El Cocuy National Park, National park in Boyacá, Colombia

El Cocuy National Park is a high-mountain protected area in the eastern Andes with snow-capped peaks and numerous mountain lakes. The terrain is divided into two main ridges that create varied elevations and different habitats.

El Cocuy National Park was declared a national park in 1977. Its glacial heritage has made climate change central to its future: an 1851 watercolor of the "Great Snowfields near Güicán" shows Mount Chita fully capped in snow, while by 2009 the historic icefield had shrunk to scattered snowcaps and is expected to disappear within a few decades.

The eastern section of this national park is sacred territory of the U'wa indigenous people and remains closed to visitors. This respect for indigenous lands shapes how the protected area is managed today.

Visitors must register at offices in El Cocuy or Güicán towns and purchase rescue insurance before entering. A mandatory orientation briefing is required before accessing any hiking trails.

An 1851 watercolour of the "Great Snowfields near Güicán" shows Mount Chita fully capped in snow; by 2009 the historic icefield had shrunk to scattered snowcaps and is expected to vanish within a few decades. The park's glaciers feed the Arauca, Casanare and Chicamocha basins.