Old Booby Hill
A quiet stone-stepped climb to one of Saba's most rewarding panoramas.
Why Go
Saba's famous Mount Scenery gets all the glory, but Old Booby Hill is the trail locals send you to when they want you to actually *see* the island ΓÇö a lesser-known volcanic knob on the eastern flank where 1,000-plus hand-set stone steps thread through ferns and wind-bent mahogany to a summit that opens onto the whole 13-square-kilometer island at once.
The Experience
This is old Saba hiking at its most authentic: a rugged trail built the way every path on the island was ΓÇö by hand, stone by stone ΓÇö climbing a ridge above English Quarter and Zion's Hill (Hell's Gate) on the island's windward side. The walk starts unassumingly past the Agricultural Station, then quickly steepens into that signature Saban staircase, weaving through cloud-forest greenery, red-earth switchbacks and openings where the trade winds tear the mist away to reveal the Atlantic crashing far below. Unlike Mount Scenery's rainforest tunnel, Booby Hill is more exposed ΓÇö ridgelines, sea views, and the sudden shock of the whole island laid out beneath you. You can turn around at the summit, or, if the legs are willing, keep descending toward Spring Bay for a proper half-day traverse.
What to Try
Time your ascent for late morning when the clouds usually lift off the eastern ridge ΓÇö the payoff is a 360┬░ view stretching from Windwardside's red roofs across to St. Eustatius on a clear day. On the way back down, detour to the small viewpoint benches placed by the Saba Conservation Foundation and look for red-billed tropicbirds nesting in the cliffs below.
Insider Tip
Don't try to reach Old Booby Hill from the bottom ΓÇö there's no clean access at the base. Start high, from the trailhead just past the Agricultural Station at the end of English Quarter road, and descend to the hill rather than climbing up to it. Grab a trail map and pay the small hiking fee at the Saba Conservation Foundation Trail Shop in Windwardside first; they'll also tell you if any sections are washed out after recent rain.
The Practical Stuff
Trailhead is off the road past the Agricultural Station in English Quarter, a short drive or taxi ride from Windwardside. The trail is open sunrise to sunset, free to walk (a modest Saba Trail tag from the Conservation Foundation is expected). Allow 2ΓÇô3 hours out-and-back to the summit, or a half-to-full day if you continue to Spring Bay. Wear real hiking shoes ΓÇö the stone steps get slick when wet ΓÇö and carry at least 1.5 L of water per person; there is no shade or water source on the trail. Best hiked DecemberΓÇôMay; avoid the AugustΓÇôOctober hurricane window and any day with heavy rain, when the steps become genuinely dangerous.
Pair It With
- Brigadoon — Windwardside's beloved bistro is the perfect post-hike reward ΓÇö hearty international plates and a well-earned cold drink a short drive from the trailhead.
- Angelina's Saba By OwAiChie — Casual local food and drinks nearby in Zion's Hill/Hell's Gate, ideal for refueling with island flavors before or after the climb.
- Bizzy B — Grab a fresh pastry or sandwich here to pack as trail fuel ΓÇö the Booby Hill route has zero food or water along the way.