Desierto de los Leones National Park

Desierto de los Leones National Park
IUCN category II (national park)
Location	Cuajimalpa / Álvaro Obregón, Distrito Federal, Mexico
Nearest city	Mexico City
Coordinates	19°18′46″N 99°18′23″W / 19.31264°N 99.30628°W / 19.31264; -99.30628Coordinates: 19°18′46″N 99°18′23″W / 19.31264°N 99.30628°W / 19.31264; -99.30628
Area	1,866 hectares (4,610 acres)
Established	November 27, 1917
Governing body	Secretariat of the Environment and Natural Resources

Desierto de los Leones (Desert of the Lions) National Park is located entirely within the limits of the Federal District, it stretches between Cuajimalpa and Álvaro Obregón boroughs. It is located in the Sierra de las Cruces mountain range west of the city center with an area of 1,867 hectares, representing fifteen percent of the entire Valley of Mexico. The area was used as a retreat for a religious group, thus the name Desierto (desert) means not "arid place", but not populated. The "Leones" part of the name does not refer to the animals, but rather to the original landlord's lastname.

The park's altitude varies between 2,600 and 3,700 meters above sea level, giving the area a relatively cold and damp climate. It is a forested area primarily with pines, oyamel firs and holm oaks with many brooks, ravines and waterfalls. The park is considered to be the oldest protected biosphere in Mexico. It was originally declared a forest reserve in 1876 by President Lerdo de Tejada with the intent of conserving its fresh water springs to supply Mexico City. It was later declared a national park on 27 November 1917, by President Venustiano Carranza.

The original name was "Desierto de Nuestra Señora del Carmen de los Montes de Santa Fe", but over time it was modified by people in nearby communities who started calling it Desierto de los Leones. It was given the name "desert" due to the location of the park that was built in a place far away from the city. There are two versions that explain why people started naming it de Los Leones. The first one says that the name was given due to the large amount of wild felines that lived in that region. The second version is attributed to the last name of a family that helped the religious order acquire legal possession of the property. Since the friars could not perform secular charges directly, they relied on the Leon family so that they could represent them before the Spanish Crown. While this beautiful forest served as a connector between Mexico City and Toluca, the order of barefoot Carmelites chose this place to edify a convent that served as a retirement and a place of meditation far away from the restlessness of the city.