Into The Hills: A Hike To Hermitage Dam

Some gems are hidden in your own backyard! I first visited the Hermitage Dam in 2016 after I took a wrong trail to the Falling Edge Falls. Eight years later, my return visit was intentional. The Hermitage Dam and Reservoir is a concrete gravity dam on the Wag Water River located in Hermitage, a small district of Stony Hill in the St. Andrew parish. The Hermitage Dam is owned by the National Water Commission of Jamaica, and was built in 1924 then commissioned in 1927 with the sole purpose of providing municipal water to the Kingston & St. Andrew parishes. Unlike the Mona Reservoir, Kingston Metropolitan Area’s larger source of municipal water, Hermitage is not designed nor promoted for recreational use but I hope that’ll change one day as the surrounding area is quite beautiful and holds much potential.

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Where Is The Hermitage Dam?

The Hermitage Dam is located in Hermitage at the end of the Hermitage Dam Road in rural Stony Hill. It can also be approached from the community of Bowden Hill from the Bowden Hill Primary & Junior High if you take a right trail instead of the left one which takes you to the majestic Falling Edge Falls. Both trails are well used but the area gets a lot of rainfall so come prepared for loads of mosquitoes and mud. A tiny footbridge over the reservoir connects the rural districts of Hermitage and Bowden Hill. Also, at 427m (1400ft) above sea level, the dam is shrouded by a dreamy mist in the early mornings and late evenings, adding to its beauty. This time, I approached from the Hermitage Dam Road and enjoyed how quickly the surroundings changed from suburb to rural. Given the thick tree cover, Hermitage Dam Road seemingly disappears on Google Maps but it’s a well marked dirt road all the way to the dam.

The Hermitage Dam is 142 feet high, 465 feet wide and is capable of storing 430,000,000 gallons of water. I was amazed at how still and peaceful the area was; seeing mist at 8am in Jamaica is definitely an unusual sight but these mountains have their own clock and ecosystem. Besides ourselves and the ubiquitous mosquitoes, the only other moving creatures we spotted were several birds which didn’t stay still long enough to be photographed. A 2019 Rehabilitation Study of the Hermitage Dam revealed that the area is home to:

• 64 bird species (42 resident, 17 endemic and 5 migrant species). This includes 22 species of wetland birds including the Brown Pelican, Great Blue Heron, Common Moorhen and the Belted Kingfisher.
• 10 butterfly species including the Great Antillean White, the West Indian Buckeye and the endemic Jamaican Mestra.
• A total of 90 species of plants representing 50 families were identified around the reservoir. This includes 50 trees, 23 shrubs, 9 vines, 3 herbs, 3 grasses and 2 orchids– several of which are endemic.

Recreational Potential of Hermitage

The Kingston Metropolitan Area holds over one third of Jamaica’s population and are supplied by two reservoirs: the Mona Reservoir and Hermitage. The Mona Reservoir has been developed by the Jamaican National Water Commission into a recreational spot for runners with a hard dirt path that loops around the reservoir for 2.6 km, and provides breathtaking views of Kingston city with the Blue Mountains as backdrop. At the time of writing, the Hermitage Dam has not yet undergone such development but I hope its recreational potential gets recognized one day.

Globally, reservoirs are used for so much more than supplying municipal water. I’d love to see Hermitage developed into a site for walks, hikes, jogs, birdwatching and maybe even watersports like fishing and kayaking, who knows. Of course, this would require investment in infrastructure and hiring staff such as security guards and lifeguards to prevent any harm to patrons or compromise on water quality. One could argue that it’s not worth the trouble, but I believe Kingstonians need more accessible green spaces and perhaps Hermitage could fill that niche. After all, the regional impact zone of the Hermitage Dam is home to some 26,400 people spanning 15-17 communities. For inspiration, check out this Colombian reservoir which I visited last year.

Wrap Up

How do you feel about reservoirs as recreational spaces, yay or nay? Also, what do you think about the Hermitage Dam and my recent morning visit in late 2024? Would you visit? Sound off in the comments section below! If you enjoyed this post, you may also like:

• Neita’s Nest in Stony Hill
• Castleton Botanical Gardens
• Langley Great House in Stony Hill
• Falling Edge Falls in Bowden Hill

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