pink pidgeon.
The area possesses high scenic value and
is one of the few places in
Mauritius where people can enjoy nature
and learn about the natural environment.
Enclosing an area of 6,574 hectares, the
National Park
is situated in the south-west of the island, at the very heart
of the
Plaine Champagne and the Black River Gorges.
The area contains the only contiguous native forest areas of the
island, which are the home of many endangered species of plants
and birds, including the Mauritius Kestrel
and the pink pidgeon.
The area possesses high scenic value and
is one of the few places in
Mauritius where people can enjoy nature
and learn about the natural environment.
There is a visitor information centre with picnic facilities. A boardwalk provides access to the typical dwarf forest of the region and a fenced conversation management area, from which invasive non-native plants have been removed, protects a sample of the remaining heathland. From here visitors can walk to Maccabee forest (7 km return) or down through the Gorges to Black River (15 km). From the road across Plaine Champagne towards Chamarel there is easy access to viewpoints at Alexandra Falls, over Bel Ombre and over the spectacular Black River Gorges. There are also a number of longer walking trails, including one to the island's highest point, Black River Peak (828 m.) Free brochure are available: At the National Parks and Conversation Service, Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Reduit. Road access into the Black River Gorges from the coast road has been upgraded and a visitor Centre and camping area has been developed.
