Stone Pathway Through the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve

The Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Preserve covers roughly 10,500 hectares along the Continental Divide in Costa Rica's Tilarán Mountains. Established in 1972 by the Tropical Science Center, it protects one of the country's last large tracts of primary cloud forest. Elevations within the reserve range from about 1,440 to 1,860 meters, a range that produces the near-constant moisture and fog for which the ecosystem is known. Stone and gravel paths like this one give researchers and visitors access to the reserve's network of trails, which stretch over roughly 13 kilometers combined. The preserve is home to more than 2,500 plant species and over 400 species of birds, including the resplendent quetzal.