| Ancón Hill | |
|---|---|
 View of the Ancón Hill with the Panamanian flag on top. | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 199 m (653 ft) |
| Naming | |
| Native name | Cerro Ancón (Spanish) |
| Geography | |
  Ancón Hill | |
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Ancón Hill (Spanish: Cerro Ancón) is a 199 metres (653 ft) high hill that overlooks Panama City, Panama, adjacent to the township of Ancón. It was used for administration of the Panama Canal and was under U.S. jurisdiction as a part of the Panama Canal Zone until being returned to Panama in 1977. Largely undeveloped, the area is now a reserve. The hill includes the highest point in Panama City.
Relatively undeveloped it includes a jungle in an otherwise urban area, and wildlife still survives cut off from other jungle areas. It is not uncommon to see sloths, white-nosed coati, nine-banded armadillos, Geoffroy's tamarins, or deer on Ancon Hill, which now has protected status. Its name is used as an acronym by a Panamanian environmental group, Asociación Nacional para la Conservación de la Naturaleza (ANCON).
The lower slopes contained residences and Gorgas Hospital. Higher up were the residence of the Governor of the Canal Zone and Quarry Heights, where the United States Southern Command was located. Quarry Heights was thus named as it is adjacent to a large rock quarry on one side of the hill, which left a visible cliff face. The hill contains an abandoned underground bunker once manned by the US Southern Command. At the top are two broadcast towers and a small road reaches them. One-way vehicular traffic is allowed during daylight hours. The summit of the hill can be reached by a 30-minute hike.[citation needed] Hikers can use the road to reach the summit, and the hill is a popular jogging and hiking trek. Along the path, all manner of vegetation and birds can be seen.