• Home
  • Round The World Trip
  • Hiking
    • John Muir Trail
    • West Coast Trail
    • New Zealand’s Great Walks
    • Waitukubuli National Trail
    • Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu
    • Torres del Paine W-Circuit
  • About
    • Map Of Places I Have Been
    • About Me
    • Contact Me

Kevin's Travel Blog

  • Home
  • Round The World Trip
  • Hiking
    • John Muir Trail
    • West Coast Trail
    • New Zealand’s Great Walks
    • Waitukubuli National Trail
    • Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu
    • Torres del Paine W-Circuit
  • About
    • Map Of Places I Have Been
    • About Me
    • Contact Me
January 1, 2013August 4, 2016

Waitukubuli National Trail Journal

Segment 14, Waitukubuli National Trail
Segment 14, Waitukubuli National Trail

A journal of my 18-day trip to Dominica, which included a 13-day through hike of the Waitukubuli National Trail.

DescriptionGiven
Distance
Actual
Distance
Difficulty
Planning
Packing List
Flying From Los Angeles To Dominica
Roseau
Scotts Head
Segment 1: Scotts Head to Soufriere7.0 km6.6 kmModerate
Segment 2: Soufriere To Bellevue Chopin10.8 km15.0 kmModerate
Segment 3: Bellevue Chopin to Wotten Waven14.9 km11.7 kmModerate
Segment 4: Wotten Waven to Pont Cassé11.7 km18.7 km (side trips)Hard
Segment 5: Pont Cassé to Castle Bruce12.8 km18.9 kmModerate
Segment 6: Castle Bruce to Hatton Garden15 km17.0 kmModerate
* Segment 7: Hatton Garden to First Camp12.6 km9.7 kmModerate
* Segment 8: First Camp to Petite Macoucherie10.0 km18.3 kmVery Hard
* Segment 9: Petite Macoucherie to Calihaut Heights9.8 km16.2 kmVery Hard
* Segment 10: Colihaut Heights to Syndicate6.4 km6.2 kmEasy
* Segment 11: Syndicate to Bornes10.0 km13.1 kmModerate
* Segment 12: Bornes to Pennville9.5 km13.0 kmModerate
* Segment 13: Pennville to Capuchin8.0 km7.0 kmEasy
* Segment 14: Capuchin to Cabrits10.8 km10.3 kmModerate
Totals149.3 km181.7 km
* Post Trip Thoughts and Advice For Future Hikers

* Coming soon

Segment 3, Waitukuli National Trail
Segment 3, Waitukuli National Trail
Posted in Travel, Hiking, Caribbean, Dominica, Waitukubuli National Trail
29 Comments
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest

Post navigation

   Time Lapse Video of Sand Art at Santa Monica
Flying From Los Angeles to Dominica   

You may also like

Western USA Road Trip: Zion National Park

Continue Reading
Looking back at Wheeler Peak

Western USA Road Trip: Great Basin National Park

Continue Reading

Comments (29)

  • Reed July 11, 2013 at 5:08 pm Reply

    Hi Kevin – I came across your journal and just want to know how it worked out – are all sections of the trail ‘complete’ now? I’m hoping to go back to Dominica to hike the WNT someday – hopefully soon! Please email me back and let me know! Thanks!

    Safe travels,

    Reed

    • Kevin July 25, 2013 at 7:17 pm

      Hi Reed. Sorry for the lack of updates on my blog. It’s been a super busy summer for me so far. I did finish the trail and it was very difficult. The trail is not really complete, if by complete you mean that bridges have been built for water crossings, ropes have been placed for steep slippery sections, etc. It was a frustrating hike for sure.

  • darlene March 31, 2014 at 2:41 pm Reply

    really starting to look forward to this trip!

  • Katie May 29, 2015 at 7:54 am Reply

    Hi Kevin, what was the most picturesque section in your opinion?

    • Kevin May 30, 2015 at 4:45 am

      Hi Katie. My favorites segments were 4, 12, 13, and 14.

  • Bojan July 27, 2015 at 10:35 am Reply

    Hi Kevin,

    I have a question about WNT. while on the trail, did you stay at people’s houses for a night and perhaps warm breakfast in morning before continuing the hike? Is it easy to find such B&B accommodations at local houses, have shower, and refresh that way? If so, how much would that cost?

    I am trying to find a partner for WNT hike and my friend would prefer B&B type of accommodations on the trail.

    Thanks in advance,
    Bojan

    • Kevin July 30, 2015 at 8:14 pm

      I didn’t find and use the WNT Research and Interpretation Facility at Pont Casse, but I believe they have a list of B&Bs and can help you make reservations. In the bigger towns is easier to find accommodation, but the smaller ones might not have anything available. They are just not used to seeing tourists.

  • Natalie November 13, 2015 at 2:05 pm Reply

    HI Kevin, your trail journal is very helpful (and entertaining! I want to camp in a zoo with rabbits!) and I was wondering if you still had plans to complete it? I am planning to hike the WNT next year so the more information I can get my hands on, the better!!!

    • Kevin December 13, 2015 at 1:38 pm

      Hi Natalie. Yes, I do have plans of completing my WNT journal, but not in the near future. Since I’m traveling at the moment, I don’t have much free time, and constantly have new experiences to write about.

  • eric January 8, 2016 at 12:44 am Reply

    Kevin,
    You are a treasure trove for information!
    I will go to dominic in a month and wish to do part of the trail. Do you have the gpx trace for the trail? We will have maps, but I always feel better when I have the trace in case of…
    Thanks in advance for your answer!
    Regards,
    Eric.

    • Kevin January 25, 2016 at 11:06 am

      Hi Eric. I sent you the gpx by email. I hope you find it useful.

    • eric gosseye January 27, 2016 at 4:18 am

      Hi Kevin,
      Thanks for taking some of your time to answer me. Unfortunatly, I did not receive your mail, even in the spam…:( Since it may be a typo in my message, i send it back here to you. Regards, Eric G.

    • Kevin February 4, 2016 at 9:44 am

      Hi Eric,
      You can download the file here:

      http://kevinstravelblog.com/files/wnt.gpx (right click and then ‘Save Link As’)

      You can also check out the gpx on google maps here:

      https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=zEmpQh19W2r8.k3Wp9FMYDyIU&usp=sharing

      Enjoy!

    • eric February 9, 2016 at 11:44 pm

      Thanks a lot for the gpx!
      Eric

  • Kyle Winters January 29, 2016 at 6:31 am Reply

    Hi Kevin,
    This post is great, thank you! I am looking to hike some of the WNT in March with my girlfriend. I will have 6 & 1/2 days on Dominica. Flying into Melville I was thinking about picking up the trail at section 7 and hiking to the end at section 14. Would love to hear your thoughts or any advice you have! Thanks, Kyle

    • Kevin February 4, 2016 at 10:21 am

      Hi Kyle, unless you are an expert hiker, I’d say that doing segments 7 to 14 in 6 days will be very very challenging. I also didn’t like segments 8 and 9 at all, as I found them long, dangerous, and not rewarding in terms of scenery. I’d instead do segments 3, 4, and 10 to 14. Let me know if you have any other questions!

    • Kyle February 4, 2016 at 1:26 pm

      Thanks Kevin! I’m now thinking I’ll start at section 11 in Syndicate and take that to the end and if there’s extra days left over I’ll go exploring around the island. It’s hard to find info on this trail (the official trail website is down). How is camping in those sections? I think I’d rather camp then pay for accommodations in town. I was also wondering about food and fuel? If I should bother bringing a camp stove(not sure what would be available on the island, butane, white gas, denatured alcohol, etc). Do the stores there have a decent supply of food to take backpacking? Or should/could I fly in with my own food?

      Thanks man!!

    • Kevin February 9, 2016 at 11:40 am

      Camping was almost non existent when I hiked. In that section you described, I remember there was camping at the start of Segment 14. That was it. Otherwise, the whole island is incredibly mountainous with almost no patches of flat land in the forest. Things might have changed. They might have build some camping spots, but I doubt it. I don’t remember seeing any camping fuel (but I wasn’t looking either since I didn’t bring a stove with me). And stores don’t have much backpacking food. I remember having a hard time finding anything. They only sell the basics for the local people. Mostly fresh or frozen stuff. Very few things that could last days in a backpack. I ended up eating mostly cookies the whole time. If you could bring your own stuff, especially dehydrated camping food, that’d be best.

    • Mary Flo Ouellette May 26, 2016 at 12:06 am

      Hi Kevin, regarding camping…I use a hammock tent (with tree protectors) so camping on uneven ground is not a problem. My question is if wild camping is allowed. Thanks so much!

    • Kevin June 4, 2016 at 9:46 am

      Hi Mary. It should be OK. I almost never encountered other people on the trail (tourists or locals), so even if it’s not allowed, I doubt they’d find out. I camped once next to a farm, and a couple of more times under small shelters (you can tie your hammock on them) without problems.

  • Kyle February 16, 2016 at 5:14 am Reply

    Thanks for all the great info. One more question for now, instead of trying to camp with a tent, do you think using a hammock in sections11-14 would be a possibility?

    Thanks.

    • Kevin March 11, 2016 at 11:07 am

      Not sure about places to hang a hammock. You should be able to find a place to camp around Portsmouth. I don’t remember seeing a campsite, but you should be able to ask the locals for permission to camp at their property. They are usually very friendly.

  • Kyle February 18, 2016 at 5:46 am Reply

    Also, sleeping bags or is it warm enough to get by with just a sheet?

    • Kevin March 11, 2016 at 11:10 am

      I used my sleeping bag but only as a blanket over me. I never had to zip it up. Although out is very hot during the day, it can get a bit chilly on some nights. A thin sheet might not be enough.

  • Kyle March 11, 2016 at 10:46 pm Reply

    Thanks for getting back to me! You have been very helpful. Flying down there on March 19th! Safe travels to you.

    • Kevin March 14, 2016 at 1:01 pm

      You are very welcome. Enjoy your time in Dominica!

  • Ben April 20, 2020 at 5:29 am Reply

    Hi Kevin,

    Thanks for posting about your trip. This is a great resource since there isn’t much out there on the specifics of hiking the trail (even seven years later!), which actually makes it all that much more enticing.

    A friend and I are planning on hiking the whole trail this November/December and are planning on spending about the same amount of time in Dominica as you did. We were originally planning on doing a mix of camping and staying at guest houses/hotels, but after reading your blog, it seems like there really isn’t much camping available. I know a lot may have changed since you hiked the trail, but in your experience, are there enough local accommodations reasonably spaced out to do the entire trail without camping? If so, we’re thinking about leaving the tent behind to lighten our load and move faster, but don’t want to be left out in the middle of the trail stuck with nowhere to sleep for the night.

    If anyone else who has posted on this thread has since completed the trail and has any insight, please weigh in!

    Thanks again!
    Ben

  • Helen March 5, 2022 at 5:00 pm Reply

    Hi Ben,

    Did you end up hiking the whole trail?
    It would be super helpful if you could post any info.

    Thank you.
    Helena

    • Kevin September 8, 2022 at 9:38 am

      Hi Helen. Yes I did, and it was very very hard. Unfortunately I never found the time to post the rest of the hike on here. I do have journal entries for each day I spent out there so hopefully one day I’ll find the time to post them here.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Follow Me

  • Instagram
  • Facebook

Subscribe


 

Categories

  • Travel (354)
    • Round The World Trip (242)
      • Pre-Trip (20)
    • Americas (176)
      • Argentina (24)
      • Bolivia (12)
      • Brazil (20)
      • Canada (12)
      • Chile (12)
      • Colombia (9)
      • Mexico (9)
      • Peru (21)
      • United States (71)
      • Uruguay (3)
      • Venezuela (8)
    • Africa (13)
      • Djibouti (2)
      • Eritrea (6)
      • Somalia (6)
    • Asia (46)
      • Cambodia (4)
      • China (1)
      • Hong Kong (1)
      • Japan (15)
      • Macau (1)
      • Malaysia (2)
      • Mongolia (1)
      • Myanmar (10)
      • Singapore (2)
      • Taiwan (8)
      • Thailand (4)
    • Caribbean (14)
      • Dominica (14)
    • Europe (1)
      • Russia (1)
    • Middle East (26)
      • Iran (13)
      • Jordan (1)
      • Kuwait (3)
      • Oman (7)
      • Qatar (3)
      • United Arab Emirates (4)
    • Oceania (50)
      • Australia (8)
      • New Zealand (42)
  • Hiking (149)
    • John Muir Trail (31)
    • West Coast Trail (10)
    • Olympic National Park (7)
    • Yosemite National Park (10)
    • Sequoia National Park (6)
    • Angeles National Forest (2)
    • Ansel Adams Wilderness (5)
    • Bryce Canyon National Park (1)
    • Chapada Diamantina (1)
    • Death Valley National Park (1)
    • King's Canyon National Park (8)
    • Mount Roraima (3)
    • New Zealand Great Walks (33)
    • Salkantay To Machu Picchu (9)
    • Torres del Paine (6)
    • Waitukubuli National Trail (11)
    • Zion National Park (2)
  • Motorcycle (12)
  • Photography (286)
  • Train Rides (14)
  • Life (15)
  • Other Stuff (2)

Archives

  • 2020 (2)
    • April (2)
  • 2019 (5)
    • July (2)
    • June (3)
  • 2018 (10)
    • May (2)
    • March (4)
    • February (1)
    • January (3)
  • 2017 (34)
    • December (1)
    • September (1)
    • May (1)
    • April (4)
    • March (12)
    • February (10)
    • January (5)
  • 2016 (47)
    • November (1)
    • October (4)
    • September (6)
    • August (4)
    • July (2)
    • May (2)
    • April (8)
    • March (11)
    • February (3)
    • January (6)
  • 2015 (75)
    • December (1)
    • October (6)
    • September (2)
    • August (5)
    • July (8)
    • June (7)
    • May (9)
    • April (13)
    • March (13)
    • February (6)
    • January (5)
  • 2014 (80)
    • December (2)
    • November (5)
    • October (6)
    • September (9)
    • August (7)
    • July (6)
    • June (10)
    • May (17)
    • April (5)
    • March (4)
    • February (4)
    • January (5)
  • 2013 (27)
    • December (4)
    • November (2)
    • October (6)
    • September (2)
    • June (1)
    • May (5)
    • April (3)
    • March (2)
    • January (2)
  • 2012 (14)
    • December (3)
    • November (5)
    • September (1)
    • August (2)
    • June (1)
    • March (1)
    • February (1)
  • 2011 (18)
    • December (1)
    • November (2)
    • October (2)
    • September (2)
    • August (1)
    • July (1)
    • May (1)
    • April (6)
    • March (1)
    • January (1)
  • 2010 (28)
    • December (4)
    • October (2)
    • September (1)
    • August (3)
    • July (7)
    • May (3)
    • April (2)
    • March (3)
    • January (3)
  • 2009 (22)
    • December (6)
    • November (3)
    • October (1)
    • September (5)
    • August (2)
    • July (2)
    • June (1)
    • March (1)
    • January (1)
  • 2008 (4)
    • November (2)
    • May (1)
    • March (1)
  • 2006 (4)
    • November (1)
    • February (1)
    • January (2)

kevinstravel

Run my first marathon on Sunday at @runsurfcityusa Run my first marathon on Sunday at @runsurfcityusa and got my goal time of 3:08 which qualifies me to run the Boston Marathon next year. My dream is to run all 6 of the World Marathon Majors, and Boston will be the first one on that list.
So happy to have found running which allows me to be competitive again after my bad knees forced me to stop playing football/soccer.
I dedicated this race to my friend @elvisalexander_ who is battling it out in the hospital. I hope he makes a full recovery soon.
After 18 weeks of training, ready for my first mar After 18 weeks of training, ready for my first marathon tomorrow #surfcitymarathon
San Marco Basilica in Venice #travel #italy 🇮🇹
Ponte Vecchio in Florence during sunset #travel #i Ponte Vecchio in Florence during sunset #travel #italy 🇮🇹
Load More... Follow Me on Instagram

996 Days Traveled
33 Countries Visited
290 Beds Slept In
79 Flights Taken
180 Buses Long Distance
93 Trains Long Distance
48 Boats Survived

© 2006-2020 Kevin's Travel Blog. All Rights Reserved.