El Yunque: The USA's only tropical rainforest national forest

Most people, when they hear “national forest” it’s likely they think of towering pines, lumbering black bears, and rugged mountain peaks. These same people might be surprised to hear that one of the U.S. National Forests is a rainforest, complete with waterfalls, parrots, and easy to hear but hard to glimpse coqui tree frogs.

Puerto Rico’s El Yunque National Forest is the only tropical rainforest in the United States National Forest system. Considering it’s on a Caribbean island, it’s expansive, with 28,000 acres of tropical palms and dense foliage crisscrossed with hiking trails. When I visited El Yunque, it came on the heels of three days and nights enjoying cosmopolitan San Juan’s nightclubs, restaurants, and historic sites. A day in a rainforest sounded like a great change of pace.

While there are numerous operators offering tours to El Yunque, I chose to rent a car for maximum flexibility. Driving in Puerto Rico is easy: highways are well-maintained, signage is bilingual, and driving is on the right. I picked up a car at the airport, which allowed me to bypass the crazy traffic in San Juan. From San Juan to El Yunque, it’s a straight shot 25 miles southeast on Highway 3, and then a quick hook south onto Highway 1. The route offers little in the way of scenic beauty, as it's mostly urban sprawl Caribbean-style, but it does have the effect of making El Yunque even more lush and gorgeous on arrival.

Travelers can get their bearings at the El Portal Rain Forest Center, situated at the entrance to El Yunque. The center has lots of information about the forest’s biodiversity, as well as brochures and maps providing information on hiking trails, as well as pointing out major sites along the road winding through the forest.

One of El Yunque’s strengths is its ability to please a wide range of travelers. Dedicated nature lovers and hikers could spend days exploring the trails and biodiversity of the forest. Those with less time, or less inclination for exertion, can experience the forest from the comfort of their car while they travel on the forest’s excellent road system. Many of El Yunque’s most scenic waterfalls – including one of the most beautiful, La Coca Falls – are within view of the road, making it easy for cars to pull over for a photo op. At various points along the road way, travelers can park and climb the stairs of a number of lookout towers. These provide a 360 degree vantage point, allowing views of the rainforest, the Luquillo Mountains, and the Atlantic Ocean.

During my drive through the forest, I had to be content with waterfalls and scenic vistas, and didn’t catch sight of any of the denizens of the forest. These include mammals such as bats and mongooses, and the endangered Puerto Rican parrot. There are also six types of snakes, none poisonous, although the Puerto Rico boa, which grows to six feet, is sure to get a hiker’s blood racing. The coqui tree frog, one of the forest’s most unusual inhabitants, is a little over an inch long in size. Sometimes it will appear that it’s raining frogs in El Yunque. This is actually coqui tree frogs fleeing their fiercest predator, the tarantula, by launching themselves into the air from heights of 100 feet. The frogs are so light they almost float through the air, landing on the ground without harm.

With 600,000 visitors touring El Yunque annually, things can get a little busy with sightseers. With the right mindset, El Yunque can add up to a very satisfying nature excursion. Those who want a meditative nature experience will be better off striking out on one of the nature trails. El Yunque isn’t set up for camping, although there is the option for overnighting in Casa Cubuy, an eco-lodge on the south side of the forest. The ten-room lodge is set on lush rainforest surroundings, with its own hiking trails. Meals are family style, and breakfast is complimentary.

I combined my morning visit to El Yunque with an afternoon swim and lunch at Luquillo Beach, which is only minutes down the road. Luquillo is famous for its 60-plus seafood eateries lining the beach, running the gamut from compact restaurants, to a lone man shucking fresh oysters in the parking lot. This is a thoroughly local scene, with reggaeton blasting from cars parked at the edge of the beach, lots of little kids in the shallows, and a very cavalier attitude to picking up trash. For me, Luquillo Beach was a perfect complement to a day in the rainforest.