[2] The Maricao State Forest was created after a proclamation on December 22, 1919, by then Governor of Puerto Rico Arthur Yager.

[2] The forest location makes its environment unique in Puerto Rico for its humid climate, its serpentinite soils and its high rate of animal and plant endemicity.

[2] The forest is located on the western region of the Cordillera Central of Puerto Rico and encompasses 10,803 acres (43.72 km2) of land in a high rainfall area through the municipalities of San Germán, Sabana Grande and Maricao.

[2] Due to its location along the Luis Muñoz Marín Scenic Route (better known as the Ruta Panorámica), the Maricao State Forest offers some iconic panoramic views of the Cordillera Central and the southwestern coast of Puerto Rico.

[10][11] In addition to the Torre de Piedra, other historic attractions within the state forest include the Stone House (Casa de Piedra), the ruins of a former architectural gem built during President Roosevelt's Civilian Conservation Corps works during the 1930s,[12] and the Maricao Fish Hatchery, built in 1937 for research purposes[13] and now listed under the National Register of Historic Places as one of the New Deal Era Constructions in the Forest Reserves of Puerto Rico (1933-1942).