El Yunque Trail
In El Yunque National Forest, Río Grande
Vereda El Yunque
The long climb through palm and cloud forest toward El Yunque Peak. Today it is open to the Los Picachos lookout; the last stretch to the peak is closed.
HardWalk in, no booking
979 ft of climb going in and 46 ft coming back, over 1.8 mi each way, with mud. The Forest Service rates the trail challenging (El Yunque Trail).
How to get in
- AccessWalk in, no booking · Free · open 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM (PR-191 corridor)
Drive in and hike on your own: entry to the PR-191 corridor is free and needs no reservation, though visitor numbers are limited when the parking fills. (USDA Forest Service)
Closed past Los Picachos: the trail on to El Yunque Peak.
- 1.8 mi each way3.0 km, open to the Los Picachos spur, of 2.5 mi; the rest is closed
- 2 h 20 min to 3 h 30 minRound trip, at an easy pace with stops
- 1,025 ftOf climb: 979 ft going in, 46 ft coming back
- MudUnderfoot
- TrailheadPR-191 km 12.0, by Palo Colorado
- ParkingPalo Colorado lots
Open as far as the Los Picachos spur. The section from there to El Yunque Peak is closed while a retaining wall is repaired; the peak is reached by Forest Service Road 10. (USDA Forest Service, forest trails status (updated Apr 28, 2026), checked Oct 11, 2026)
Highlights
- Los Picachos spur1.8 mi in
Where it goes
Skip the mapDistance1.8 miElevation2,114–3,047 ftClimb, round trip+1,025 ft
Start, 2,114 ft1.8 mi, 3,043 ft
- Easy
- Moderate
- Hard
- Closed
- Trailhead
- Parking
- Other sight
- Closed from here
Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors, OpenMapTiles, OpenFreeMap
Make it longer
- Meets La Mina Trail at the trailhead (a short walk along the road). It is closed now, so it can't be added to this hike.
- Meets Baño de Oro Trail at the trailhead (a short walk along the road) and 0.4 mi in. Carry on along it for up to 0.4 mi more.
- Meets Caimitillo Trail 0.1 mi in. Carry on along it for up to 0.2 mi more.
- Meets Los Picachos Trail 1.8 mi in. Carry on along it for up to 0.2 mi more, to Los Picachos platform.
- Meets Roca El Yunque Trail 2.4 mi in. Carry on along it for up to 0.1 mi more, to El Yunque Rock.
Up and down
- Climb979 ftgoing in
- Descent46 ftgoing in, so you climb it on the way back
- Lowest2,114 ftabove sea level
- Highest3,047 ftabove sea level
Good day to hike it?
Best time to go. Come early. The Forest Service calls the busiest trails congested later in the day, and it limits visitor numbers when the parking fills.
What to bring
- Water
- Rain jacket
- Shoes with grip for mud
What you'll see
- Views
Entry to the PR-191 North recreation corridor in Río Grande is free and needs no reservation. It is open from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
Along the way
Further reading
- El Yunque Trail (USDA Forest Service)
- El Yunque National Forest: current conditions (USDA Forest Service)
- El Yunque National Forest (Wikivoyage)
- El Yunque National Forest: forest trails status (USDA Forest Service)
- Los Picachos Trail (USDA Forest Service)
- El Yunque National Forest: FAQs (USDA Forest Service)
- El Yunque National Forest (Wikipedia)
- El Yunque trail map (USDA Forest Service, public domain)
Photo credits
- Baño Grande, a stone-walled pool beside El Yunque Trail: “Baño Grande en El Yunque, Puerto Rico” by Jeff Hitchcock, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0