Cherry Hill River in Clarendon, Jamaica

Cherry Hill River is a beautiful gem I first heard about some months ago, but it lost its hidden gem status after going viral on Jamaican TikTok. That being said, it’s still possible to enjoy relative seclusion at this river if you time your visit well. Cherry Hill River is a section of the Milk River, located in an eponymous community. Milk River’s claim to fame is its healing radioactive saline spring which has been pumped into the Milk River Bath & Spa since 1794. The spa boasts waters nine times more radioactive than that of Bath, England, yet it hardly receives much attention these days. I hope Cherry Hill’s recent popularity will breathe new life into the sleepy village of Milk River. Here’s how my adventure went, and what you should know to plan your visit.

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How to Find Cherry Hill River

Cherry Hill River before the crowds

At the time of writing, Cherry Hill River is an uncommercialized spot which is accessible from the Cherry Hill Road in the community of Milk River, Clarendon. From Kingston, I took the Highway 2000 (toll required). After exiting the toll, the remaining 12km stretch of road got bumpy with a few potholes, but was still easily navigable by a small car. We passed a few homes and churches, but the road was largely remote. Overall drive time from Kingston was about 70 minutes, and very easy to find with Google Maps or Waze as the map marker is accurate.

I visited on a Sunday morning at 9am, and there were already a dozen cars parked and a few families enjoying the water. By time I was ready to leave at 11:30am, there were about fifty cars and buses, and literally hundreds of people. Mind you, it’s a large river so there’s space for everyone, especially if you venture upstream away from the crowds. The biggest downside of a crowded free river: garbage, and there was LOTS of it on the river’s banking. Littering always upsets me, but even more so at beautiful nature spots. I hope Cherry Hill River gets the cleanup it deserves soon. Other things to note:

• Parking is free and curbside.
• There are deep and shallow parts; the current can be strong.
• Admission for now is free.
• Food, drink, alcohol, flotation devices and even cannabis is on sale by the river bank. Support the community residents by buying at their shops and stalls!
• There are no restrooms, changing rooms or other amenities.
• There’ll be loud music playing by late morning/ early afternoon, turning the river into a party vibe, not unlike Caymanas River in St. Catherine and the Great River in Lethe, Hanover. Cherry Hill River is a popular river bash (party) venue.

Exploring Cherry Hill River

I feel most at peace by the river, so my early morning visit to Cherry Hill was just what I needed to unwind. It felt great to escape the heat too. Summer 2026 has brought serious droughts, heat waves and water restrictions to Jamaica and many other parts of the world, so I felt very blessed to splash around in this natural attraction for a few hours. Cherry Hill was my first real taste of summer, as I’ve been hard at work these past few weeks and too busy or too tired to get outside. After taking some photos upstream, my group and I found a shaded spot in the river to swim, splash, chat and just bask in nature’s beauty. The rushing water upstream was loud enough to drown out the speaker boxes playing music by the bridge, just how I like it. 🙂

Wrap Up

The historic community of Milk River deserves its newfound attention; I only hope the residents find a way to develop the attraction for everyone to enjoy. I wouldn’t mind paying a small admission fee in order to keep the river clean, once management remains in local hands of course. Too many of our recreational spots are privately owned with admission fees far too expensive to visit on the average local salary. But, there are exciting times ahead for the future of Jamaica’s recreational rivers and beaches. Locals are finally waking up and demanding access to these spaces: our birthright. Support the Jamaica Beach Birthright Environmental Movement (JaBBEM), a grassroots community organization which is leading the fight.

Have you ever heard of Cherry Hill River or would you like to visit? Sound off in the comments section below, and look out for part 2 next week where I’ll talk about the mineral bath.

If you enjoyed this post, you may also like:

• Salt River in Clarendon
• St. Toolies River (Clarendon/ Manchester)
• Bull Head Mountain in Clarendon, the geographical centre of Jamaica

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