Owned by Patrick Lee and his lovely Chinese-Jamaican family, Apple Valley Park is a little triumph of green sensibility and community tourism. The park grounds consist of an 18th-century home, a manicured lake, an artificial pool and further on, a forest reserve that stretches past the waterfalls and swimming holes of the Black River Gorge. You can kayak and paddleboat in the park itself or hike into the woods or fish or order a meal – it’s all relaxing.
The prettiness of the place is all the more remarkable when one considers this was once the scarred remains of a bauxite mine; Patrick Lee helped bring the area back to nature after hiring locals and subsequently boosting the surrounding economy, and for this reason we give some of the wear and tear evident on the grounds a pass. The 169-hectare family nature park is only open by appointment, so call ahead. The owners also operate a tractor-pulled jitney from the old train station in Maggotty.
