The Best Of Chaguaramas National Park 2.

Initially I wanted to label this trail as “easy” but I have to label it as “moderate” because of the last two legs of this 4 trail escapade. This is not because they are difficult. Rather, it is because they both contain intense uphill climbs done when your legs are beginning to get tired and long periods of exposure to direct sunshine and extreme humidex values. I started this trek along the Western Main Road at 10.68772°N & -61.61223°W. I proceeded along the Western Main Road until the road ends at the beginning of the Trinidad & Tobago Defence Force Base in Chaguaramas at 10.68012°N & -61.65209°W. This leg is interesting because of its aesthetic beauty. From there we return to the start of the hiking leg at the trailhead to the Historic Lumber Lane Trail...
During the Second World War the entire Chaguaramas Peninsula on the island of Trinidad was used as a United States Armed Forces Base. It was during this time that well over 1 million gallons of fuel was stored in underground tanks throughout various locations on the peninsula. The Historic Lumber Lane Trail leads past one such fuel storage facility. The trailhead to the Lumber Lane Historical Trail is located at 10.69106°N & -61.60995°W. This trail is very easy and very clearly marked. There is an initial very short uphill trek that continues as a walk along the ridge. All along the trail you would encounter various “control values” that were used when the underground fuel storage facility was fully operational. In fact, in some places I reckon that you are still able to smell the fuel. Be aware that there is an outrageous amount of mosquitoes along this trail. I find "Off!" works best. The Chaguaramas Development Authority has done a lovely job at maintaining this trail (as they have with all the other trails that make up the Chaguaramas National Park) and they even have most of the trees labeled with both their local and scientific names. There is a lovely picnic area that has concrete benches and a very good view of Williams Bay, the Gulf of Paria, and the Five Islands at 10.69113°N & -61.61065°W. On a clear day from this vantage point you are almost certain to get a good view of the rest of the Western coastline of Trinidad well beyond San Fernando. The trail exits back out to the Macqueripe Mail Road at 10.69376°N & -61.61198°W. From here you follow the Macqueripe Mail Road to the Edith Falls Golf Course Road at 10.71354°N & -61.60945°W. This area is also quite picturesque and full of wildlife. You will most certainly encounter lots of different bird species and howler monkeys along here. It makes for a lot of very good pictures. The Edith Falls trail starts just beyond the Golf Course at 10.72584°N & -61.62058°W. This trail is very easy, clean, clearly marked and straightforward. There are quite a lot of mosquitoes along this trail as well so be aware and take the necessary precautions. Edith Falls is a "spray type" waterfall and flows only in the “rainy season” that runs from late June to about the end of December or so. There is still a very small flow in the “dry season.” The falls is located at 10.72056°W & -61.62835°W. Be attentive along this trail and you might be able to catch glimpses of the Red Howler Monkey (Alouatta Alouattinae), the Blue-crowned Motmot (Momotus momota), the Channel-billed Toucan (Ramphastos vitellinus), the Violaceous Trogon (Trogon violaceus), and dozens of other bird species...
The next leg of the trek goes toward the Course Stewards & Caddy Shack for the Edith Falls Golf Course. This is located a few meters up the road from the Edith Falls trailhead. Just behind the caddy shack is the trailhead for the Edith Falls to Macqueripe Bay Hiking Trail. This is located at 10.7278°N & -61.62178°W. This trail is very well marked and maintained by the Chaguaramas Development Authority. They rank this approximately 2.3 km trek as “moderate.” I suspect that this is so because of the steep uphill trek that it involves in either direction. There is a small currently dried out driver crossing at 10.72844°N & -61.62191°W. Following along the trail there is a second currently dried out driver crossing at 10.73264°N & -61.62362°W. Along this section of the trail there is a lek of the White-bearded Manakin (Manacus manacus). It is thought that the island of Trinidad contains the largest breeding colonies of this bird anywhere. At 10.73309°N & -61.62426°W there is a fork on the trail. You want to go into the dried out riverbed to get to the main trail on the other side. In the rainy season this would involve a river trek of just about 25 feet or so. There is a somewhat defined trail venturing left. This is not the trail that you want to take to get to Macqueripe Bay. From just about 10.73381°N & -61.62417°W the uphill trek begins. You would encounter more of the White-bearded Manakin (Manacus manacus) along here. The uphill trek ends at 10.73493°N & -61.62572°W. There’s a beautiful cliff-edge view of the ocean here along with a couple of the North coast islands with nesting seabirds. There is a great view of Macqueripe Bay at 10.7359°N & -61.62455W. You’d be perched approximately 83 metres on the cliff-side facing Macqueripe Bay. Further along the trail you’d encounter a stick barrier on the cliff-side at 10.73619°N & -61.62129°W. This area presents the best views of Macqueripe Bay that this trail has to offer. From here the trail descends to the car park at Macqueripe Bay. The trail passes just below the newly installed zip-lines at Macqueripe Bay and exits at 10.73834°N & -61.61828°W. It is worth spending a few minutes at Macqueripe Bay at enjoy the scenery and do a bit of photography...
Upon leaving Macqueripe Bay head south along the Macqueripe Mail Road until Radio Tower Road at 10.73287°N & -61.61534°W. This road leads to the Bamboo Cathedral at 10.73699°N & -61.61343°W. From here there is a long uphill walk with little canopy cover up to the North Coast Trail and the old Tracking Station. The road forks at 10.74274°N & -61.61026°W proceed straight on. Look for Red Howler Monkey (Alouatta Alouattinae) along here. There are also dozens of different bird species that populate this area. The old Tracking Station complex is located at 10.74209°N & -61.60755°W. Explore the grounds of this place. Just be aware of the volume of wasps that now populate the interior of the structures. ..
Follow Radio Tower Road back down and turn left at the Macquerpie Mail Road. This trek leads back to the Western Main Road. Along the way you would go past Samaan Park. This is worth exploring because there are two trails hidden at the rear of the park. One leads to the Huggins Ruins and the other climbs the Blue Range Mountains and goes into Patna Village in Diego Martin. Further along the Macqueripe Mail Road you would encounter Mt. Pleasant Village. Mt. Pleasant Village was a slave settlement after emancipation. This village is a National Historical Site and contains the ruins of St. Chad’s Church and the tomb of Amelia Tripp.
Happy Trails.