Puerto Rico is home to El Yunque National Forest, the only tropical rainforest in the U.S. National Forest System.
El Yunque covers mountainous terrain in northeastern Puerto Rico and is known for heavy rainfall, waterfalls, rivers, and dense vegetation. The forest’s highest point is El Yunque Peak, which rises to about 1,080 metres.
The protected area was formerly called the Caribbean National Forest. It was renamed El Yunque National Forest in 2007, reflecting the mountain and forest’s long-standing local identity.
El Yunque is not the largest rainforest in the Caribbean, nor is it the only tropical rainforest on a Caribbean island. Its distinction concerns the U.S. National Forest System. Puerto Rico is an unincorporated U.S. territory, not a U.S. state.