Why go
The relationship between rock and woodland gives Majalca its character. Its eroded formations belong to the Sierra Madre Occidental, while the transition from wooded heights to grassy lower ground makes it a useful contrast to a purely desert image of Chihuahua.
The full story
The Sierra de Majalca lies northwest of Chihuahua city, in a landscape of volcanic mountains and small elevated valleys. Wind and water have worn the volcanic rock into distinctive formations. The shapes are therefore part of a long process of erosion, rather than isolated curiosities placed in a uniform forest. Pine and oak woodland covers much of the mountain terrain. Lower down, grasses and small shrubs become more prominent, with junipers scattered through the transition. That change in vegetation is a useful way to read the differences between the higher ground and the surrounding steppe. The national park was established in 1939 to conserve plant and animal habitats. Conifers were planted during later reforestation efforts, adding another chapter to the woodland’s history. The Sacramento River also begins in this range before flowing toward the Chihuahua area, linking the mountain landscape with the country below.