Cabrits National Park

The Cabrits National Park was established in 1986 and occupies 1,313 acres of tropical forest, wetlands, and coral reefs. Located at the north side of Portsmouth, the Cabrits National Park is a peninsula that used to be an island that grew from an extinct volcano.

The peninsula aspect of the former island was made possible by the interaction of solids swept in from both Douglas Bay to the north and Prince Rupert Bay to the south.

The famous Waitukubuli National Trail started from Scotts Head village and ended at the Cabrits Park, and Segment 14 of the trail originates from Capuchin village and terminates at Cabrits as well.

Apart from the hiking trails, the park encloses the Fort Shirley garrison. Fort Shirley was a former military outpost set up by the British and later extended by the French to defend the north of Dominica.

The outpost has more than 50 buildings and accommodated over 600 soldiers. But it was abandoned in 1854 and it fell into disrepair, but Dr. Lennox Honychurch tried to restore many of the buildings and facilities in 1982.

Cabrits National Park got its name “Cabrits” from the Spanish, French and Portuguese word for “goat”. The earliest sailors to the island introduced goats to the peninsula so that there will be an abundance of meat at their return.