Established in 1987,[1] the park encompasses 51,900 ha (128,000 acres) of primary west-Andean tropical and subtropical rainforest, temperate cloud forest, and páramo habitat in an area that spans the departments of Risaralda, Chocó and Valle del Cauca, within the Chocó bioregion.

[2] The protected area is of high scientific interest because of its rich biodiversity and the unique state of conservation of its ecosystems.

[1] Cerro Tatamá, the highest peak in the Cordillera Occidental, reaching an elevation of 4,100 m (13,500 ft), lies within the park.

The protected area is also a popular birding destination in Colombia with more than 620 bird species recorded, including 16 endemic to Colombia (of which seven are only found in the western Cordillera):[3][4][5] The park can only be accessed via Montezuma Road (Spanish: Camino de Montezuma), a dirt road that starts in the town of Pueblo Rico and winds up Cerro Montezuma to a military base at its summit, 2,600 m (8,500 ft).

The Montezuma Rainforest Ecolodge property (1,350 m (4,430 ft)), located near the entrance of the park, is the main gateway to the protected area.