Day Forest National Park, National park in Goda Mountains, Djibouti.
Day Forest National Park sits in the Goda Mountains within Djibouti's wettest region and spans around 15 square kilometers with ancient juniper trees alongside ficus, wild olives, and boxwoods. The forest grows across different elevations and creates a dense vegetation network in what is otherwise a sparse mountainous landscape.
The park was established in 1939 to protect the region's unique forest cover. Since then, forest coverage has declined by 88 percent, with the most severe losses occurring in recent decades.
The park represents one of the few remaining forested areas in a largely arid country and holds ecological importance for the region. Local communities have long relied on the forest's resources and protection in an otherwise dry landscape.
The park is most accessible during wetter months when mountain paths are in better condition for walking. Visitors should bring sturdy footwear and plenty of water, as time spent in the mountainous terrain can be physically demanding.
The park contains a stand of East African junipers spanning around 900 hectares that grow only at elevations above 950 meters. These juniper trees are so specialized for these extreme altitudes that they exist nowhere else in this particular form.
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