Morne Diablotin National Park, National park in northern Dominica
Morne Diablotin National Park covers 3,335.3 hectares, about 4.4% of Dominica, in the island's northern mountains. It is crowned by Morne Diablotins, at 1,447 metres the highest point in Dominica and the second highest in the Lesser Antilles. The massif was formed by lava and ash flows thousands of years ago, making it one of the island's oldest volcanic ranges.
The park was created in January 2000 under Dominica's National Parks Act of 1975, combining the former Northern Forest Reserve, the Syndicate Parrot Preserve and two inholdings, with the Rare Species Conservation Foundation, to protect the Sisserou and Jaco parrots. In the 18th century the land held at least six encampments of escaped slaves, and Dr John Imray made the first recorded measurement of Morne Diablotin in 1867.
The mountain's name comes from the French word for the black-capped petrel, a seabird once so numerous here that it gave the peak its label; hunted almost to extinction, it is now rarely seen. The park also shelters the Sisserou and Jaco parrots, both endemic to Dominica, and the blue-headed hummingbird.
The park is best explored via the Syndicate Nature Trail, which offers multiple viewpoints for watching birds and observing forest life. Sturdy footwear is necessary as the terrain becomes steeper and muddier at higher elevations.
Morne Diablotin peak is the second-highest mountain in the entire Lesser Antilles chain of islands. This geological distinction makes the park a notable destination for hikers interested in the region's varied mountain landscape.
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