Nature reserve Ensenada, Baja California Municipality of Ensenada
Pine forest high in the Sierra de Juárez, around Laguna Hanson: granite boulders, cabins and campsites, frozen lakes in winter.
From Mexicali: about 1 h 25 min by road (~95 km) How to get there ↓
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Tours to Parque Nacional Constitución de 1857
Day trips and guided outings from Tecate often include Parque Nacional Constitución de 1857; with a local guide you can get there without a car.
Tours from Ensenada
Las Cañadas Zipline Tour (with Luxury Roundtrip Transportation)
★ 4.9 (407) · From US$77
How to get to Parque Nacional Constitución de 1857
- From Mexicali: about 1 h 25 min by road (~95 km)
- Nearest airport: Tijuana (TIJ), 40 min by car to Tecate
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Tours from Ensenada, near Parque Nacional Constitución de 1857
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About Parque Nacional Constitución de 1857
In the middle of the Sierra de Juárez, with desert all around, sits a high plain covered in pines. This is Constitución de 1857 National Park: 5,009 hectares in Ensenada municipality, nearly all of it between 1,600 and 1,860 meters, on sandy granite soils studded with big pale boulders. A federal decree of April 27, 1962, requested by the state government, set it aside to protect the forest, its wildlife and its lakes; the name honors Mexico's liberal Constitution of 1857.
Most of the park lies in the basin known as the Hanson plain. Laguna Hanson, also called Laguna Juárez, is the main lake, at about 1,580 meters, with a smaller second lake and several shallow basins that hold water only part of the year. By late summer the water drops sharply and some lakes all but vanish; winter brings rain, the odd snowstorm and ice on the water at dawn. The lake and park became a Ramsar wetland in 2010. Expect a mountain climate rather than a coastal one: the yearly average is around 10.7 °C, and the record low is −19 °C.
The forest is one of the peninsula's main conifer stands, with Jeffrey pine, Parry pinyon and singleleaf pinyon, broken by patches of chaparral with California juniper, manzanita, chamise and sagebrush; many of the plants also grow in the Laguna and San Jacinto mountains of Southern California. Mule deer, desert bighorn sheep, cougars, bobcats, coyotes and ringtails live here, along with more than 30 kinds of bats, and golden and bald eagles, woodpeckers and ducks on the lakes. With the Sierra de San Pedro Mártir it is one of the peninsula's two great refuges for land wildlife. There is a visitor center, interpretive trails, viewpoints, campsites and rustic cabins, and canoeing and fishing when the lakes are full.
How to get to Parque Nacional Constitución de 1857
From Ensenada it is 2 h 40 min and 92 km by road: take Federal Highway 3 toward San Felipe as far as Ojos Negros, then turn north at the sign for "Acceso a Laguna Hanson". Most of the last stretch is a long, potholed dirt road; a high-clearance or 4x4 vehicle is recommended. The northern approach starts in Tecate: take Federal 2D east to La Rumorosa, then about 62 km south on dirt. From Tecate, the nearest Pueblo Mágico, it is 3 h 25 min and 110 km. Military checkpoints are common on Highways 3 and 2. There is no public transport to the park; come in your own vehicle or on a tour from Ensenada.
Directions to Parque Nacional Constitución de 1857 on Google Maps
Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.
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From the nearest cities to Parque Nacional Constitución de 1857
- Ensenada · about 95 km by road, ~1 h 25 min
- Mexicali · about 95 km by road, ~1 h 25 min
- Tecate · about 115 km by road, ~1 h 40 min
Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic or stops. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.
Before you go to Parque Nacional Constitución de 1857: hours, prices and tips
- Entry
- There is no entry fee. Tent camping is about 80 pesos a night and cabins from about 800 pesos, depending on the unit (rates as of February 2023). Wikivoyage (en) · checked Oct 2026
- Best season
- Winter is the wet season, with morning frost, the odd snowstorm and frozen lakes. Summers are warm and the lakes drop sharply or dry up. Wikivoyage (en) · checked Oct 2026
- What to bring
- Food and drinks for your whole stay: there is no store in the park, so stock up in Ojos Negros or Ensenada. Pack warm clothes even when it is hot on the coast. Wikivoyage (en) · checked Oct 2026
Hours and prices change, especially around holidays. Each fact links to where we checked it.
Visiting Parque Nacional Constitución de 1857: what to see and do
Laguna Hanson, the park's main lake, ringed by pines and granite boulders
The smaller lake and the basins that only fill in winter
The white granite boulders of the Hanson plain
Jeffrey pine and pinyon forest, the peninsula's main conifer stand
Interpretive trails and viewpoints from the visitor center
Migratory birds and ducks on the lakes
A night in a tent or a rustic cabin by the lake
Plan your trip
Places to stay in Parque Nacional Constitución de 1857
Compare hotels, posadas, and rentals in and around Parque Nacional Constitución de 1857.
Tours & activities
Day trips and guided outings from Tecate often include Parque Nacional Constitución de 1857; with a local guide you can get there without a car.
Rental cars
Pick up a car at TIJ (Tijuana): about 40 min by road to Tecate, then 89 km more to Parque Nacional Constitución de 1857, on your own schedule.
Flights
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Tijuana (TIJ), about 40 min by road from Tecate, the base for Parque Nacional Constitución de 1857.
Travel insurance
If you plan on hiking at Parque Nacional Constitución de 1857, check that your policy covers it: some plans leave adventure activities out.
Mobile data
Signal can drop away from Tecate: download a map of the way to Parque Nacional Constitución de 1857 before you set out, or carry an eSIM with data.
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When to go to Parque Nacional Constitución de 1857 mild
Parque Nacional Constitución de 1857 shares the climate of Tecate, 89 km away. The best months to visit are May, June, September, and October.
See the month-by-month climate of Tecate
Weather in Parque Nacional Constitución de 1857 now and the next 7 days
Live forecast from Open-Meteo. Chance of rain is the day's highest.
The closest Pueblo Mágico: Tecate
Tecate is the Pueblo Mágico closest to Parque Nacional Constitución de 1857, with places to stay, food, and more to see.
Closest to Parque Nacional Constitución de 1857
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Cañón de Guadalupe · Hot springs · 12 km away
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Ojos Negros · Town · 41 km away
Near Parque Nacional Constitución de 1857
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Mexicali · City
~1 h 25 min drive · 74 km
Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.
Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.