El Tepozteco National Park covers the central portion of the Sierra Chichinautzin, a volcanic field which separates the Valley of Mexico to the north from the Balsas Basin to the south.

The volcanic field is relatively recent – Chichinautzin Volcano's last major eruption was approximately 1800 years ago – and the park's landscape includes cinder cones and lava flows.

[2] El Tepozteco National Park is home to several plant communities, which vary with elevation and rainfall.

Limited-range species include banded quail (Philortyx fasciatus), dusky hummingbird (Phaeoptila sordida), Boucard's wren (Campylorhynchus jocosus), long-tailed wood partridge (Dendrortyx macroura), black-chested sparrow (Peucaea humeralis), and the endangered Sierra Madre sparrow (Xenospiza baileyi).

[5] The preservation zone covers areas of the park with relatively intact and sensitive habitat, totaling 12,958.1 hectares.

Tenexcalli (10,031 ha) covers the northern portion of the park, and includes Chichinautzin Volcano.

[5] The recuperation or restoration zone, known as El Texcal, includes 2,682.9 hectares in the southwestern portion of the park where the landscape has been significantly altered by past human activity.

[5] Approximately 40,000 live within the park boundaries, in the settlements of Santa Catarina, San Andrés de la Cal, Tepoztlán, San Juan Tlacotenco, Santo Domingo Ocotitlán, Amatlán de Quetzalcóatl, Villa Santiago Tepetlapa, and Acolapa.