Salton Waterfalls: A Hidden Waterfall in the Dominican Rainforest
If you’re looking for a secluded waterfall in the lush Dominican rainforest, then you’ll want to visit Salton Waterfalls!
This was the first waterfall we visited in Dominica, just an hour after landing at the airport.
Salton Falls doesn’t receive as much foot traffic as other popular waterfalls on the island, such as Trafalgar and Emerald Pool.
And while it’s a little challenging to find, we think it’s 100% worth it!
The path to the waterfalls is about a 20-minute walk through the rainforest, where you will see vibrant plants and little creatures along the path.
Make sure you wear some shoes with great grip as the path can be slick, such as these Tropicfeel sneakers which double as a sneaker and water shoe, all in one!
Salton Waterfalls is on the way from Charles-Douglas Airport to Roseau making it a great stop on your way to the hotel. Or if you’re starting in Roseau from the cruise port, it’s only a 35-minute drive away!
Keep reading to see if you’d like to put Salton Waterfalls on your list of things to do in Dominica!
Visiting Salton Waterfalls in Dominica
| Difficulty Level | Price | Allotted Time Needed | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moderate (20-minute walk) | $5 USD (private property) | 1-2 hours | Jungle/Rainforest, Secluded, Swimming Hole, Hike |
Like Spanny Falls (another great secluded waterfall in Dominica), Salton Waterfalls is on private property and is NOT included in the Dominica weekly site pass.
However, it only costs $5 USD per person which helps the owner maintain the trail to the falls.
The path to these falls isn’t as well maintained as the national park trails, which is expected as it’s privately owned.
It’s also not easily marked. Look for a homemade wooden sign that says “Salton Waterfalls” on the side of the road.
Getting to Salton Waterfalls
Getting to Salton Waterfalls can be a bit of a challenge if you don’t know what you are looking for. We drove up and down the road multiple times before finding it ourselves.
Type in Salton Waterfalls into your Google Maps which will lead you to the general area of where you need to go.
When we visited Dominica, we found the sign for Salton Waterfalls but the parking area was closed and it was difficult to find where the path itself began.
We pulled over on the side of the road and walked down to the nearest house, which we quickly figured out were the owners. We paid $5 per person and were informed to drive our car down the next road past their house where we would find the trail.
This road was not marked and it was not very well maintained.
We drove for a few minutes until we came to a little wooden bridge that had been washed out and we parked here and began our walk.
(When we visited during rainy season, the road and trail had both been washed out from flooding. Your experience may be slightly different as we have read the owners have since performed maintenance on the trail).
Once you park your car, you’ll have about a 20-minute walk to the falls. The trail is not difficult but can be slick.
What to Expect and Trail to Salton Waterfalls
We visited Salton Waterfalls around 2:00 in the afternoon and had the waterfall completely to ourselves.
It had recently been raining so the trail was slick but was manageable.
Once you reach the waterfalls you’ll see some stairs and a viewing platform that is in dire need of repair.
Head down to the right of the platform which will take you down to the swimming hole!
There were multiple smaller waterfalls when we visited and then the bigger Salton Waterfall was in the middle feeding the swimming hole.
The water was chilly but remember it had also recently rained.
We didn’t have our swimming gear with us as we had just driven from the airport but we would have jumped in regardless!
Salton Waterfalls is also very close to other waterfalls in the area such as Spanny Falls, Emerald Pool, and Jacko Falls! If you have a few hours, visit them all in one day!
Final Thoughts
We think Salton Waterfalls is definitely worth visiting, especially if you’re the adventurous kind!
We wouldn’t place it above other waterfalls in the area such as Spanny Falls or Trafalgar Falls, but we would visit it again if we return to Dominica in the future!
We’d love to hear about your experience at Salton Waterfalls! Has the trail been improved? And what did you think about the falls?
Let us know in the comments below!
