Skip to main content
ForestMatters, LLC

Puerto Rico

1Forest Guide8Trail Guides
29,000Acres Covered

National Forests in Puerto Rico

El Yunque National Forest

29,000 acresDecember through April

El Yunque National Forest is the only tropical rainforest in the United States National Forest System, covering 29,000 acres in Puerto Rico's Luquillo Mountains with cloud forest, waterfalls, and extraordinary biodiversity.

7 min read

Trails in Puerto Rico

easyloop

Angelito Trail

0.9 mi100 ft gain
Puerto RicoYear-round

A 0.9-mile loop near the lower boundary of El Yunque National Forest, offering a brief but genuine introduction to Puerto Rico's tropical rainforest without crowds or permit requirements.

3 min read

easy-moderateout-and-back

Bano de Oro Trail

2.3 mi420 ft gain
Puerto RicoYear-round

A 2.3-mile out-and-back along the Bano de Oro stream in a less-visited section of El Yunque National Forest, passing three swimming holes used by local Puerto Ricans throughout the year.

3 min read

easyloop

Big Tree Trail

1.3 mi160 ft gain
Puerto RicoYear-round

A 1.3-mile loop through mature tabonuco forest at lower elevations in El Yunque, passing some of the largest trees in the national forest with interpretive signs on tropical forest ecology.

3 min read

strenuousout-and-back

El Toro Trail

5.4 mi1,600 ft gain
Puerto RicoDecember through April

A 5.4-mile out-and-back to the highest point in El Yunque National Forest at 3,533 feet, passing through all four vegetation zones including the remote cloud forest summit of Pico El Toro.

4 min read

moderateout-and-back

El Yunque Trail

4.5 mi1,400 ft gain
Puerto RicoDecember through April

A 4.5-mile out-and-back climb from the forest road to the El Yunque Rock observation tower at 3,495 feet, passing through sierra palm forest with views of the Atlantic coast on clear mornings.

3 min read

easyout-and-back

La Mina Trail

1.9 mi250 ft gain
Puerto RicoDecember through April

A 1.9-mile out-and-back trail to La Mina Falls, the most popular waterfall in Puerto Rico, dropping 35 feet into a clear mountain pool in the lower tabonuco forest of El Yunque National Forest.

3 min read

moderateout-and-back

Mt. Britton Trail

2.6 mi1,100 ft gain
Puerto RicoDecember through April

A 2.6-mile out-and-back to the Mt. Britton stone observation tower at 3,088 feet in El Yunque National Forest, a CCC-built historic structure from the 1930s with forest and coastal views.

3 min read

moderate-hardpoint-to-point

Trade Winds Trail

4.3 mi800 ft gain
Puerto RicoDecember through April

A 4.3-mile traverse through El Yunque's upper forest zones, staying in the sierra palm and cloud forest throughout and connecting several high-elevation trailheads with consistent tropical scenery.

3 min read