Time outdoors continually inspires all of us at Conservacion Patagonica, teaching us about the intricate complexity of natural systems and renewing our passion for protecting wild places. Knowing the transformative power of nature in our own lives, we see providing well-designed and thoughtful public access to Patagonia as a powerful form of environmental work. Moreover, through providing alluring recreational opportunities, the park will bolster eco-tourism in the region, which will support local businesses and communities.
To enable visitors to experience this inspiring wilderness, we're building a network of trails and campgrounds. This trail system will provide access to different areas and ecosystems within the future park and will connect to existing trails in the adjacent National Reserves.
Land scouts and professional trailmakers have surveyed the area to decide on the most scenic, interesting, and varied routes. We design our trails and hiking circuits to maximize visitor engagement with the landscape while minimizing ecological impacts.
This season (2010-2011), we've begun construction of our first trail system and campground. The interconnected loop trails of La Vega and Lagunas Altas will provide a range of hiking opportunities easily accessible from central park headquarters.
In December, our trail building team completed the park's first official trail. The 3.7 km La Vega Trail connects the park's first major campground, Camping Los Alamos, to the restaurant located at the main headquarters. This fairly flat trail was built to withstand the heavy foot traffic that this route will receive. The trail building team removed fragile, easily eroded topsoil (collected and reused for landscaping work) and resurfaced the trail with gravel recovered from other areas of the park. This process is essential for creating a durable, safe, and enjoyable trail in a high-use area of the park.
Connected to the La Vega trail, the Lagunas Altas trail offers a 16 km day hike through spectacular and varied terrain. Construction of this trail began in January 2011, and proceeds rapidly. Starting at Camping Los Alamos, the trail follows an old estancia track before heading uphill towards Tamanguito Peak. Slightly below the summit, the trail turns to run along the ridgeline, with spectacular views of the Chacabuco River and Valley. Numerous alpine lakes offer spots for swimming, picnicking, and relaxing. The trail crosses between southern beech forests, grasslands, and rocky mountainous areas for the rest of its length, finally descending off the ridge and heading back towards the central park headquarters. From that point, hikers can complete the loop and return to Camping Los Alamos via the La Vega trail or the park road running to the campground.
The next set of hiking trails will traverse the Lago Chico area, in the eastern sector of the park. Another planned trail will create a 4-5 day hiking loop through Aviles Valley, the Jeinimeni Mountains, and La Leona Valley. |
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Hiking in the future park
Alpine lake on the first trail we're
constructing, Lagunas Altas
Trail map for our first network of trails,
near the main park headquarters
Siting the quinchos (cook shelters) at Camping Los Alamos, now under construction
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