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Caribbean National Forest Overview
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- El Yunque National Forest is the only tropical rain forest in the U.S. National Forest System. It covers 28,000 acres of mountainous terrain on the east side of Puerto Rico, about 45 minutes by car from San Juan.
- Entrance into the national forest is free, and primitive camping permits are issued without charge.
- Try spotting an endangered Puerto Rican parrot, one of the 42 species of birds that live on the island year-round, in the 10,000-acre El Toro Wilderness within the forest. The designated wilderness area is named for Pico El Toro, the highest mountain in the national forest at 3,533 feet.
- Travel beyond the park boundaries. El Yunque protects only a portion of the Northeast Ecological Corridor that stretches to the eastern and southeastern coasts and includes a bioluminescent lagoon, popular snorkeling and surfing beaches, a nesting ground for leatherback sea turtles, and habitat for 40 at-risk species.
- Pick up maps at El Portal Visitors Center or Palo Colorado Visitors Center on PR 191. Though some maps show that you can drive through the national forest on PR 191, frequent landslides forced permanent closure of the road south of the Palo Colorado Visitors Center. The road is still passable on foot.
- Horses, mountain bikes, and motorcycles are not permitted on any trail within the forest. These activities are permitted elsewhere in the Northeast Ecological Corridor.
Published: 29 Apr 2002 | Last Updated: 15 Sep 2010
Details mentioned in this article were accurate at the time of publication
Details mentioned in this article were accurate at the time of publication
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