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El Yunque |
It's 45 minutes and a world away |
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El Yunque was set aside as a reserve by the Spanish in 1876, making it one of the hemisphere's oldest protected forests. It became part of the USDA Forest Service System in 1903 but wasn't named the Caribbean National Forest until 1935. It was declared a United Nations Biosphere Reserve in the 1970s. El Yunque is the smallest
forest and the only tropical rain forest
in the U.S. National Forest System. In its highest
and most inaccessible altitudes, the virgin
forest remains much as it was more than 500 years ago.
Located in the rugged Luquillo mountain range, El Yunque receives an incredible amount of rain. This is one rain forest you can count on living up to its name. The higher peaks
annually receive as much as 240 inches, and the forest
overall averages 120 inches. This has become a very popular cruise ship excursion. Land vacationers might want to avoid it on those days or come early. Cruise ships often arrive in the afternoon. Everyone should bring a rain jacket. Even in March. El
Yunque Fast Facts Hikes
of El Yunque Animals
of El Yunque: Forest
Zones of El Yunque
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