Bosque de Arce, near Talpa de Allende (Jalisco)

Nature reserve 20 km south of Talpa de Allende

A state park protecting a cloud forest of rare Mexican maples south of Talpa; the leaves turn red and gold in autumn.

South of Talpa, on the slopes of Cerro de San Pedro below the ridge known as the Cumbre de los Arrastrados, a pocket of cloud forest hides a tree most people would never expect in western Mexico: a maple. The Bosque de Arce has been a Jalisco state park since 2016, created to protect it.

Researchers from the University of Guadalajara first reported the maples here around 2000. For years they were thought to belong to a species from Central America, until a 2017 study described them as a species of their own, Acer binzayedii, found only in Jalisco and considered critically endangered. The maples grow tall alongside pines, oaks, firs and alders in a damp, mossy forest that stays green and cool even when the valleys below are hot.

The best-known time to visit is autumn, roughly from late October into December, when the maple leaves turn yellow, orange and red. The park covers about 150 hectares, but visitors are allowed into only one section, along a marked trail, which keeps the rest of this fragile forest undisturbed.

What to see and do

Walk the marked trail through the maple and cloud forest; do not leave it.
Come in autumn to see the leaves change color.
Stop at the roadside viewpoint over the forest on the way in.
Watch for birds and orchids in the damp forest; bring binoculars.

Getting there

The forest is roughly 20 to 25 km south of Talpa, but the mountain road is slow: plan on about an hour each way. In the rainy season (roughly June to October) you will need a 4x4. The simplest option is a tour from Talpa, where the operator handles transport. Take water and a jacket, and pack out all your trash.

20 km south of Talpa de Allende

Directions from Talpa de Allende on Google Maps

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