We visited Blue and Crow Mountains in November 2017. We hired a driver to take us from Port Antonio and we are very glad that we did. Some of the roads were not in great shape and we got to gape at the stunning scenery. We were told that the "good road" will be completed all the way to the northern part of the island eventually. It was complete from Kingston to the National Park when we went. This would be the only part I would be willing to drive if I had a rental.
We stayed in a guest house for a few days. We hiked on marked trails and on one day we went on one of the ubiquitous and obligatory "hidden waterfall" hikes. Our guide made the history of the site come alive for us by pointing out the uses of all of the plants we encountered. We could understand how the Maroons could live in the jungle and have everything they needed. We did not hike to the summit of Blue Mountain, which requires getting up before sunrise to avoid the characteristic mists, because everyone we met that tried, climbed into a cloud (so no views).
We visited a small coffee plantation and it was delicious! Believe the hype! The coffee is good.
The people that live in Blue Mountains are friendly, opinionated and hospitable. My favorite combination. We enjoyed our visit very much and would recommend that anyone visiting Jamaica spend some time in the Blue Mountains.