The highest point in Mexico City, the extinct Volcan Ajusco (3937m), is part of the Sierra de Ajusco-Chichinauhtzin, a volcanic range that traverses the city's southern edge. The volcano stands southwest of the capital within the 9.2 sq km Parque Nacional Cumbres de Ajusco, a theoretically protected zone that contains most of the Federal District's forestlands. Glorious views of the Valle de Mexico and further east to the peaks of Popo and Izta can be glimpsed from its piney slopes. White-tailed deer, gray fox and the endemic teporingo rabbit roam the premises. A fine access to the mountain is the Parque Ejidal San Nicolas Totolapan (8am-4:30pm Mon-Fri, 7am-Spm Sat & Sun), a forested area of 23 sq km between altitudes of 2700m and 3740m. Crisscrossed by more than 50km of trails carpeted with pine needles, the park is popular with local mountain-bikers and hikers. The ejidatarios (communal landowners) set up the parque ejidal in the late 1990s chiefly to derive some benefit from their land's popularity. Though not an untouched wilderness, it is well-maintained and staff point out that it's safe, meaning that guards keep an eye on activities within.

Mountain bikes are rented by the entrance. Around 200m inside, there's a kitchen shack preparing excellent wild mushroom soup, quesadillas and café de olla. At the granja, you can rent a fishing pole, and they'll prepare your catch to eat at a terrace by a mountain stream. The trails are not clearly signed, but with the aid of the rough map provided by the ticket office, you should be able to keep your bearings. If you head southwest and generally upward for 4km, you should come out at a line of comedores on the Circuito de Ajusco road, to the south of which rises the volcano. The park rents four 'chalets' of varying size, 600m uphill from the entrance, with bunks and mattresses (bring your own sleeping bag), kitchen with hot water and a fireplace. There's also a camping area with tents for rent. To reach the parque ejidal, take metro Linea 2 to its southern terminal at Tasquelia, then continue south on the Tren Ligero to the Estadio Azteca station. Leave the station via the 'Paradero Autobus' exit. Look for a Ruta 39 bus marked 'Six Flags-Santo Tomas-Ajusco,' at the fourth platform. The bus arrives at the park in a little under an hour. The driver may not know it by name; ask for Las Llantas, a name that refers to lines of tires set in the ground at the parque ejidal's entrance to mark out a biking or riding track. The entrance is also marked by a parking lot and a 'iBienvenido! Parque Ejidal San Nicolas Totolapan' sign.

The Summits of the Ajusco National Park is one of the national parks that are located near Mexico City, and also the best known among its inhabitants, perhaps because of the elevation known as the Ajusco (which the park is named) it is visible from anywhere in the city and exceeds 3,900 meters. This is how the landscape looks. Within its boundaries wooded areas composed of pine and oak species and some areas covered by high mountain pastures are landscapes of great natural beauty very popular among the weekends and especially in winter time, as sometimes portrayed light snowfall in the higher areas. Its forests and part of the extension of this park are threatened by urban sprawl that has spread out of control on nearby lowlands to the park area, a phenomenon that has occurred since the mid-twentieth century. This park comprises within the limits of the Federal District, south of Mexico City, encompassing within its territorial extension the southern part of the delegation of Tlalpan corresponding to the high mountain area and the mountain chain that closes the southern part Valley of Mexico.

Access to this site from the City of Mexico is through the road known as Picacho - Ajusco, which originates at the height of the fast track known as Periferico, in the south, right in the residential area and trade as Picacho is located south of Pedregal de San Angel. This route crosses some settlements located at the base of the Sierra mountain range of Ajusco-Chichinauhtzin, whom the park belongs. Since the State of Mexico in the center part - western, access is via the road called Chalma - Ajusco, which connects the town of Chalma with Mexico City. The area includes the park is located within the mountain system commonly known as the Sierra of Ajusco-Chichinauhtzin, delimiting a huge portion of the southern part of the Valley of Mexico basin, bordering the Sierra de las Cruces in the west, and east to the Sierra Nevada. All these systems are part of the mountains Neovolcanic passing through the central part of the country.

The maximum height reached the highest point of the park is 3,930 meters, which corresponds to the elevation known as the eagle's beak, which reaches a height from the Valley of Mexico that exceed 1,400 meters. The rains that occur in its middle and upper areas are not rivers, since the currents generated by these same rainfall are caught through the volcanic rock that is very common in the area and forming underground rivers, same that feed some springs in the lower parts of the mountains. The Cumbres del Ajusco has attracted humans since approximately 1200 BC; Otomíes are thought to have been the first to inhabit the Ajusco area. During the pre-Columbian Era, an area now known as Tlalpan was inhabited by natives known as Tepanecas along the San Buenaventura River. During the 17th century, the Viceroyalty of New Spain made it a state policy to find all rural indigenous populations living in the mountainous areas of the Cumbres del Ajusco., and resettle them in a smaller area so that they could be converted to Christianity. Today there still remains many old Spanish missions and churches along the edge of the Cumbres del Ajusco.

The best known of these springs are Xochimilco (which feeds the lake itself and the City of Mexico), the Nativitas Park and the Brotantes Sources in Tlalpan. Namely that in this national park because of its height and location can be distinguished 3 types of climates: tempered, which has summer rainfall, mild with rainfall throughout the year and the polar tundra climate in heights above 3,000 m, the latter has snow in the winter months when the temperature reaches down below 0 ° C. Many visitors who come to the national park usually go to the place on weekends it comes to breakfast in some of the positions of Mexican food located on the Picacho Road - Ajusco or so in general most are drawn: Contemplation landscape, since you can get beautiful views of the city and the valley from this place especially in the winter months when snows.

Visitors come to the place to practice hiking, trekking and mountaineering. Some young explorers are installed weekends in place. In fact for those who practice mountaineering at kilometer 21.5 of the road Picacho - Ajusco is installed near the Valley of the Canteen Hostel and at kilometer 15 of the road Picacho - Ajusco there is an amazing maze. Since the beginning of the last decade of the twentieth century were installed in the area, especially in some of the settled ejido communities in place, some sites offer visitors the practice of extreme sports such as enduro, motocross, rent ATVs, and especially practice paintball. It offers one of the best areas throughout the City of Mexico and Latin America for these sports, even in one of the areas you can go downhill mountain biking. The Highest Peaks in the Cumbres del Ajusco National Park: Cruz del Marqués: 3,930 m (12,795 ft) above sea level, Pico del Águila: 3,880 m (12,730 ft) above sea level, Santo Tomás: 3,710 m (12,172 ft) above sea level, Mezontepec: 3,480 m (11,417 ft) above sea level.