Five Day Hike in Mexico City

Filed in archive Hiking on October 23, 2007

When I saw the headline, 5 day hikes from Mexico, I thought it was a joke. After all, who would go hiking in forests around Mexico City, as referred to as the Kidnapping Capital of the World? Then, I read about a few of the hikes and realized Mexico City isn't any different than other foreign countries.

It turns out Mexico's capital city is bursting with hiking opportunities. And if you're looking for an off-the-beaten path adventure, then you've found one.

Here are five hikes close to Mexico City:

TEPOZTECO:

At its summit, Tepozteco is slightly lower in elevation than Mexico City; it would require little or no acclimatization if not for its surprising steepness. The rocky trail ascends an abrupt 1,200 feet in less than a mile. Tall rock spires covered in vegetation jut dramatically up from the slopes.

DESIERTO DE LOS LEONES NATIONAL PARK

Tucked away in the mountainous western corner of Mexico City's Federal District, this park is as attractive for its cultural and historical significance as it is for its rugged topography and vast forest of towering, old-growth conifers.

PASO DE CORTES:

Located on the saddle between Mexico's famous twin volcanos, Popocatepetl and Iztaccihuatl, this high mountain pass is where Spanish conqueror Hernan Cortes first laid eyes on the Valley of Mexico.

CUMBRES DEL AJUSCO NATIONAL PARK

Occupying at least one third of the Federal District, the Ajusco mountain range easily makes up the largest expanse of wilderness in the immediate vicinity of Mexico City, although ever-growing suburbs are climbing higher and higher. Several trails crisscross the park, but the summit is easy enough to find: Just go up. You will begin hiking through a thick pine forest on Ajusco's steep lower slopes before breaking the treeline. From there, whatever trail you are on will gravitate toward the nearest ridge and lead you to the summit.

NEVADO DE TOLUCA

Mexico's fourth-highest mountain, the Nevado de Toluca is a massive, extinct volcano that looms tall and lonesome over the valley below. It is Mexico's most accessible major peak, with a dirt road that winds up its slopes, above the treeline and right into its gaping caldera at about 13,800 feet above sea level.