Tortola’s Sage Mountain is the highest peak in the entire Virgin Islands chain, at 523 meters (1,716 feet) tall. The mountain is the centerpiece of Sage Mountain National Park, a 39-hectare (96-acre) reserve whose high elevation and consistent rainfall creates an unusual ecosystem. The trees, ferns and other plants that grow here are seldom found in the islands. Placards posted along the park’s network of trails point out interesting plants like elephant ear vines and tree ferns. As you hike, look for hermit crabs scuttling through the underbrush and kili kili hawks (elsewhere known as American kestrels) perched in the trees.
