Mount Apo National Park, Philippines

Mount Apo National Park is a national park in the southern Filipino island of Mindanao. It encompasses Mount Apo, the tallest mountain in the Philippines. The national park was established in 1936 by President Manuel L. Quezon. The park covers 54,974.87 hectares with two buffer zones of 2,571.73 hectares and 6,506.4 hectares.

Mount Apo National Park is home to a rich variety of Filipino wildlife. Over a hundred endemic species of bird species have been documented in the national park, which is also a sanctuary for the Philippine Eagle, the national bird of the Philippines.

Located within Mount Apo National Park is the namesake mountain, a 2,954-meter (9,692-foot) volcano with a 500-meter (1,600-foot) crater. There is a crater lake in the center. So far, the volcano has not erupted in recent times, at least, none has been recorded. It is today a popular destination for climbers. Unfortunately, poor maintenance and weak enforcement of the climbing trails have resulted in the area being littered by irresponsible visitors, despite attempts by regular climbers at cleaning up.

Visiting Mount Apo National Park

The nearest city to Mount Apo National Park is Davao City, located some 25 km (16 mi) to the northeast.

Sulfur vent on Mount Apo
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mount_Apo_sulfur_vent3.JPG
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