Los Picachos is a mountain peak of
El Yunque massif located immediately to the southeast of El Yunque's main peak in the
Sierra de Luquillo
The Sierra de Luquillo is a mountain range located in the northeastern part of Puerto Rico. Also known as the Luquillo Mountains, these are steep-sided, densely-forested mountains rising to elevations of around , the highest point being the summit ...
. The peak consists of a high ridge made up of several smaller peaks (which gives the mountain its name) and it is one of the highest peaks of
El Yunque National Forest
El Yunque National Forest ( es, Bosque Nacional El Yunque), formerly known as the Caribbean National Forest (or ''Bosque Nacional del Caribe''), is a forest located in northeastern Puerto Rico. It is the only tropical rainforest in the United Sta ...
that can be reached by a hiking trail. It is located at 3,041 feet (927 m) above the sea level.
Los Picachos hiking trail
Los Picachos can be easily reached through a hiking trail located near to the main Pico El Yunque Trail, one of the most popular hiking routes in the national forest. The very short but steep trail starts off Pico El Yunque Trail and it extends for little more than 0.2 miles to the top, where a stone masonry platform offers a 360 panoramic view of the surrounding mountains and the eastern coast of Puerto Rico. The vegetation along this trail belongs to that of the rare
dwarf forest
Dwarf forest, elfin forest, or pygmy forest is an uncommon ecosystem featuring miniature trees, inhabited by small species of fauna such as rodents and lizards. They are usually located at high elevations, under conditions of sufficient air humi ...
ecosystem which features "dwarf trees" such as the miniature ''
Clusia clusioides'', and equally small species of animals such as the dwarf anole (''
Anolis occultus'') and the endangered elfin woods warbler (''
Setophaga angelae''). Although very short, the trail difficulty is classified as moderate to difficult.
Gallery
File:El Yunque close-up.jpg, Los Picachos and El Yunque from Yokahu Tower
File:Yunque desde monte britton.JPG, Los Picachos as seen from Mount Britton
See also
*
Dwarf forest
Dwarf forest, elfin forest, or pygmy forest is an uncommon ecosystem featuring miniature trees, inhabited by small species of fauna such as rodents and lizards. They are usually located at high elevations, under conditions of sufficient air humi ...
References
External links
Los Picachos area-
USDA
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, and food. It aims to meet the needs of com ...
Forest Service (in English and Spanish)
{{coord, 18, 18, 34, N, 65, 47, 15, W, type:mountain_region:PR, display=title
Mountains of Puerto Rico
Río Grande, Puerto Rico