Nevado de Toluca National Park

View of the peak of the volcano

The Nevado de Toluca National Park is located southwest of the city of Toluca, Mexico State. It was decreed a park in 1936, primarily to protect the Nevado de Toluca volcano, which forms nearly the park's entire surface and is the fourth highest peak in Mexico. It is 45 km from Toluca and 135 from Mexico City.[1] The park was established with the aim of conservation, but the park is under increasing pressure from the growth of the Toluca metropolitan area as well as from illegal logging done by local communities who need the income.[2] The volcano has been long extinct and has a large crater in which are two shallow lakes. The crater and lakes are popular with visitors from Mexico State and Mexico City, especially when there is snow.[3] There are a number of archeological sites in the park, including the lakes themselves, which contain numerous offerings of copal and other items that were deposited during the pre-Hispanic period.[4] The park offers activities such as hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding as well as limited skiing facilities. Due to its altitude, the summit of the Nevado is significantly colder than the surrounding area.[5]

  1. ^ "Nevado de Toluca" [Nevado de Toluca] (in Spanish). Mexico City: SECTUR Mexico City. Retrieved 20 February 2010.
  2. ^ Franco Maass, Sergio; Héctor H. Regil; Carlos González; Gabino Nava (10 August 2006). "Cambio de uso del suelo y vegetacion en el Parque Nacional Nevado de Toluca en el periodo 1972–2000" [Changes in use of the surface and vegetation of the Nevado de Toluca National Park] (PDF). Investigaciones Geográficas, Boletín del Instituto de Geografía (in Spanish). 61. Mexico City: UNAM: 38–57. ISSN 0188-4611. Retrieved 20 February 2010.[permanent dead link‍]
  3. ^ Tello, Anabel (28 June 2003). "Parque Natural Nevado de Toluca: Aventura de gran altura" [Nevado de Toluca Natural Park: Adventure at high altitude]. Reforma (in Spanish). Mexico City. p. 28.
  4. ^ Montero García, Ismael Arturo. "Chicnauhtecatl" [Nevado de Toluca] (in Spanish). Mexico City: Fundación Montero. Retrieved 20 February 2010.
  5. ^ "Introducing Nevado de Toluca". Lonely Planet Publications. Retrieved 20 February 2010.