The Armando Bermudez National Park o José Armando Bermúdez National Park was established in 1956, covers an area of 767 square kilometers and, together with the neighboring José del Carmen Ramírez National Park, has the highest peaks in the Caribbean region, including the imposing Pico Duarte, where the the Yaque del Norte river, as well as several other fluvial sources, belongs to Elías Piña.
The two parks cover the surface of the entire Cordillera Central. You will find unique flora at this altitude, where temperatures range between 12ºC and -8ºC at night, including endemic Creole pines, ferns, mahogany, among others.
In the midst of these beautiful trees are numerous species of birds such as the palm cigua, the national bird of the Dominican Republic, the Hispaniolan parrot, butterflies and frogs.
You might even see the hutia, an endangered species of large rat. One of the most popular hiking trails to Pico Duarte leaves from the main office of this national park, where official guides required for the adventure can be hired, as well as mules for the two or three day trip.
The flora is mainly made up of conifers, predominantly Pinus occidentalis or cuaba pine, juniper, almond, cigua blanca, cedar, guarana, walnut, penda, yagrumo, cape, copey, grigri, among others. The ferns in this park, as well as in Armando Bermúdez, grow taller than normal.
It covers some 12 rivers, among the main ones in the country, thus contributing to the maintenance of agricultural and industrial activities. It is the support of the hydroelectric energy of the Cibao Valley. Along with Parque Ramírez, it contributes to the irrigation of 80,000 tasks (5,032 ha|50.24 km² located in the basins of the Yaque del Norte and Yaque del Sur rivers.
Due to its great height, this national park has a mountain climate that varies from the temperate oceanic climate to the humid semi-cold in the Massif Central area.
Temperatures are generally cool within this park, with averages ranging between 12 and 20 degrees Celsius. During the winter the nights are usually cold. Frosts are usually very frequent and of a moderate nature in the Macizo de la Pelona area. The minimum temperatures usually fluctuate between 9 and 12ºC, although temperatures of between -3 and 10 degrees can be reached by the passage of stationary fronts. These cold temperatures greatly encourage camping activities.
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