Many years ago a friend spoke to me of the Great Rocks of Quila: “They are simply a climber’s dream,” he said “Too bad they are located in the middle of nowhere,” he added and started studying the best way to get to the Sierra de Quila located about 75 kilometers southwest of Guadalajara asking for directions at every farm house and backtracking frequently Finally we ended up camped on a bluff overlooking a vast forest dotted with several truly impressive rock formations with sheer faces 100 meters high we hiked through the pine forest to several of the monoliths and along the way discovered spectacular multicolored meadows bursting with thousands of wildflowers We also came upon what I considered a very ordinary-looking turtle but when I published a photo of it years later on the internet They are extremely rare and you were very lucky to see one I want to organize a hunt to find out if there are any more left in the Sierra de Quila.” the Sierra de Quila had been declared a protected area and reasonably drivable roads had been built offering access to it Today there are signs showing you where to go several designated camping areas and even a few rangers to make sure visitors follow the rules driving from Guadalajara to the little town of Tecolotlán From here a long and winding road takes you north into the park Even before leaving Tecolotlán we learned all about Quila’s attractions at the park’s little office in town which are famous for their ability to regenerate lost limbs.” delicate Lumholtz’s pines (Pinus lumholtzii) visiting several of the magnificent waterfalls and exploring the extensive ruins of La Máquina a water-powered sawmill which must have been truly impressive in the days before electricity was available It soon became obvious to us that every inch of this forest is dramatically beautiful and refreshing to walk or drive through The protected area covers over 15,000 hectares, but it has many roads and you can find your way around easily using a map available here The park has four designated campsites featuring running water as well as clean and working toilets I spent a night under the stars with friends who promised to guide me to nearby Huehuentón Peak via a trail through the woods we started our hike by crossing a bridge over a small stream behind the museum soft carpet of pine needles through which the first tiny wildflowers of the rainy season were poking their heads At two points we intersected with a dirt road by which you can get close to Huehuentón Peak by car you’d also miss fascinating creatures we spotted along the way such as a mother scorpion carrying her babies on her back and a “National Congress of Ladybugs” all meeting on one plant — not to mention the breathtakingly beautiful forest was taken by the rise in altitude from 2,146 meters to 2,565 meters we covered the distance from La Ciénega to the peak in two hours The last part of the route is up rustic steps to a gap between two tall rocks where our leader shouted to us: “Better put on your coats before you get up here — it’s freezing!” the wind was howling and the view was overwhelming A short scramble with a guide rail for protection got us up to the top of a narrow pinnacle where there is barely room for a repeater antenna and a tiny one-room house where a ranger keeps watch for forest fires 24 hours a day only a 360-degree view of one of the most beautiful forests you could ever imagine If you would like to visit the Sierra de Quila Nature Reserve the drive should take a bit less than three hours either from Guadalajara or the Lake Chapala area Because some roads leading to the park are unusually steep I recommend that you go there via the town of Tecolotlán Just ask Google maps to take you to “La Cienega Sierra de Quila,” where you’ll find the park headquarters with Huehuentón Peak only 2.6 kilometers to the northeast as the crow flies on your way to La Ciénega from Tecolotlán you’ll pass the impressive Cascada de Santa Rosa The writer has lived near Guadalajara, Jalisco, for more than 30 years and is the author of A Guide to West Mexico’s Guachimontones and Surrounding Area and co-author of Outdoors in Western Mexico. More of his writing can be found on his website ADVERTISE WITH MND COMMUNITY GUIDELINES Subscription FAQ's Privacy Policy Mexico News Daily - Property of Tavana LLC This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page.