AT A GLANCE
Why go?
Sierra El Pedregoso stands as the highest point in the entire state of Tamaulipas, Mexico, rising to 3,280 meters (10,761 feet) above sea level in the state's rugged southwest. Part of the great Sierra Madre Oriental chain that runs through northeastern Mexico, this mountain massif marks the transition between Tamaulipas's vast coastal plains and the folded limestone ridges of the eastern Sierra Madre.↗↗
While the peak itself is remote and largely undeveloped, the surrounding highlands of the municipality of Ocampo offer surprising access to pine forests, ancient cave systems, spring-fed swimming holes, and remnants of dormant volcanic cones — a side of Tamaulipas that most visitors never encounter on their way to the Gulf beaches.↗↗
The Roof of Tamaulipas
Among all the elevations in the state, Sierra El Pedregoso reigns supreme at 3,280 meters, followed closely by its neighbors Sierra Los Borregos (3,240 m), Sierra La Gloria (3,220 m), and Cerro El Nacimiento (3,180 m). These peaks form a formidable wall along the southwestern edge of Tamaulipas, where the state meets San Luis Potosí and the great folds of the Sierra Madre Oriental begin their descent toward the Gulf coastal plain.
