Rio Seco Waterfall Trail.
near Salybia, Sangre Grande (Republic of Trinidad and Tobago)
Viewed 6666 times, downloaded 70 times
Trail photos
Itinerary description
The Matura National Park, located in the North Eastern Peninsula of Trinidad, encompases the Matura and St. David Forest Reserves and covers an estimated 9,000 hectares. Matura National Park possesses some of the most scenic rivers, waterfalls and terrain in Trinidad. The beauty of the area attracts hikers, bird watchers and eco-tourists. The three watersheds of the park produce some of the highest quality of water in the country. Matura National Park is considered to be one of the most pristine forested areas in Trinidad, housing the largest intact Mora forest in the country. This is a statuesque, evergreen forest with trees reaching heights of 40 meters. It is unique because it is dominated by one species, the Mora (Mora excelsa), unlike most rainforest that possess hundreds of tree species. The forest of Matura are believed to be 30,000 years old. Despite low tree diversity in the Mora forest, there is considerable plant diversity in the Matura National Park. This includes rare and endangered orchids, like the Oncidium citrinum, which is yet to be given a common name. There is also a great variety of animal species. Notably, it is the main habitat for the endemic and critically endangered Pawi/Trinidad Piping Guan (Pipile pipile). Several other threatened species can be found in the park including the Ocelot (Leopardus pardalis), Red Howler Monkey (Alouatta seniculus), Yellow-crowned Parrot (Amazona ochrocephala), Bearded Bell Bird (Procnias averano), the Chestnut-bellied Seed Finch (Oryzoborus angolensis) "Bullfinch" and the Grey Seedeater (Sporophila intermedia) "Picoplat". Its rivers are also home to relict south american fish species. Matura National Park is also known for its wild game species, such as the Red Brocket Deer (Mazama americana), the lowland paca (Cuniculus paca) "Lappe", Armadillo (Tolypeutes) "Tattoo" , Golden Tegu (Tupinambis teguixin) "Matte" , Tayre , Green Iguana (Iguana iguana) and the Wild Boar (Sus scrofa) "Wild Hog". However, many of these are becoming threatened due to overhunting and other unsustainable practices. Due to these many unique and interesting features, Matura was designated as an ESA (Environmentally Sensitive Area) and National Park...
This hike is very easy and if you do it you should consider an early morning start. This gives time to absorb all the wildlife as well as ample time for photography. You have the option to drive right up to the trailhead but some portions of the road might require a vehicle with off-road capability I've always found it more enjoyable to hike from the Toco Main Road to the trailhead. This however, lengthens the trek somewhat, involves some direct sun exposure, and a small gradient to get onto the main ridge. Lots of sunscreen, water, electrolytes, a light snack, and bug spray helps...
Happy Trails.
This hike is very easy and if you do it you should consider an early morning start. This gives time to absorb all the wildlife as well as ample time for photography. You have the option to drive right up to the trailhead but some portions of the road might require a vehicle with off-road capability I've always found it more enjoyable to hike from the Toco Main Road to the trailhead. This however, lengthens the trek somewhat, involves some direct sun exposure, and a small gradient to get onto the main ridge. Lots of sunscreen, water, electrolytes, a light snack, and bug spray helps...
Happy Trails.
Comments (1)
You can add a comment or review this trail
I have followed this trail View more
Information
Easy to follow
Scenery
Easy
Lovely trail... Very scenic, green, and clean... The pool was exceptional... Very easy hike.... Just a bit longer than I expected...