Jacko Steps

Jacko was one of the most prominent chiefs of the Maroon slaves in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He fled from captivity into the interior from the estate at Beaubois near Castle Comfort and eventually ended up establishing a camp on a high plateau near the present day village of Bells. The plateau, now known as Jacko Flats, has steep cliffs on three sides and is also protected by the Layou River, making it a very effective natural fortress. It is from this elevated camp that Jacko directed operations during the Maroon Wars of the 1780s and 1810s. The Maroons of Jacko’s camp cut a series of high steps out of the cliff face. These steps made ascending and descending the plateau a little less arduous and, because of their steepness, made defending the camp easier too.

The hike to Jacko Flats and Jacko Steps is a challenging one and involves river crossings and some tough ascents and descents. It is possible to turn the journey into a circular hike by also including a 90 minute wade in the Layou River, so long as it is not in flood and heavy rains are not expected.

The trail is in pretty good shape though can be tricky to follow from time to time as there are a number of spurs and no signage. The steps currently have quite a deep covering of fallen leaves making them quite treacherous. I shifted a few and the local landowner is also going to have a go at clearing them properly. The descent and ascent of the steps to and from the river is always a very steep one but with this leaf covering there is an added danger so hikers need to be cautious. As always, I recommend going with either a guide or someone who has been there before. I plan on going again next week so can report on any improvement in the condition of the steps.

As a footnote: sadly Jacko was eventually captured and killed during an attack by government forces on 12 July 1814. His legend, however, lives on.