The Cuenca Alta del Manzanares Regional Park, created in 1985, is the natural space protected area with the largest extension in the Community of Madrid (Spain) and one of the most ecologically and scenically valuable.

The Cuenca Alta del Manzanares Regional Park was established in 1985 by Law 1/1985, of January 23, 1985, and has undergone several subsequent modifications.

This organism, which administers the assets that were in the hands of the Spanish Crown, maintains a highly protectionist and restrictive management around El Pardo and completely prevents its visit, beyond certain areas located in the southern part of the wall that borders it.

La Pedriza had, since 1930, a special level of protection, through the figure of Natural Site of National Interest, which was repealed in 1985 with the creation of the current park.

The Cuenca Alta del Manzanares Regional Park covers three main units, from the geomorphological point of view.

Its northern part, which runs through the Guadarrama elevations, some of them over 2000 m high, is mainly composed of granitic and gneiss rocks.

[7] This site has an approximate area of 3200 hectares, with a maximum altitude of 2029 m, in the Torres de La Pedriza, and a minimum of 890 m, at the foot of the Santillana reservoir.

To the south of this mountain range, the terrain descends to the Monte de El Pardo, the third geomorphological unit through which the park runs, covering approximately 16 000 hectares.

[8] The granitic materials give way to detrital and sandy elements, the result of the erosion of the Guadarrama and Hoyo mountain ranges, which form an undulating landscape of gentle hills, with an average altitude of 600 m. The Monte de El Pardo sits on an immature soil, easily eroded.

In the southern part of the park, the Manzanares River has notably widened its valley and collects the streams of Manina and Trofas, which come from the Sierra del Hoyo.

Its most representative forests are the birch of La Pedriza, the alcorn grove of Sierra del Hoyo, the enebral of Hoyo de Manzanares and the juniper grove of Becerril de la Sierra, in addition to the mountains of El Pardo and Viñuelas, considered to be the best preserved holm oak pastures in Europe.

Forty-four percent of the surface area of the Cuenca Alta del Manzanares regional park was classified as Zone B, a legal category that allows agricultural and livestock use of the land.

Forty-five percent was considered Zone A or Natural Reserve, a category that limits the use of the different enclaves to forestry and recreational activities.

[11] The Monte de El Pardo, for its part, houses important monuments, which were ordered to be built by different monarchs, to make their stay in this preserve, one of their favorite hunting grounds, more comfortable.

The Palacio Real de El Pardo, which sits on an old hunting lodge, erected in 1405 at the behest of Henry III, stands out.