El Portal Visitor Center
El Portal’s exhibits include Taíno cultural artifacts and local art inspired by the forest. The center’s roof is designed to collect and channel rainwater, reducing environmental impact. The structure was originally built in 1996 and reimagined after Hurricane Maria. El Portal’s design was influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright’s philosophy of blending buildings with nature. It’s located near the Río Mameyes watershed, the only U.S. Wild and Scenic River in the Caribbean. Native plant gardens around the center attract endemic butterflies and hummingbirds. Solar panels and natural airflow reduce its dependence on electricity. Educational signs throughout the site are in both English and Spanish, reflecting Puerto Rico’s bilingual culture. El Portal is often used by local schools for environmental education programs. The visitor center is home to temporary art exhibits celebrating Puerto Rican nature and resilience.
La Coca Falls
La Coca Falls is 85 feet tall. It is the most photographed waterfall in the park. La Coca Trail is 1.8 miles each way and is one of the more difficult trails in the park. No swimming is allowed in La Coca Falls. The waterfall lies on Río La Coca, a river that begins deep within the Luquillo Mountains. Its rocks are ancient volcanic formations polished smooth by centuries of rushing water. The surrounding area is home to tree ferns that can grow up to 30 feet tall. La Coca Falls was named during the early U.S. Forest Service era — not during Spanish times. Early maps of El Yunque labeled this as “Coca Cascada” (Coca Cascade).
Juan Diego Falls
Visitors are allowed swim in Juan Diego falls. The lower cascade is about a 15 foot drop. The higher cascade is about a 40 foot drop. The lower cascade is easily accessible. The higher cascades are less accessible and require some additional effort and caution. These falls are fed by a tributary of the Río Mameyes, one of the island’s cleanest rivers. “Juan Diego” may refer to an early landowner or local hermit known to live near the site. The trailhead is located at a natural microclimate zone, cooler and wetter than the lower forest. The falls are surrounded by tabonuco trees, which can merge roots to support each other.
Baño Grande/Palo Colorado
Baño Grande was built in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps as part of the New Deal. At one point, it served as a public swimming pool, but swimming is no longer allowed. Palo Colorado Ranger Station has restrooms available. This surrounding area is part of the Palo Colorado cloud forest zone. Bats use the bridge structure as a daytime roosting site. This site was one of the first recreation areas built for both locals and tourists under U.S. management. The pool has featured in several Puerto Rican music videos and films. This is a key trail junction for longer, more challenging hikes. Hikers can hit 3 of El Yunque's peaks from this location: El Yunque Peak, Los Picachos, and Mount Britton. El Yunque Peak Trail is about 4.6 miles each way with about 1,800 feet of elevation gain. There’s also a spur trail to Los Picachos, which is about 4.2 miles round-trip.
Mt. Britton Trail and Tower
The Mt. Britton Tower sits at an elevation of about 3,087 ft (941 m) above sea level in the cloud-forest area of El Yunque. The trail from the trailhead to the tower is roughly 1.3 km (about 0.8 miles one-way) with an elevation gain of approximately 594 ft (≈180 m) from about 2,493 ft to 3,087 ft. The stone masonry observation tower was built in 1937-38 by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and is considered one of the best preserved examples of their work in Puerto Rico. On a clear day, from the tower’s observation deck you can see the surrounding rainforest canopy, the Atlantic Ocean on the north coast, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the coastal plain. It is rated as a “moderate” hike by some guides: the trail is paved for much of the way (or well maintained) but is steep in parts and can be slippery when wet
Baño de Oro
As we round this next curve, look to your left — see that old stone structure half-swallowed by the forest? That’s Baño de Oro, the ‘Golden Bath’ of El Yunque — and trust me, it has stories to tell. Before it was overgrown, this site was a lush, manmade pool — built back in the 1930s by the same Civilian Conservation Corps team that gave us Baño Grande. But Baño de Oro is older — and in many ways, even more mysterious. Its name — Baño de Oro — comes from the creek nearby. Why ‘gold’? Because way back in colonial days, Spanish miners panned for gold in this very watershed. They didn’t find much… but the name stuck. And now, it adds a little shine to the legend. The pool you’ll see was one of the first recreation areas ever built in what was then called the Luquillo Forest Reserve. It was popular with families and hikers until it, too, closed to swimming. But it hasn’t been forgotten. Today, nature has reclaimed it. Moss coats the stone. Roots curl over the walls. Water still trickles through, and the air smells of wet leaves and wild orchids. Baño de Oro is currently closed to visitors while the Forest Service works to reconstruct the trail and bridge — both were damaged during Hurricane Maria. But you can still catch glimpses of the site from the roadside. This area is special — it’s actually a designated Research Natural Area, with rare plant communities and multiple forest types all in one place. Think of it like El Yunque’s laboratory — wild, living, and always changing. And here's something to ponder while we drive: some say the real ‘gold’ of Baño de Oro isn’t metal — it’s the resilience of the forest. Trees that bend but don’t break. Pools that outlive their purpose. Beauty that endures. So as we roll past, let your eyes wander through the trees. Imagine the footsteps of miners, builders, and wanderers who came before — and know that even in rest, Baño de Oro remains a treasure
Sierra Palm
Yokahú Tower
Yokahú Tower stands 69 feet tall. It sits at an elevation of about 1,575 feet above sea level. The tower was built under the U.S. Forest Service’s recreation initiative in the 1960s. Its name honors Yúcahu Bagua Maórocoti, a major Taíno deity of crops and mountains. The tower’s cylindrical shape was designed to withstand hurricane-force winds. On exceptionally clear days, you can see Culebra and Vieques islands to the east. The stairway’s walls feature local stone from nearby quarries. The name “Yokahu” was chosen to reconnect the site with pre-Columbian Puerto Rican roots. The tower’s elevation gives it a natural air-conditioning effect — it’s often 10°F cooler at the top. The tower was once used for fire surveillance before modern lookout systems were installed. Yokahu is occasionally used by bird researchers to monitor flight paths of parrots and hawks. Its observation deck doubles as a meteorological station for rainfall and wind readings.
