Route Through Chipinque

Join Kevin Daniel Romero Hernández on his Route Through Chipinque, a natural escape where the contrast between the city and the forest becomes evident along scenic trails, wooden boardwalks, and lookouts overlooking Monterrey.

The route of this natural escape began upon arriving in San Pedro Garza García, the urban sector bordering the reserve, and the area of greatest economic development in the city, so the contrast between the urban and the natural was immediate.

The contrast between the urban and the natural was immediate.

Upon entering the reserve, you can immediately observe the characteristic profiles of the Sierra Madre towards the top, highlighting the section known as “la eme” (the letter m), and in the lower part the different strata of vegetation of the temperate forest, only interrupted by the access road and the visitor center.

From there I continued along a scenic path, which, being moderately sloped, narrow, and rocky, made the journey challenging. From this point on, I was already in contact with the native wildlife, evident in the songs of the various bird species.

Upon reaching certain points along the road, the horizon allowed one to observe from a distance the characteristic profile of the urban sprawl, highlighting the skyscrapers of different heights, which contrasted sharply with the tranquility of the immediate green environment where I was.

Ave registrada durante el trayecto / Bird observed during the journey
Fotografía / Photography: Kevin Daniel Romero Hernández

After walking for a few minutes, the path forked in several directions; however, the one I chose to continue gave me the surprise of becoming a path intervened by means of a wooden walkway in its natural finish that went into the middle of the forest and made the journey more comfortable, in some sections with steps highlighted in red, and in other sections in a continuous and level way.

Pasarela de madera recorrida / Wooden boardwalk trail
Fotografía / Photography: Kevin Daniel Romero Hernández

As I continued my journey along this path, after a few minutes, and dazzled by the peace that came from walking alone through this natural space, I froze when I saw a white-tailed deer, which was also calmly watching me from about 33 feet away. This moment was one of the most memorable of my journey through this forest.

The highest point of my route was reaching the “Loma Florida” (Flowery Hill) elevation, at 1,162 meters above sea level (3,812 feet). Here I had one of the best views of the journey, where I observed the “Cerro de la Silla” (Saddle Hill) on one side, and on the other, the western part of the city.

Cerro de la silla / Cerro de la silla
Fotografía / Photography: Kevin Daniel Romero Hernández

On the way down, I chose another path to return, which was more rugged, but allowed me to observe new landscapes, and contemplate other species such as butterflies, caterpillars, tiny flowers and tall oak trees.