Podocarpus National Park, National park in Zamora Chinchipe and Loja provinces, Ecuador.
Podocarpus National Park is a protected area in Zamora Chinchipe and Loja provinces in Ecuador, covering mountain ranges that include tropical rainforests, cloud forests and high-elevation vegetation. The landscape ranges from deep valleys with dense canopy to open areas above the tree line, where more than 100 small lakes sit.
Authorities established the park in 1982 after mining activities began in San Luis and a need arose to protect the region's natural resources. The decision followed a movement to preserve the mountain forests and water sources.
The protected area takes its name from the Podocarpus tree, a conifer species that grows in the local mountain forests and whose timber was traditionally used by people in the region. Hikers can still find scattered specimens of these old trees along the trails, holding firm on the steep slopes.
The park has two main entrances: Cajanuma leads into high-elevation areas with cooler temperatures, while Bombuscaro opens to lower mountain forests with warmer conditions. Both areas offer trails and basic lodging, and visitors should bring weatherproof clothing and sturdy footwear.
The protected area sits at the crossroads of four ecological systems, producing a zone with 560 bird species that represent 6 percent of the world's bird diversity. The mix of Andean geography and tropical climate creates conditions that exist nowhere else at this latitude.
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