Cumbres Del Ajusco National Park
Occupying at least one third of the Federal District, the Ajusco mountain range easily makes up the largest expanse of wilderness in the immediate vicinity of Mexico City, although ever-growing suburbs are climbing higher and higher.

Still, the 12,894-foot summit of Cerro Ajusco — the park's tallest peak — has a quiet and isolated feel.

Several trails crisscross the park, but the summit is easy enough to find: Just go up. You will begin hiking through a thick pine forest on Ajusco's steep lower slopes before breaking the treeline. From there, whatever trail you are on will gravitate toward the nearest ridge and lead you to the summit.

Ajusco is best climbed on a clear, sunny day, when you will be able to see the surrounding countryside, Mexico City to the north and perhaps Izta and Popo to the southeast.

Getting to Ajusco: Take a taxi from your hotel, or take the metro to the Universidad stop, on the south end of Line 3. Buses will be waiting outside, and their drivers can give you further instructions. You will eventually have to take a taxi to the trailhead.

Nevado De Toluca
Mexico's fourth-highest mountain, the Nevado de Toluca is a massive, extinct volcano that looms tall and lonesome over the valley below.

It is Mexico's most accessible major peak, with a dirt road that winds up its slopes, above the treeline and right into its gaping caldera at about 13,800 feet above sea level.

The best way to get to Nevado de Toluca is to take a bus to the city of Toluca, at the foot of the mountain, and from there either rent a car or take a taxi the remaining distance.

Once on the mountain, you may either explore the moonlike landscape of the caldera and its two cold, turquoise lakes, or climb to the summit, which at 15,354 feet is higher than any peak in the United States outside of Alaska.

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While mantled with snow during the winter months, hence its name ("nevado" means "snowy"), the Nevado generally requires little or no specialized equipment or expertise to climb during the summer.

The best route to the summit is along the knife-edge ridge that begins to rise from near the Lake of the Moon. The ridge is narrow, windy and exposed the higher you get, and it falls off abruptly to either side. But it makes for a thrilling scramble with a rewarding view.

For an exciting descent, try glissading down the steep rocky field that drops from the rim all the way down to the larger Lake of the Sun.

Getting to Nevado de Toluca: Go to the Terminal Poniente bus station at the Observatorio metro stop. Get on a bus to the city of Toluca, and take a taxi from there.

Tips

• Mexico's dry season runs October-May, ideal for hiking.
• Mexico City is more than 7,000 feet (2,100 meters) above sea level. With the exception of Tepozteco, all of these hikes take place above that altitude. Spend at least a day walking around Mexico City to adjust before you begin exerting yourself. Plenty of water and sunscreen are musts.

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