downs as well…
- Distance: Approximately 5-6 miles (8-10km) round trip
- Guide Required: YES. The trail is not well-marked and more importantly the Saint Lucian government has mandated the use of ‘licensed’ guides to accompany visitors when hiking in Saint Lucia forest reserves.
The Mount Gimie hike typically starts from the main road in the town of Migny. Alternatively, you can drive up the rough secondary road, which is an option if you have nerves of steel and a vehicle with decent ground clearance. If you do drive part way up the trail / road, you can reduce the total hike time by about an hour – But what’s the rush?
Although this is a rough road, with a steady / gradual uphill climb, it is a nice walk. This part of the trail has some nice views of nearby valleys, as well as a few grapefruit and tangerine trees on the side of the road along the way. For the next hour or so your local guide will take you through some dense rainforest, going down into a valley and crossing a small river, before climbing the mountain itself. At that point, it’s pretty much uphill at a steeper incline, for another hour or so until you get to the top. There are many photo opportunities along the way, including some amazing rain-forest plants as well as some clear, and very unique, views of the Pitons.
This is a wild St. Lucia hike, with your guide clearing parts of the trail with his machete along the way. The trail has plenty of up and downs and twists and turns, along with some very interesting footing. Actually, there are a few short distances of vertical where you climb (some up, some down) with your hands using tree roots as a natural ladder. The trail is full of amazing flora (plant life), some of which are used in traditional herbal medicines, and some of which just look really cool. Your guide will likely point out and explain both plants and birds of interest encountered along the trail.
From the top of Mount Gimie you can clearly see the East and South coastlines, including Vieux Fort and the Maria Islands. Looking to the north across the island, you will get an appreciation for the rugged terrain of St. Lucia. As you’ll be inland and in a rain-forest, it’s common for the top of the mountain to be enveloped in clouds, hopefully you’ll luck out long enough to absorb the spectacular view – Your reward for making it to the top!
If you’re making good time, once you descend the mountain and head back through the valley, your guide may take a little detour and follow the river upstream to a small waterfall and pool. Get wet, cool off and enjoy the break. Your over-heating feet will appreciate the soothing cool water!
This trail is likely not used more than a couple of times a week, so you probably won’t encounter anyone other than your party on this Saint Lucia hike.
In summary – St. Lucia’s Mount Gimie trail hike really has it all. It’s not too long or too steep for too long, has a number of near vertical sections to spice things up a bit, is filled with amazing plant life and a waterfall, along with some spectacular views… Watch out for the razor grass, especially during the last steep sections and on the peak, this stuff easily gives you large ‘paper cut’ like wounds.
Tip: When crossing or walking up small/shallow rivers, just get your feet wet and walk on the river bottom. Trying to keep your shoes dry by jumping from rock to rock will likely end up with a fall or two.
For a more colourful review, check out our personal St. Lucia hiking experience with our Mount Gimie Trail Blog Post
For a guide / tour to hike Saint Lucia’s Mount Gimie, these local Tour Operators will take good care of you (Click on a Tour Operator name below for more details):
- Exciting Tours St. Lucia
- More coming soon…?
If you have your own transportation and are comfortable driving on the island, you could also contact the St. Lucia Forestry Department directly to arrange for a hiking guide to meet you near the Mount Gimie Trail-head.
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