Cerro Kamuk (also known as Cerro Pico Blanco) is a mountain in the Cordillera de Talamanca, in La Amistad International Park , in eastern Costa Rica , close to the border with Panama . It rises to 3,549 metres (11,644 ft) above sea level. It is one of the highest mountains in Central America. Indigenous peoples of the area include the Bribris and Cabecar . The area protected comprised four national parks clustered together that became La Amistad Biosphere Reserve . UNESCO declared it a natural World Heritage Site in 1983. It is part of the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor , UNESCO's project shared by eight Central American countries (Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras, Belize, Guatemala and Mexico) to help protect the remaining pristine mountain forest and wildlife of Central America .
6-468: A trail has been established to access the peak, which begins in the small community of Tres Colinas (Tres Colinas can be accessed by four-wheel drive from the town of Portero Grande). Access to the trail is primarily managed through the community-based organization called Asotur Tres Colinas. The National System of Conservation Areas or SINAC also has a station in Tres Colinas, but as of March 2020 it
12-474: A guide when entering the park via the Cerro Kamuk trail. The trail follows the ridge and crosses many other peaks including: Kutsi, Bekom, Kasir, Nai, Dudo, and Apri before arriving at Kamuk. Water is only easily accessible at camp areas. The trail to Kamuk begins amidst former agricultural lands that are being reclaimed by forest, and then enters montane oak forest rich with epiphytes , at higher elevation
18-435: Is not being staffed. The trek is 55 kilometers round trip with three designated camp areas along the route. Camp 1 is located just after kilometer 10 kilometres (6 mi) along a small creek, camp 2 is at kilometer 18 kilometres (11 mi) and also along a creek, and camp 3 is at kilometer 25 kilometres (16 mi), and the summit is at 27.5 kilometres (17 mi). Asotur currently requires that all parties be accompanied by
24-687: Is part of the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE) of Costa Rica . It is the administrator for the nation's national parks, conservation areas, and other protected natural areas. Created in 1994, it combined three previously separate organisations that had managed laws relating to national parks , wildlife , and forestry . SINAC oversees over 160 protected areas, of which 30 are designated National Parks. Other areas are designated wildlife refuges, biological reserves, national monuments, forest reserves, national wetlands, and protected zones. The entire country of 12,596,690 acres (50,977 km²)
30-515: Is under the jurisdiction of eleven large Conservation Areas which were created in 1998, overseen by divisions of SINAC. Over 25% of the national territory, i.e. 3,221,636 acres (13,037 km²) is included in the national parks, refuges, and protected zones within these eleven Conservation Areas. Costa Rica's progressive policies on environmental protection and sustainable eco-tourism in the National Parks System have been lauded as
36-498: The trail passes through peat bogs, and eventually enters páramo . Chusquea bamboo is common along the trail especially at higher elevation. The area is home to abundant wildlife including puma, jaguar, tayra , brocket deer and tapir . This Costa Rican location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . National System of Conservation Areas National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC, Spanish : Sistema Nacional de Áreas de Conservación )
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