Parque Nacional Soberanía

This is a true tropical forest, and it’s one of the most accessible in the world. Its 22,000 hectares extend along the east bank of the Panama Canal, ending at Lago Gatún near the town of Limón. The wildlife is amazing, especially considering how close the park is to population centers. Among its inhabitants are 525 species of birds, 105 species of mammals, 55 species of amphibians, and 79 species of reptiles.

All its well-maintained trails are a short drive from Panama City, making it quite feasible to go for a morning hike during which there’s a chance of encountering such tourist-pleasing critters as sloths, coatimundis, toucans, and kinkajous, and then be back in the heart of the city in time for lunch in an air-conditioned restaurant. There are also two very different kinds of ecotourist resorts—the Canopy Tower and Gamboa Rainforest Resort—bordering the park, for those who’d like to stay overnight in comfortable surroundings.

 A section of the famous Camino de Cruces (Las Cruces Trail), which has a history dating to the 16th century, runs through the park. To reach it by car, continue straight when the road forks just past the railroad overpass with “1929” carved in it. The road, Madden Road (don’t expect a street sign), will pass through a forest which, sadly, is often strewn with litter. There’s a parking area and picnic tables on the left after 6.3 kilometers. The trailhead is well marked. It’s possible to hike this trail for about five or six hours to the Chagres and even camp along it. For just a glimpse of this storied trail, walk at least five minutes along it and you’ll come to a section where the ancient paving stones that once lined the trail have been restored. In the dry season, you may have to brush aside dead leaves to find them. (Use your boot to do this, not your hand, as there are still some poisonous snakes in the forest.)

If you turn left toward Gamboa instead of continuing straight, the first major trail will be the wide, flat Plantation Road. It’s a right turn off the highway; follow the Canopy Tower signs. The entrance to the trail is on the left at the base of the road leading to the Canopy Tower.

Farther along the main road is Sendero El Charco (Pond Trail), also on the right. This is a very short (844 meters) trail that can easily be skipped. A little waterfall near the entrance sure looked a lot bigger and nicer when I was a kid. A barbecue area on the premises attracts hordes of families on the weekends.

The best trail for viewing bird life is the famous Pipeline Road (Camino del Oleoducto). To get there, cross over the one-lane bridge leading into Gamboa. Continue straight. After about three kilometers the road will fork; take the left fork onto the gravel road. The swampy area to the right, just before Pipeline Road, is worth checking out on the way back from an early-morning birding trip. At around 8–9 a.m., as the forest warms up, there’s an excellent chance of spotting capybaras, the world’s largest rodents, on the far side of the clearing. A couple of kilometers past this area there’s a “Parque Nacional Soberanía” sign indicating you’ve reached Camino del Oleoducto. Make a right here and park. There’s talk about eventually building a major interpretive center at the entrance to the road, but it hadn’t happened the last time I visited the area.

For the first six kilometers or so the forest is mostly secondary growth. You’ll see dozens of species of birds if you arrive early. There’s a slight chance of finding anteaters, howler monkeys, white-faced capuchins, Geoffroy’s tamarin, green iguanas, agoutis, coatimundis, or two- and three-toed sloths. Serious birders will want to continue past this area into old-growth forest, where there’s a possibility of seeing such rare specimens as yellow-eared toucanets, crimson-bellied woodpeckers, sirystes, and other gorgeous birds that will impress even those who don’t know a russet antshrike from a slaty-winged foliage-gleaner. The unbelievably lucky may see an endangered harpy eagle, but don’t count on it. Pipeline Road continues for many kilometers, but the bridges over streams are not well-maintained these days. Bridge collapses can curtail a long hike. Note: Get here by dawn to see this famous birding road in all its feathered glory. It’s worth the loss of sleep.

Hiking and camping permits are available at the ANAM office at the edge of the park, conveniently located before any of the trails. It’s on Gaillard Highway at the fork just past the narrow overpass; you can’t miss the huge Parque Nacional Soberanía sign. The office is officially open 8 a.m.–4 p.m. weekdays, but the staff live in the little house behind the office so there should always be someone there to take your money. Entrance fee is $3, which gives visitors access to all the trails for the day. The camping fee is another $5. Bear in mind there are no developed camping sites (though there are some facilities at Sendero El Charco) and this is a tropical forest. Those planning an early-morning hike can probably pay on the way back without a problem. But otherwise ask about the conditions of the trails, especially Pipeline Road, before venturing out. Note that the Camino de Cruces is quite a hike from the other trails; Gamboa-bound buses take passengers only as far as the fork to Gamboa, after which you’ll have to hoof it for six kilometers unless you can flag down a ride. It’s much more convenient to take a taxi from Panama City or go with a tour group to this trail.