The Northern Sierra Madre National Park is the largest protected rain forest in the Philippines. It spread over 359,000 hectares in the western part of Isabela province. Of the two intact primary forests on the island of Luzon, Sierra Madre is the largest. The other is located within the Cordillera mountain range. The park was established in 1997 in 1997 to protect these lands from predatory logging. Together with the nearby the nearby Penablanca protected area, it covers an area larger than the size of Switzerland. The park is also known as the Palanan Complex or the Palanan Reserve after name of the highest mountain.
Sierra Madre National Park occupies the northern part of the mountain range of the same name. Sierra Madre National Park occupies the northern part of the mountain range of the same name, with a total area of 1.7 million hectares. In the north flows the Diktayan River Diktayan River flows to the north, while the Disabunga River serves as the park's southern boundary. To the west is the Cagayan Valley. Cagayan Valley and to the east, the Philippine Sea washes the shores of the park.
Most of the park - 287,000 hectares - occupies the land and the remaining 71,000 hectares are covered by the sea. The landscape of the park is mountainous - from small hills to the highest peaks, reaching one and a half thousand meters - for example, Mount Divilican has a height of 1311 meters, Mount Cross - 1672 meters, and Mount Palanan - 1184 meters. Despite the fact parts of the Sierra Madre have been deforested in the past, today you can still see is still a lush virgin forest.
Several species of animals and plants have been recorded within the park, endangered and endemic species, i.e. species not found anywhere else in the world. In the forests of the Sierra Madre, one can find up to 45% of the species of of plant species native to the Philippines and more than 50 per cent of the animal species indigenous to the area. The lowlands are covered with pristine rainforest, while the mountains are covered with typical highland vegetation. On the coast you can see mangroves and coastal vegetation, and under water there are entire fields of algae and coral reefs of incredible beauty. The park is home to rare species of birds, including 6 species of Philippine eagles, and reptiles such as the Philippine water lizard, the crested lizard, and the Philippine water lizard, crested crocodile, Gray's varan, green sea turtle, turtles Caretta and Bissa.
Sierra Madre National Park is considered to be the most important protected Philippines. It is the largest park in the country and one of the richest in terms of Sierra Madre National Park and one of the richest in species and ecological diversity.
