Nevado de Toluca National Park
[3] There are a number of archeological sites in the park, including the lakes themselves, which contain numerous offerings of copal and other items that were deposited during the pre-Hispanic period.[4] The park offers activities such as hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding as well as limited skiing facilities.The rural population which lives in and around the park has been involved with agriculture, illegal logging, mineral and soil extraction here.[2] Another problem that the trees being cut are the healthiest, leaving the weakest and sick behind,[9] making the remaining forests susceptible to pests and diseases.[6] The deforestation of the park follows the general trend of this heavily populated area, were 100 hectares of wild lands are lost due to development.[12] This includes the illegal dumping of trash and damage to the crater area by automobiles which had been allowed to drive onto the soft sandy soil here.More than 20% of the park is considered to be highly damaged, mostly in the higher elevations due to automobiles and grazing by livestock.There are two routes from the parking area to the crater, a longer, flatter one and the Paso del Quetzal, which is considerably steeper.[7] The park extends over 51,000 hectares,[16] and includes parts of twelve municipalities principally those of Toluca, Zinacantepec and Calimaya.The erosion has formed ravines with steep sides and 15 cm deep, which does not allow for the seepage of water into the subsoil.[15] The park is named after the feature it is meant to protect, the Nevado de Toluca or Xinantecatl volcano, with the main entrance in the community of Las Raíces, Temascaltepec.[19] The volcano has long been extinct and is Mexico's fourth tallest peak at 4,690 meters above sea level.[3] Its Nahuatl name, Xinantecatl is translates as "naked lord", a reference to the fact that the top of the volcano is above the tree line with only rock and grassland and devoid of snow most of the year.Its name in Matlatzinca is Nro’maani Nechhútatá "House of the God of Waters" and in Otomi it is called Tastobo "White Mountain".[4][5][20] The crater floor is at 4,558 meters above sea level,[16] formed by rock that seals the opening of this long-extinct volcano.[3] The summit area can be snowy from November to March, and is sometimes good for off-trail cross-country skiing, but the park closes during the heaviest snowfalls.Bernardino de Sahagún wrote about the lakes as a place where the indigenous held ceremonies and sacrifices.[3] The park has a number of sporting facilities, including numerous paths for mountain biking, hiking, ATV's and horseback riding.
TolucaMexico StateNevado de Tolucaillegal loggingMexico Citysoil qualitycrater of the volcanodeforestationToluca ValleyLerma Rivergroundwaterbiosphere reservepiedmontBalsas RiverTemascaltepecNahuatlMatlatzincacross-country skiingPopocatépetlBernardino de SahagúnzenithArchangel MichaelUniversidad Autónoma del Estado de MéxicoMonterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education, TolucaCosmovitralModelo Museum of Science and IndustryCalixtlahuacaToluca CathedralNational parks of MexicoArchipiélago Espíritu SantoArrecife AlacranesArrecifes de CozumelBahía de LoretoBarranca del CupatitzioBasaseachic FallsBenito JuárezBosencheveCabo PulmoCañón del Río BlancoCañón del SumideroCerro de GarnicaCerro de la EstrellaCerro de Las CampanasCofre de PeroteConstitution 1857Cumbres de MajalcaCumbres de MonterreyCumbres del AjuscoDesierto de los LeonesDzibilchantunEl CimatarioEl GogorrónEl Histórico CoyoacánEl PotosíEl TepeyacEl TepoztecoEl VeladeroFuentes Brotantes de TlalpanGeneral Juan N. ÁlvarezGrutas de CacahuamilpaHuatulcoInsurgente José María Morelos y PavónInsurgente Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla (La Marquesa)Isla ContoyIsla IsabelIslas MarietasIztaccíhuatl–PopocatépetlLa Malinche (Matlalcuéyatl)Lago de CamécuaroLagunas de ChacahuaLagunas de MontebelloLagunas de ZempoalaLos MármolesLos RemediosMineral del ChicoMolino de Flores NezahualcóyotlPalenquePico de OrizabaSacromonteSan Lorenzo Marine ArchipelagoSierra de San Pedro MártirSierra de ÓrganosVeracruz Reef SystemVolcán Nevado de Colima