Topography, Geology and Soils

The topography varies from flat terrain to rolling hinterlands, from hills to mountain peaks. The ridges and mountain tops are equally pronounced and the slopes are precipitous making it difficult and dangerous to conquer its apex. The landscape is split at the center by a limestone ridge known as the St. Paul mountain range. The three main peaks are Cleopatra's Needle (1,500m) to the east, which is also part of Palawan's central spine, Mt. Bloomfield (1,021m) to the west, and Mt. St. Paul (1,028m) at the center. The limestone or karst formation covers an area of around 35 sq. /km and is estimated to be between 16-20 million years old.

Hydrology

The Park serves as a catchment to two important river systems, namely the Cabayugan River which serves as the main source of the underground river, and the Babuyan River measured at 53 kms. is the longest running river of the island. The Babuyan River originates from the highlands behind Barangay Marufinas flowing through the Kayasan CADC, Barangay Tagabinet, Barangay Maoyon before emptying into the Honda bay. It is used by the IP's to transport products out of the forest.

Climate

There are only two types of weather prevailing in the area, the wet and dry season. It is usually wet from June to December and dry the rest of the year. Average temperature is 29 C while the annual average rainfall is 1,148 mm/yr. The average relative humidity is high at around 85%.