Guilarte State Forest


Guilarte State Forest is one of the 20 forests that make up the public forests system in Puerto Rico. The forest is located in the eastern half of the Central Mountain Range or Cordillera Central. The main geographical feature of the forest reserve is Monte Guilarte, which is Puerto Rico's 7th highest mountain at 3,950 feet above sea level. While Monte Guilarte is located in the municipality of Adjuntas, the forest's borders also include parts of Guayanilla, Peñuelas and Yauco.

History

In 1935, the Puerto Rico Reconstruction Administration acquired 3,500 acres in and around Monte Guilarte in the municipality of Adjuntas with the goal of preserving the area as a forest reserve. The reserve was intended to be a wildlife preserve for the conservation of numerous plant and animal species found in the area but also for recreational purposes. Today the forest is managed by the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources, which has enlarged the protected area of the forest which now extends 4,822 acres.

Ecology

The forest has altitudes varying from 2,500 to 3,950 feet above sea level and it is divided into two forest zones: the subtropical moist broadleaf forest in the form of the Sierra palm tree forest and the montane rain forest found in the highest peaks of the forest. These preserved forests are very important for the protection of various hydrological basins such as those of the Arecibo River, the Añasco River and the Guayanilla River, all of which have their sources within the forest's boundaries.

Flora

The forest is home to approximately 227 species of trees of which 4 are endangered or threatened: the West Indian walnut, the palo de Ramón tree, the endemic dwarf tree fern and the Monte Guilarte hollyfern. The latter is also endemic, highly endangered and can only be found in two locations in this forest.
The most common type of forest zone found in the reserve is the Sierra palm tree forest where the species of the same name is most numerous. In addition to this palm tree the forest is also home to other indicator species such as the caimitillo tree and the tabaiba tree. Another notable tree species is the Puerto Rican magnolia or jagüilla.
The montane forest, also referred to as the cloud forest, located in the highest parts of the forest is home to species such as the Tabebuia shumanniana and the Ocotea spatulata which are evergreen trees with small leaves often found in the highest parts of Puerto Rico. Other trees found in this area include the Spanish elm or capá prieto and the introduced yet naturalized swamp mahogany or swamp eucalyptus, which are adapted to the cooler temperatures.

Fauna

The Guilarte Forest is one of the few protected areas in Puerto Rico that are home to numerous endangered or threatened animal species such as the red fruit bat, only found in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, Eneida's coquí, the mountain coquí, the Puerto Rican boa, the Puerto Rican vireo or bien-te-veo, and the Puerto Rican sharp-shinned hawk or Sierra hawk, a highly endangered subspecies of the sharp-shinned hawk.
Other animal species found in the forest are the scaly-naped pigeon, the Puerto Rican emerald hummingbird, the Puerto Rican tody or San Pedrito, the Puerto Rican woodpecker, the Puerto Rican twig anole, the olive bush anole, the yellow-bearded anole, the emerald anole, the Puerto Rican giant anole, and the Puerto Rican galliwasp or four-legged snake.

Recreation

The forest reserve is open during daylight hours and offers opportunities for hiking, birdwatching and cabins. There are two main hiking trails in the forest: the San Andrés Trail which circumnavigates the forest and the Pico Guilarte trail which leads to the summit of Monte Guilarte, the highest point of the forest. Both trails offer views through a series of lookout points. Other facilities in the forest include bathrooms, barbecue pits and cabins for visitors. There are seven cabins available, and reservations must be made in advanced by contacting the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources. Parking is available at the DRNA ranger office in Guilarte, Adjuntas at the corner of PR-518 and PR-131 roads.
Camping is not allowed within the forest but the area outside the reserve also offers additional opportunities for recreation such as Garzas Lake which is used for fishing and camping, and numerous waterfalls and pools for swimming such as Charco Mangó and Charco El Ataúd.