Photography

Photos of Cotopaxi National Park

Posted on by kevinw
A boy rides a horse across a field of grass in Cotopaxi National Park
26
Sep

Explore the breathtaking beauty of Cotopaxi Volcano through my photos of Cotopaxi National Park. Discover why this Ecuadorian volcano, shrouded in a cloak of ever-shifting clouds, captivated one hiker’s journey, even without reaching the summit.

When I was hiking along a new section of the Royal Inca Road in Peru back in 2024, I mentioned to my friend Mariyana Castleberry that I was heading to Ecuador that summer. Her eyes lit up with a fire that took me by surprise.

“Are you going to Cotopaxi?” She asked me. “I am,” I replied.

Her eyes took on a dreamy look as she stated, “That is the most beautiful summit that I’ve ever stood upon.”

Now, I didn’t have the chance to summit Cotopaxi Volcano. I only had 24 hours in the park with my wife, Christina, and our two boys, Cohen and Dylan, but I got a good look at Cotopaxi National Park and the volcano for which it’s named, and I completely understand her passion.

Cotopaxi National Park is insanely beautiful. And Cotopaxi Volcano is almost dreamlike in its presence. Blanketed in an ever-shifting cloak of soft clouds that constantly tease a clear view, but never quite deliver it. Like a seductress.

And I loved every minute of it.

A man and woman embrace at dawn while looking out over Cotopaxi Volcano
Christina and I enjoying the morning views of Cotopaxi Volcano
The summit of a glacier-capped Cotopaxi Volcano at dusk
A close-up view of the glacier-covered summit of Cotopaxi Volcano
A horse guide wrangles two riderless horses away from Cotopaxi Volcano
A horse guide wrangles two riderless horses away from Cotopaxi Volcano
A woman wearing traditional Ecuadorian clothes looks out at wild horses in Cotopaxi National Park
Christina checking out the wild horses of Cotopaxi National Park
Mother and baby wild horses walk across a field of grass in Cotopaxi National Park
Mother and baby wild horses
A red lodge with a thatch roof on a hill of grass at sunset - Tambopaxi Lodge at sunset
Tambopaxi Lodge at sunset
Inside a room at Tambopaxi Lodge with a window looking out over Cotopaxi National Park
Our messy home base in Cotopaxi National Park
A boy wearing a traditional Ecuadorian sweater touching a broken fence in a grassy field with a volcano in the background
Dylan hiking through Cotopaxi National Park
A white egret flies past the black rocks of a volcanic landscape in Cotopaxi National Par
An egret flying across the volcanic landscape
A family hikes along a narrow mountain trail covered in grass in Cotopaxi National Park
Hiking the trails of Cotopaxi NP
Cotopaxi Volcano lit up by the dawn sky seen through a thin layer of tall grass
Cotopaxi Volcano at dawn
A small creek winds through a grass-covered valley with a cloud-covered volcano in the distance
Cotopaxi landscapes
Three equestrians ride horses beneath blue skies toward a tall volcano steeped in clouds
Horseback riding in Cotopaxi NP
A group of people on horseback ride across a field toward Cotopaxi Volcano
Riding toward Cotopaxi Volcano
A horseback rider trots through grass toward a volcano
Cohen riding toward Cotopaxi Volcano
A woman in a riding helmet and traditional Ecuadorian poncho riding in Cotopaxi National Park
Christina rides a horse through Cotopaxi National Park
Clouds dance over the summit of Cotopaxi Volcano
Clouds dance across the summit of Cotopaxi Volcano
A family stands proudly in a grassy field in front of Cotopaxi Volcano
The Wandering Wagars family Cotopaxi Portrait!
kevinw

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