Hiking Ajusco from Parque San Nicolas
This route climbs to the two highest peaks in Mexico City - Ajusco and Pico El Águila. I find that the most popular out and back route to these two climbs is a bit short as well as being very difficult to reach using public transport.
This longer alternative allows you to also explore the beautiful Parque Ejidal de San Nicolas, before descending by a different path down to San Miguel Ajusco. This is one of the most spectacular climbs in Mexico, with fantastic views of both the city and surrounding mountains such as Iztaccihuatl, Popocatepetl and Nevado de Toluca.
Route Description
| Start | Distance | Elevation Gain | Difficulty | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Miguel Ajusco | 17.2km | 1,160m | Challenging | ***** |
This hike begins from the car park at Parque Ejidal de San Nicolas. To enter here you must pay a small fee at the ticket booth on the right hand side (taquilla), before following the cobbled road into the park.
Parque Ejidal San Nicolas Entrance
The first part of the hike is quite straight forward. You follow the road past a deer farm on your right hand side, before joining a scenic dirt trail through the forest. There are a lot of signs here and you are generally heading towards the Bosque Rojo (Truchas), but it is not the easiest to follow. Because of the density of different trails here, so I strongly recommend using a decent GPS.
The gradients are gentle for this first part, allowing you to appreciate the calm and mystical qualities of the forest.
Shaded forest trail
After a few kilometres you join a mountain bike route (be careful of cyclists descending - particularly on weekends) and the route begins to flatten. You follow the trail out of the park, with the first views of the Ajusco mountains appearing on your left hand side.
Follow the wide path until you reach the paved road, then turn left onto the road and continue gently downhill for a few hundred metres until you reach some restaurants. Turn right here and climb a short way up past the Albergue Alpino Ajusco to the park entrance. There can be a couple of loose barking dogs here, but they quickly lose interest if you ignore them.
View of Ajusco
You enter the Cumbres de Ajusco National Park by crossing a rope bridge. On the other side, take a slight left and begin the climb up towards Pico El Águila. This is signed most of the way, and the trail is obvious and easy to follow.
The first kilometer through the park is relatively straight forward, on dirt trails through the forest. As you emerge from the forest the gradient kicks up and the route becomes significantly more challenging.
Bridge to Cumbres de Ajusco National Park
From leaving the forest it is just over 1km to the peak, but with over 300m of elevation gain! The trail is a mixture of rock and dirt, but there is good grip and although it is physically challenging it offers no technical difficulties. This is, at least, until you reach a small peak 200m from the summit. This is a natural place to rest and admire the spectacular views
of the city and surrounding volcanoes.
Steep Climbing
The last 200m or so to Pico El Águila is the most challenging part of the hike. It is mostly grade 1 and 2 scrambling, where you will have to use your hands at times. There are no precipitous drops immediately adjacent to the trail, but you have to take care on the jagged rocks not to lose your balance.
Soon enough you will see a cross emerge, which marks the summit of Pico El Águila. Enjoy the spectacular views from here; with Popocatepetl and Iztaccihuatl dominating the skyline to the east, while Nevado de Toluca rises to the west.
Pico El Águila
After admiring the views, continue heading south, past a sign which records the statistics of the climb. There is about 200m of quite steep descending before you reach a saddle in between the two peaks. Continue straight
ahead here and climb up to Cerro Ajuco.
This is much less technical and physically demanding than the previous climb, so is well worth the effort. The top is marked by another cross (Cruz del Marqués) and at 3,930m is officially the highest point in Mexico City (and 11th highest point in all of Mexico).
Cerro Ajusco with Popocatepetl in the background
The descent begins by retracing our steps back to the saddle between the two peaks. Here you turn right on a trail that is perhaps not immediately obvious. It is marked by a series
of red ribbons tied to trees, and descends over grass and dirt for around 500m.
This is not the most enjoyable section of the hike, but after 500m you join up with a larger, more clearly defined trail which is very pleasant to hike.
The trail is marked by red ribbons on trees
Continue on the trail downhill into the forest. It is mostly easy to follow here, with the red ribbons showing you the correct path.
Towards the bottom the trail gradually widens and then turns into a cobbled road passing by some very well-to-do looking ranches. Continue along this cobbled road until you reach the paved road on the edge of San Tomas Ajusco.
View of Nevado de Toluca
The route finishes by following the road downhill for several hundred metres into Santo Tomas Ajusco. There is a nice dirt path on the left side of the road making it easier on your knees!
The end point of the hike is the bus terminal in Santo Tomas. Here you can take the number 41 bus either back to the starting point to pick up your car, or take it all the way back into Mexico City (see below for options). There are also several
shops and restaurants at this junction if you are in need of refreshments!
Road back into Santo Tomas
How to Get To Ajusco
This hike is primarily designed for users of public transport, although of course it is also possible to reach by car. To get by car, simply drive to the entrance of Parque Ejidal de San Nicolas, there is ample parking here.To return to the car at the end of the route, you can either take the bus a few stops (see below for details), you can walk down the road to the start, or can take a taxi the short distance to pick up the car.
Public Transport
There are several ways to reach the starting point by public transport, and it kind of depends which side of the city you are arriving from.Probably the easiest way is to make your way to the Azteca Stadium. To get here you can take the metro to Tasqueña and then the light rail to the Azteca Stadium.
Across the road from the stadium you will find the large Huipulco bus station. From here the number 41 bus goes to San Miguel Ajusco. This will drop you off close to the entrance to the Parque Ejidal de San Nicolas. The bus times are inconsistent, but in my experience it runs quite regularly.
Number 41 bus route
Instead of taking the metro and light train to the Aztec stadium, it is also possible to take the metrobus along Insurgentes. Leave the metrobus at station 'Corregidora'. From the bus stop next to here, you can also take the number 41 in direction of San Miguel Ajusco.
On the return, the hiking route finishes at the bus terminal on the edge of Santo Tomas Ajusco. Here you can take the 41 back to either the Azteca Stadium or to Insurgentes metrobus.
Cumbres del Ajusco & Ejidal San Nicolas
This hike begins in the beautiful Parque Ejidal de San Nicolas Totolapan. The term 'Ejidal' means that it is communal land, which traditionally belonged to the indigenous communities in Mexico.It is a fairly small, but highly enjoyable park for hiking. The area is not as mountainous as neighbouring National Parks, such as Los Dinamos or Desierto de los Leones; however, it has very enjoyable trails through forest.
There is a small park with deer close to the entrance, and as you ascend higher you will find winding single track paths through the Bosque Rojo (Red Forest).
The park is busy on weekends, particularly with mountain bikers who can at times descend quite dangerously, becuase of this we recommend visiting during the week if you can. The park has a small entry fee ($40 pesos in 2025) which goes towards the maintenance of the communal lands. Because of the controlled entrance, it is also considered to be one of the safest areas for hiking on the edge of Mexico City.
Near the entrance of the park
Cumbres de Ajusco
The Cumbres de Ajusco is the most iconic of Mexico's national parks as it contains the two highest peaks within the city limits. Pico El Águila (3,900m) and Cerro de Ajusco (3,937m) are the 11th and 13th highest peaks in Mexico. They are only a few hundred metres apart making it very easy to include both on a single hike.The views from the national park are really spectacular. To the north, the vast connurbation of Mexico City extends out in front of you. On a clear day you get a fantastic perspective of the city, from the high rise blocks of Santa Fe in the west, through the center and to the lower sprawling suburbs in the east.
View of Iztaccihuatl and Popocatepetl
This is also the best view of the Valley of MExico, which used to be covered by the large Texcoco and Xochimilco lakes in pre-Hispanic times. To the east, there are clear views of Iztaccihuatl and Popocatepetl, while the flatter crater of Nevado de Toluca is visible to the west. Malcatepec stands prominently to the south, and on the horizon you can see many other volcanoes, giving you a real feel for this spectacular landscape.
Safety
In the past, the Ajusco mountains had quite a poor reputation in terms of safety. There were numerous accounts of hikers being robbed on the slopes of the climb, particularly close to the summit. It seems as though in recent years, this situation has improved considerably with greater efforts being made to police the park.A new National Guard base was recently opened at the foot of the park and last time I visited, there were several National Guard on the trail towards the base of the park. I think that they are primarily policing illegal logging in the area, but they may also act as a deterrent towards muggers. Depending on how you feel about the security services in Mexico, you may find it reassuring or more concerning to run into heavily armed National Guards on a remote trail!
You have to scramble over rocks like this to reach the summit of Pico El Águila
In terms of the trails themselves, bear in mind that the routes here are more technical than in Mexico City's other National Parks. There is some scrambling to get to the summit of Pico El Águila. I did not wear a helmet or take poles with me as there are not so many loose rocks, but plenty of Mexico hikers do bring such safety equipment, so you should assess this risk accordingly.
The area is also inhabited by rattle snakes, which can come out to bathe on the rocks in the warm sunshine (sometimes on the trail). Parts of the trail are also overgrown and it is not always possible to see exactly where you are treading. It is worth having a plan of what to do in the very unlikely event you get bitten, as there is no cell phone reception in the mountains, and during the week you won't see too many other hikers either.
Mexico
