Covering over 67 square kilometres, the Black River Gorges is the largest national park in Mauritius and a great place for hiking.

It has a highly valued habitat mix - dry forests with monumental trees in the valleys along the river, swampy heaths filling the middle passages and humid tropical forests in the upland areas.

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In addition to hiking right in the heart of the national park, be sure to stop at one of the most magical viewpoints in Mauritius - Gorges Viewpoint.

Over 60 km of hiking trails

Head to the Black River Gorges mainly for walks and hikes.

There is an extremely wide range of trails to choose from, from short and very relaxing flat trails along the river that take less than 45 minutes to full day hikes across the entire national park.

The signage here is very clear and well maintained.

Black River Gorges NP has two main sections:

• Lower Gorge near the main information center.
  • Lots of easy trails through the valley along the river and through the sparse dry forests.

• The upper section at Petrin Hill.
  • Less traveled trails with views and through dense vegetation

Map of official trails

Although the official website lists all the trails, a clear map is missing: npcs.govmu.org.

We have compiled our overview map of all the hiking trails in Black River Gorges NP.

Our pick of the best trails

These are the trails we liked best.

• Machabee Loop (8 miles) - The trail in the upper part of the park from Petrin Hill is half on a comfortable, busy road and half on a narrow, steep path through dense vegetation where not many hikers go. You'll be rewarded with a spectacular view at the little-known Cascade Mar aux Jonx waterfall.
• Gollum Trail (14 km round trip in total) - a challenging steep trek through dense forest where the trail often gets lost, but you will be rewarded with unspoiled nature, beautiful views and a route along a photogenic river.
• Walk near the visitor centre - if you're not planning a big hike, drive to the lower part of the national park to the visitor centre and walk through the wooded valley on a relaxing flat path along the wide river.

Recommendation: don't underestimate mosquito and insect repellent! I can confirm from personal experience that you will find it useful in all parts of the park.

Entrance fees and opening hours

The trails are open every day from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm.

Admission to the national park is free.

How to get there

Both parts of Black River Gorges National Park can only be reached by car or taxi (not recommended due to high prices), or with organized tours that you can compare through getyourguide.com.

• The lower part - a new asphalt road leads from the village of Grande Riviere Norte, where it connects to the main ring road. The turn-off is clearly signposted
• Upper part (Petrin) - the edge of the national park lies right at the junction that leads to the giant Hindu complex of Grand Bassin

Parking at both locations is free.

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