Bosque Urbano de San Patricio: A Little Forest in the City
6/21- Volunteers and groups did a great job cleaning up forest and it has now reopened with a limited schedule and occupancy and it will be visits by appointment only! Wed- Fri 9am-3pm, and the last Saturday of every month 9am-3pm.
I think nature is amazing, how it slowly and quietly rejuvenates, and how it always wins. This is true of anything it touches. The Bosque Urbano de San Patricio is a great example of nature reclaiming a concrete jungle. This park is a nice place to walk around, or bike with the family.
In the 1960s, this area was used as a housing area for the US Navy, with roads, sidewalks, and concrete houses. By the end of the 1970s, the buildings were demolished and the housing development was abandoned. After many years, the area was protected to let is become a forested area — a preserved open space for future generations. The Departamento De Recursos Naturales y Ambientales (DRNA) is in charge of the area, and it is well maintained.
Our Visit
I did not know the history (or anything) about this forest when we went to visit. It is at the end of a street … just the gate and a sign. You park on the street, and walk in. The gates may be open at some time, I don’t know, but there is handicapped parking inside.
There is a map of the forest as you walk in … it was a bit confusing to us … all the trails are straight from one end to another. As we walked, we could see piles of rubble, sidewalks, sewer grates, and even old fire hydrants. It really gave us the creeps … a “Planet of the Apes” feel! But it was quiet, there were birds everywhere, and there was quite a healthy mixture of plants and trees.
Later, after a little research, we realized what it was, and it makes perfect sense! The “trails” are the old paved roads through the housing development. The forest is moving in and covering all the rubble piles of the old buildings. Many of the landscaping plants are now mixing in with the wild plants. It is a forest, and if you look closely, you see how nature will beautify even the ugliest things left behind by humans.
While we were there, we saw a few families, some kids on bikes, parents pushing strollers, and people walking their dogs. Everyone enjoying themselves. It was a nice way to spend an hour. I have seen prettier forest areas in Puerto Rico, but this one was interesting!
One noteworthy thing is that, since a lot of it is paved, there are a decent amount of “trails” that are wheelchair accessible.
Details
There is no admission fee to use this park.
By appointment only! Call 787-268-5353 or 211 in PR for info. Wed- Fri 9am-3pm and the last Saturday of every month. 9am-3pm.
Check out their Facebook page for the most recent developments.
From Calle Roosevelt (Route 23), turn at the gas station and Los Borinquen Towers onto Calle Ensenada, and contine to the end to the park gate. Park on the street, and make sure not to block anyone’s driveway.
We are in the process of updating the maps we use on our web site. While we're working on that, you can click on the GPS coordinates below to view the location on Google Maps ...
- Bosque Urbano de San Patricio: (18.410556, -66.094589)
PuertoRicoDayTrips.com assumes no responsibility regarding your safety when participating in the activities described in this article. Please use common sense! If your mother or that little voice in your head tells you that you are about to do something stupid … then don't do it!
I believe that the personnel mentioned by Mr. Robert, were gone by the time we lived there. I recall the community center and the out door movie area. There was also a bar with a sidling door so that dependent mirrors could buy a soda. Also a small PX. Library across the street. We would always attend mass outside the housing area. The walk was long and my mother made us wear heels and nylons, with a black head veil, not fun. The church is still there and on recent trip to Puerto Rico , we all wore pair of heels and nylons and walk to mass with my two( two of six) of sisters, it was fun. Haven't done that in years. My father retired after 30 years. Puerto Rico was one the best. We all attend Buchanan High School.
Comment by Robertajune Driesen on 26 Jul 2021