EL YUNQUE - Puerto Rico

El Yunque is the only tropical rainforest in the U.S. National Forest Service and Puerto Rico’s sole entry in the America the Beautiful Quarters program.

With average rainfall of over 20 feet per year, El Yunque has a diverse tropical ecosystem, hosting hundreds of unique plant species, including 88 species considered rare and 23 species exclusive to this forest. Additionally, the forest is home to Puerto Rico’s famous Coqui frog (heard in the video), and the endangered green Puerto Rican parrot, found only in El Yunque.

In 2017, the forest was nearly completely destroyed by Hurricanes Irma and Maria. Recovery efforts from the US Forest Service, The Arbor Day Foundation, and others have helped to replant and restore the forest and wildlife habitat. As of June 2021, most of the forest has recovered and nearly all of the park is again open to visitors – through a “reservation-only” online ticketing program, designed to limit the number of visitors per day.