The Pipeline Road

Where to go? May 25th, 2008
The famous Pipeline Road (Camino del Oleoducto) is one of the top spots for birdwatching. To get there you fallow the road along the Panama Canal all the way to Gamboa, once you cross the bridge at Gamboa (over the Chagres River) you follow the road always straight ahead, passing the big Hercules crane from the Panama Canal until at the end you reach the Dock from the SmithSonian research Institute there you head right up into the forest, following the signs from the where after a short drive you will see the Gate at the beginning of the Pipeline road.
Anam charges a small fee to get into the Park. The Soberania National Park counts with 105 species of mammals, 525 species of birds, 79 species of reptiles, 36 species of fish and an incredible abundance of plants. Along the way you will hear the Howler Monkey and if lucky see some as well as coatis and maybe a lazy sloth hanging in a tree and of course many species of birds. After about 1 mile on the left side you can visit the Panama Rainforest Discovery Center where you can climb the 32meters high observation Tower (see attached Image) the Center also charges a small fee.
The complete pipeline road is about 24 kilometers long, but don’t plan to get all the way normally a few kilometers will do to get some great sightings, remember you have to walk back again. It is recommended to go along with a guide who knows the area and also knows the wildlife in the area. Attached is a little map and a picture of the Pipeline Road, this is a great place for a hike and ill go there whenever I can at least 3 times a month. Remember to take a bottle of fresh drinking water along and something to eat if you must but please keep the place clean. Check ou also this page at PTY4U.com for some of the birds from Panama you might see there.
Pipeline Road Map


9 Responses to “The Pipeline Road”

  1. [...] a sexual signal in the turquoise-browed motmot. The attched images here where taken most along the Pipeline Road and a few also along the Plantation Road bot inside the Soberania National Park in Panama. Some [...]

  2. [...] diversity in Central and South America. They feed on insects and fruit. Here in Panama along the Pipeline Road or at the Trogon Trail along the Achiote Road they can be seen frequently. You can find many more [...]

  3. [...] small vertebrates caught by a watch and wait technique. The attached images where made along the Pipeline Road in Panama. For more images of Puffbirds from Panama see this page [...]

  4. [...] it all is a great and satisfiing feeling, just wish I could be there more often! For more information about the Pipeline Road including a little map from the SSI see this page here and for other great places to hike in Panama see the index [...]

  5. [...] drive from Panama City along the way to Gamboa. The best known and a must for birdwatchers is the Pipeline Road where many bird counting records where set and where you also find the The Panama Rainforest [...]

  6. Hi,

    Question: Are we likely to see birds if we don’t get there until noon or thereabouts? Our cruise ship lands Arador @ 09:00 and I’m not sure it is worth the trip up if we are unlikely to see many birds.

  7. Dear John Roecklein,
    the best time for sure is early morning, however there is no guarantee at
    any time to see many birds. I hike in that area for some years now and there
    are good days and not so good days and that regardless of the time of day.
    So if you just want a nice day hike and don’t have high expectations go for
    it and who knows you might see some unexpected beauties and maybe also some
    howler monkey and if not its always a good hike anyway.

    Here I have also some more images from the Soberania Nature Park:
    http://www.pty4u.com/panama/parque-soberania.html

    Regards
    Urs Hauenstein
    http://www.ptybirds.com/

  8. Hello, I’m interested in going to PIPELINEROAD, but I wondered what were the costs to enter and what are the schedule of operation.
    Thank you very much.

  9. You can visit the Park starting 6AM until about 4PM, best time is always early morning for birdwatching, also in the afternoons it rains more often, but since this is a rain forest it may rain at any time, so best come prepared with a light rain cover. ANAM charges a fee that is I around 3 dollars or so per person. (For Panamanian Nationals) If you want to go to the rain forest discovery center they have another fee depending on the time of visit see: http://www.pipelineroad.org/

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