Maquipucuna, Nature reserve in Pichincha, Ecuador

Maquipucuna is a 6,000-hectare cloud forest reserve in the parish of Nanegal, within the Metropolitan District of Quito, Pichincha Province. It consists of primary and secondary montane rainforest and cloud forest across four habitat zones from 900 to 2,785 metres above sea level, in the Chocó-Andean Corridor.

Archaeological studies show the pre-Incan Yumbos lived in the area that is now Maquipucuna, leaving pathways, burial mounds and ceramics that can still be found there. The main pre-Inca trail is believed to lead to Cachillacta, the land of salt. Around 1500 BC the area was arguably the main source of salt for the chiefdom of Quito.

The reserve's name comes from the Yumbo people who lived here before the Incas; their paths, burial mounds and ceramics are still found in the area. The main pre-Inca trail is thought to lead to Cachillacta, the land of salt, and around 1500 BC the area was a main salt source for the chiefdom of Quito.

The reserve offers lodging options ranging from camping areas to comfortable huts, many built near the river. Visitors should prepare for wet and changeable weather conditions at this elevation.

The reserve is home to over 400 bird species and protects a population of Andean bears. These large carnivores use the forest as a critical survival corridor in the region.