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    Parque Sierra Morelos 1, Parque Estatal Sierra Morelos, Estado de México

    Photo by DimidioV, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Parque Estatal Sierra Morelos

    Nature reserve Toluca, Estado de México Municipality of Toluca Toluca Valley

    1,255 hectares of wooded hills and lakes on Toluca's northern edge: trails of up to 9 km, picnic shelters and an axolotl house under repair.

    From Toluca: 10 min by car (7 km by road) How to get there ↓

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    Compare hotels, posadas and guest houses in Parque Estatal Sierra Morelos.

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    Tours to Parque Estatal Sierra Morelos

    Day trips and guided outings from Metepec often include Parque Estatal Sierra Morelos; with a local guide you can get there without a car.

    Tours from Mexico City Teotihuacan pyramids morning or afternoon without tourist traps ★ 4.9 (10,269) · From US$59
    Find tours on Viator GetYourGuide

    How to get to Parque Estatal Sierra Morelos

    • From Toluca: about 10 min by road (~7 km)
    • Nearest airport: Toluca (TLC), 17 min by car to Metepec
    Rent a car at TLC Flights to TLC

    Route, map and directions ↓

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    Tours from Mexico City, near Parque Estatal Sierra Morelos

    Teotihuacan pyramids morning or afternoon without tourist traps ★ 4.9 (10,269) 5 h 30 min From US$59
    Balloon flight + Breakfast in cave + Pyramids + Pick up CDMX. ★ 4.9 (8,170) 2–8 h From US$149
    Xochimilco, Coyoacan and Frida Kahlo with Optional Lunch ★ 4.5 (8,395) 9 h From US$40
    Balloon flight + pick up in CDMX + Breakfast in Cave + Pyramids ★ 4.9 (7,685) 4–7 h From US$157
    Teotihuacan Hot Air Balloon Flight from Mexico City / Volare ★ 4.8 (4,447) 3–9 h From US$144

    Tours, prices and ratings from Viator, checked weekly. We may earn a commission if you book.

    About Parque Estatal Sierra Morelos

    To people in Toluca, the Sierra Morelos is the green hill on the north side of town, between Toluca and Zinacantepec. The state declared it a state park on 22 July 1976, and Governor Jorge Jiménez Cantú opened it a week later with 394.96 hectares; another 860 were added in 1981, bringing it to today's 1,255. It is run by the state parks and wildlife commission, Cepanaf, and is one of the State of Mexico's protected natural areas.

    The ground is a mix of ridges and gullies covered in oak, pine and fir forest, with tejocote and capulín trees, scrub, agaves and prickly pears, and three artificial lakes on the flatter land. Migratory birds such as the Mexican duck and the American white pelican stop here, and white-tailed deer live in the woods. The trail network climbs and drops by up to 307 m; the most popular route is the 8.9 km central loop through forest, open grassland and stretches without shade. The park is also busy with runners, mountain bikers and families picnicking under the shelters, and there are sports pitches, a jogging track, an open-air stage and cabins.

    In 2022 a science park opened inside it, the Parque de la Ciencia Sierra Morelos, with a wetland, a bird-watching island, a bat house, a small farm and an axolotl house showing species from the Lerma basin, a pavilion raised over the water that won an Architecture MasterPrize. The axolotl house closed for renovation on 8 February 2024, and when El Universal visited in April 2025 it was still shut, as were the farm and the zip line, so ask Cepanaf what is open before you go. The rest of the park, its woods, lakes and trails, remains the closest stretch of countryside for anyone living in Toluca.

    How to get to Parque Estatal Sierra Morelos

    Drive from Toluca: 10 min, 7 km

    The park sits on the northern edge of Toluca, about 5 km in a straight line from the centre, near San Mateo Oxtotitlán and the La Teresona neighbourhood on the Zinacantepec border; the access streets are Calle del Parque Sierra Morelos, Filiberto Navas and Agustín Melgar. From central Toluca take the road towards Zinacantepec and follow the park signs; there is parking, which fills up at weekends. By public transport, ride a Toluca–Zinacantepec bus to the nearest stop and walk the short distance from there.

    From Mexico City, drive the Mexico–Toluca toll highway (15D), or take the El Insurgente train from Observatorio to Toluca Centro station. Buses also leave every few minutes from the western Observatorio terminal for Toluca's main bus station, and a taxi covers the last stretch to the park. Metepec, the nearest Pueblo Mágico, is about 12 km to the south-east in a straight line.

    Directions to Parque Estatal Sierra Morelos on Google Maps

    Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.

    Where to stay Hotels in Parque Estatal Sierra Morelos Compare hotels, posadas and guest houses in Parque Estatal Sierra Morelos. See prices →

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    From the nearest cities to Parque Estatal Sierra Morelos

    Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic or stops. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.

    Before you go to Parque Estatal Sierra Morelos: hours, prices and tips

    Hours
    Open daily, 7 am to 5 pm. Wikivoyage · checked Oct 2026
    Entry
    Admission is 35 pesos for adults and 15 pesos for children aged 3 to 12. México Desconocido; Chilango · checked Oct 2026
    Best time of day
    Arrive early for fewer people and cooler air; the viewpoints are at their best around sunrise or sunset. México Desconocido · checked Oct 2026
    What to bring
    Water, sunscreen, insect repellent, walking shoes and layers: mornings are cold and midday is hot. México Desconocido · checked Oct 2026
    Rules
    Leave no rubbish and stay on the marked trails. México Desconocido · checked Oct 2026

    Hours and prices change, especially around holidays. Each fact links to where we checked it.

    Visiting Parque Estatal Sierra Morelos: what to see and do

    Walk the 8.9 km central loop through oak and pine forest, grassland and viewpoints.
    Have a picnic under the shelters beside the artificial lakes.
    Look for birds at the wetland and the bird-watching island: Mexican ducks and, in winter, pelicans.
    Go early for a run or a mountain-bike ride on the trails.
    Come at sunrise or sunset for the view over the Toluca Valley.
    Ask whether the science park's axolotl house has reopened.

    Plan your trip

    Places to stay in Parque Estatal Sierra Morelos

    Compare hotels, posadas, and rentals in and around Parque Estatal Sierra Morelos.

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    Tours & activities

    Day trips and guided outings from Metepec often include Parque Estatal Sierra Morelos; with a local guide you can get there without a car.

    Viator GetYourGuide

    Rental cars

    Pick up a car at TLC (Toluca): about 17 min by road to Metepec, then 12 km more to Parque Estatal Sierra Morelos, on your own schedule.

    EconomyBookings Discover Cars

    Flights

    The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Toluca (TLC), about 17 min by road from Metepec, the base for Parque Estatal Sierra Morelos.

    Kiwi.com

    Travel insurance

    If you plan on hiking at Parque Estatal Sierra Morelos, check that your policy covers it: some plans leave adventure activities out.

    SafetyWing

    Mobile data

    Signal can drop away from Metepec: download a map of the way to Parque Estatal Sierra Morelos before you set out, or carry an eSIM with data.

    Airalo

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    When to go to Parque Estatal Sierra Morelos cool

    Parque Estatal Sierra Morelos shares the climate of Metepec, 12 km away. The best months to visit are January, February, March, and December.

    See the month-by-month climate of Metepec

    The closest Pueblo Mágico: Metepec

    Red Calvario chapel at the top of its long stairway, Metepec, Estado de México cool
    Estado de México Metepec

    Metepec is the Pueblo Mágico closest to Parque Estatal Sierra Morelos, with places to stay, food, and more to see.

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    Near Parque Estatal Sierra Morelos

    Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.

    Lists with Parque Estatal Sierra Morelos

    Nature Parks in Estado de México · 13 Nature Parks near Toluca · 15 Nature Parks near Metepec · 16 Nature Parks near Malinalco · 17 Nature Parks near Valle de Bravo · 9 Nature Parks near Villa del Carbón · 11 Nature Parks near Ixtapan de la Sal · 10 Nature Parks near Tonatico · 10

    Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.