Desierto de los Leones National Park

Desierto de los Leones National Park sits on the Sierra de las Cruces mountain range west of Mexico City and covers about 1,900 hectares of pine and fir forest. Narrow streams run through the terrain between the wooded hills and form small waterfalls here and there.

The government declared the area a forest reserve in 1876 to protect water sources for the growing capital. Four decades later it became the country's first national park in 1917.

A Carmelite monastery from the 17th century sits among the pines and now functions as a visitor center with exhibits on monastic life. Families from the capital arrive on weekends to walk through the stone corridors and use the open-air barbecue spots scattered near the old walls.

Several marked trails wind through the forest and suit walking or mountain biking. Camping areas with basic facilities lie scattered across the park and allow overnight stays under the trees.

The park name comes not from desert or lions but from the Desierto brothers, a Carmelite family who owned land here. Fog often drifts through the higher elevations and wraps the treetops in gray veils.