Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve — Attraction in Cayo District

DO NOT GO HERE UNLESS YOU HAVE ALL WHEEL DRIVE AND A LIFTED VEHICLE. I repeat, DO NOT GO HERE UNLESS YOU HAVE ALL WHEEL DRIVE AND A LIFTED VEHICLE.

Also, If you’re looking for the waterfall DON’T ROUTE YOURSELF TO THIS LOCATION.

The falls are called “big rock falls” and you must direct your google maps to there. If you try to drive to this “mountain pine ridge forest reserve” location, you may miss the tiny green sign on the right side of the road that signals the turn off to the falls. Continuing on leads you to the a sketchy military operation in the middle of NOWHERE.

If you’re an anxious person, a road sick person, or a person who just doesn’t like uncomfortable situations, I’d stay away from this area, although it is certainly beautiful, and if you had the right vehicle and adventurous spirit, it could be...

Beautiful. We went to the 3 main stops. Rio Frio Cave, Rio On Pools, and Big Rock Falls. The cave was so much fun to explore for a bit and was a lot bigger than I was expecting. Rio on Pools was our favorite spot. Many natural pools to swim in but the rocks are really slippery! Would recommend going barefoot on this one. Big Rock Falls was a beautiful waterfall with some fun spots to cliff jump from into the pools. You can swim right up to the falls! All 3 places are perfect for families. Would recommend taking a tour for this trip. Roads are rough but locals manage it so I guess it’s doable...

A huge forest with stunning scenery, many attractions and free entry. I visited one of the more accessible areas, the Rio on Pools - easy to park and not very crowded. Opportunity to swim in a waterfall after a short, steep downhill walk. Note that roads leading to forest are bumpy and you will have to go slow, took a very long time to get from main roads to forest -- 4 wheel drive highly recommended. You will also be stopped on the way to have your license...