Life in El Yunque- Mt. Britton Trail and Tower

8/4/2020 Comments

Life in El Yunque- Mt. Britton Trail and Tower

In the beginning of my adulthood I remember one trip that was a life moving experience for me, because it was my first long trek in the forest completing the Mt. Britton Trail, until we reach the tower. Since that day I got the change to complete this trail three more times, each one a different experience. The Mt. Britton Trail is a spectacular 1.3 mile trail that takes you through the Sierra Palm Forest until you reach Forest Service Road 10. From there you walk a few more minutes upward through the Cloud Forest, then making a right that leads you to the Mt. Britton Tower. This stone tower was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps between 1937-1938, and if you are lucky to have a clear day, from there you can see a stunning view of the forest, and part of the coast of Puerto Rico.

Mt. Britton Trail got its name from Nathaniel Lord Britton (1857-1934), an American botanist and taxonomist that began his investigation of the tropical flora in the Caribbean in1902, including visits to Puerto Rico. He spent his last years writing “Flora Borinqueña”, one of his several publications.

This trail is beautiful even on cloudy, and lightly rainy days. I could use many words to describe the biodiversity you can find in this trail, but I prefer that my photos reflect those words. I always try my best to capture what my eyes see, what in my mind I consider a unique detail or moment.

In this blog I include photos of my last visit to El Yunque Rainforest in July 2020. The same day I visited both Juan Diego Creek Trail, and Mt Britton Trail.