El Yunque National Forest

El Yunque National Forest
El Yunque in the far background, as seen from the east
Location	Puerto Rico
Nearest city	Río Grande, PR
Coordinates	18°19′N 65°47′W / 18.317°N 65.783°W / 18.317; -65.783
Area	28,434 acres (115.07 km2)[1]
Established	January 17, 1903; 121 years ago (1903-01-17)
Governing body	U.S. Forest Service
Website	http://www.fs.usda.gov/elyunque/

El Yunque National Forest (Spanish: Bosque Nacional El Yunque), formerly known as the Caribbean National Forest (or Bosque Nacional del Caribe),^[2][3] is a forest located in northeastern Puerto Rico. While there are both temperate and tropical rainforests in other states and territories, it is the only tropical rainforest in the United States National Forest System and the United States Forest Service.^[4] El Yunque National Forest is located on the slopes of the Sierra de Luquillo mountains, encompassing more than 28,000 acres (43.753 mi² or 113.32 km²) of land, making it the largest block of public land in Puerto Rico.

The highest mountain peak in the forest rises 3,494 feet (1,065 m) above sea level. The second highest mountain within El Yunque forest is also named Pico El Yunque. Other peaks within the national forest are Pico del Este, Pico del Oeste, El Cacique and El Toro, which is the highest point in eastern Puerto Rico and the Sierra de Luquillo.

Ample rainfall (over 20 feet a year in some areas, or an average of 120 inches of water up to 240 inches of water a year) creates a jungle-like setting—lush foliage, crags, waterfalls, and rivers are a frequent sight. The forest has a number of trails from which the jungle-like territory's flora and fauna can be appreciated. El Yunque forest is also renowned for its unique Taíno petroglyphs. It is said that indigenous people believed that El Yunque was the throne of their chief god Yúcahu, so that it is the Caribbean equivalent to Mount Olympus in Greek mythology.