Piñones State Forest, (in ), and named after the ''

Casuarina ''Casuarina'', also known as she-oak, Australian pine and native pine, is a genus of flowering plants in the family Casuarinaceae, and is native to Australia, the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, islands of the western Pacific Ocean, and e ...

'', locally called (after an

invasive species An invasive species is an introduced species that harms its new environment. Invasive species adversely affect habitats and bioregions, causing ecological, environmental, and/or economic damage. The term can also be used for native spec ...

of salt-tolerant tree from

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

used for

lumber Lumber is wood that has been processed into uniform and useful sizes (dimensional lumber), including beams and planks or boards. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, window frames). ...

), is a timberland forest near one of the longest beaches in

Puerto Rico ; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...

. It is located in Torrecilla Baja barrio in the municipality of Loíza. It is a tourist attraction and is managed by the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources.

Geographical location

Home of a

mangrove forest Mangrove forests, also called mangrove swamps, mangrove thickets or mangals, are productive wetlands that occur in coastal intertidal zones. Mangrove forests grow mainly at tropical and subtropical latitudes because mangrove trees cannot withsta ...

, Piñones is a natural reserve located east of Isla Verde north of

Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (Spanish language, Spanish: ''Aeropuerto Internacional Luis Muñoz Marín'') , previously known as Isla Verde International Airport (Spanish language, Spanish: ''Aeropuerto Internacional de Isla Verde''), ...

. It is operated by the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources and located in Loiza.

Flora and fauna

The extremely rare tree '' Schoepfia arenaria'' grows here at a place called Punta Maldonado. Less than 200 of these Puerto Rican

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

trees are known to exist.

The Piñones Trail

There is a boardwalk and trail used for biking and walking through parts of the forest. Several agencies carefully manage the Piñones Trail (in ), so as to avoid disturbing sensitive ecological and archeological points, while still encouraging "family-type" visits. In 2001, the trail received an award from the

Federal Highway Administration The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is a division of the United States Department of Transportation that specializes in highway transportation. The agency's major activities are grouped into two programs, the Federal-aid Highway Program a ...

for excellence in non-motorized transportation.

Activities nearby

Near the forest is a beach called and kiosks including, on PR-187 mentioned by the

Puerto Rico Tourism Company The Puerto Rico Tourism Company (, or simply ''Turismo'') is the government-owned corporation in charge of tourism matters and regulations in Puerto Rico. The company was created during Governor Luis A. Ferré's administration (1969-1973) to coo ...

Gallery

Playa de Isla Verde y Piñones en Puerto Rico.jpg Piñones (5).png Piñones (10).png, on PR-187 Piñones (13).png Piñones (16).png Piñones (17).png Piñones (18).png Piñones - panoramio (1).jpg

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Pinones State Forest Puerto Rico state forests Tourist attractions in Puerto Rico Biosphere reserves of the United States Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests of the United States Loíza, Puerto Rico