La Michilía Biosphere Reserve

La Michilía Biosphere Reserve is a protected natural area in the Sierra Madre Occidental mountains in the state of Durango in Northern Mexico.

Human incursions into the once wild and inaccessible area have caused the extinction of large mammals in the area. An important part of La Michilia's mission is the preservation of species and the re-introduction of animals that have become extinct in the area due to human activity. The park's operates a facility to breed endangered animals and re-introduce them to their natural habitats. They have shown particularly good results breeding lobos (Mexican gray wolf) and black bears.

Official information is available from CONANP or UNESCO.

• CONANP
• UNESCO

The reserve began as a biological research project in the early 1970s. In 1977 it was declared a Mexican Biosphere Reserve. Two years later it was declared a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

The reserve is administered for the federal government by the Comisión Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas (CONANP), the agency that manages many of Mexico's parks and natural resources.

The park's mountainous landscape is blanketed in green forests dominated by pine-oak forests. Higher elevations have evergreen species including cypress, fir and juniper. The forests lie at an elevation between 2,000 meters and 2,800 meters at the peaks. Two separate sub-ranges sandwich a lower-lying valley of rolling hills and deep ravines. The sub-ranges are called the Sierra Urica and the Sierra Michis.

Durango is known for its vast arid deserts, but La Michilia is an exception: it gets a fair amount of precipitation and acts as a water catchment area to replenish local aquifers. The reserve includes two rivers (Rio Laurel and Rio Temascal), along with several smaller screens and the occasional lagoon or marshy meadow.

UNESCO says that more than 770 vascular plants have been identified in the reserve. Conifer forests (that's "pine" in human English) dominate at higher elevations, giving way to mixed pine and oak at mid elevations, and various grasses and smaller shrubs in the lowland valleys and marshes.

Mammals include white-tail deer as well as pumas, coyotes, pronghorn antelope and a number of smaller woodland mammals like rabbits and squirrels.

Bird watchers will find a variety of mountain birds like the golden eagle. Most prevalent is a large population of wild turkeys. Also expect to find woodpeckers, nuthatches and vultures. Two particularly notable avian residents are the thick-billed parrot and the military macaw. Both of these are unique members of the parrot family that you are unlikely to spot elsewhere.

The reserve was once the home of the world's largest woodpecker species, the Imperial Woodpecker, but there have been no confirmed sightings in several decades and the species is likely extinct.

The park is cooler than normal for Durango with a temperate climate that is typically humid. During the summer months of June through October, afternoon showers or thunderstorms are common. Winters have cold nights and the occasional snowfall is likely.

The reserve is in a remote, relatively unpopulated area so there is no public transportation to the park. The best option for most travelers is to rent a 4WD truck when you land at the Durango International Airport (Aeropuerto Internacional General Guadalupe Victoria). It is about 160 km from Durango to the park. The best road is via Suichil (52 km from the reserve) or Vicente Guerrero (55 km from the reserve). Once you get past these towns the road is winding mountain roads and dirt trails ascending into the mountains.

As you exit the airport, drive west on federal highway MEX-40 for about 15 minutes, then take the exit heading southeast on federal highway MEX-45 towards Vicente Guerrero. There are three main entrances to the reserve in the towns of Vicente Guerrero, Suchil or Mezquital.

CONANP does not charge entry fees for this reserve.

Dirt roads lead into the reserve, but once there, the only way to get around is by walking. Established trails lead to points of interest and are best navigated with the services of a local guide. Guides can be hired in the towns on the edge of the reserve.

No formal campgrounds are in the reserve but backcountry camping is allowed. Everything you need must be packed in and strict Leave No Trace protocols must be observed including packing out all garbage.

• Mapimi
• Durango
• Sierra de Organos National Park