Celaque
National Park 
Page 4 of 4
Trail Description of Celaque National Park and Cloud Forest
The trail starts behind the visitor center (1400 meters) and crosses two rivers before starting steep switchbacks. You will hike about an hour and a half before you reach the first plateau "Area de Descanso" (rest area). To see the waterfall, take the path to the right labeled "Sendero Mirador de la Cascada" (trail to the waterfall view). I hear the hike is about an hour, but is only worthwhile in the spring when the water volume is highest.
Just past the trail to the waterfall is a sign reading "Zona Nuclea." Public lands in Honduras are arranged in concentric circles, where the center rings are protected, but farming is allowed on the periphery. The protected area starts here, at 1800 meters above sea level.
From here, the trail crosses five small rivers and is not as steep as the early switchbacks. The forest is dense and offers few areas with vistas. If you don’t plan on hiking to the actual cloud forest, a good place to stop is the third river crossing. Here you can relax in an open area with a view of the sky and a small waterfall.
Small waterfall at river crossing #3
Two and a half hours hike from the visitor’s center is the camp named Don Thomas at 2050 meters. It is literally a tin shack built by scientists 10 years ago and open to hikers. It’s not a place I would sleep in. It’s only about 12 feet square and 6 feet high. The "beds" are wood frames with a few pieces of rotting rope strung across. Makeshift tarps poorly cover the holes in the roof. A better choice is to bring a tent and set it up on one of the several flat places around the shack.
The tin shack at Don Thomas camp
From here, the trail is VERY steep, with each step ranging in height from knee to chest above the last. This is dangerous hiking - almost technical climbing to be more precise. Returning down this incline is even more precarious. I slipped over a dozen times, saved only by grasping trees to catch my fall. There is no water in this area, so remember to bring plenty of your own. The dangerous hike is rewarded by a change in vegetation. Up to this point the trees are mostly pines and conifers with ferns dotted in between. Above this point is where you start seeing interesting vegetation – densely packed plants and trees with broad, irregular shaped leaves.
At 2560 meters, after 4 hours of hiking is the El Naranjo (orange) camp. There is no actual shelter here; it is just a flat place to put up your tent. El Naranjo marks the beginning of the actual "Bosque Nublado" (cloud forest). Here the air is cool and moist and the surroundings quiet. The trees are massive and the foliage is lush; moss and vines cover everything. If you have the patience, you may be able to see the colorful Quetzal bird. From here you have two more hours of hiking before you reach the summit of Las Minas. Though the trail is little used, it is nevertheless marked and not as steep as the terrain behind it.
Celaque Cloud Forest canopy
The times given are approximate. If you are not in very good physical shape and are not accustomed to the elevation it will probably take longer.
Animal life in the park can be elusive. There are many animals, but you must be very quiet to encounter them. Early mornings are reportedly the best time to spot animals, in particular the Quetzal. During my eight hour hike in the park I saw deer, snakes, birds, squirrels and insects.
Celaque
National Park
Page 4 of 4