Nahuelbuta National Park Chile

Created in 1939, this park is situated in the pre-Andean plain of Nahuelbuta, west of Angol, in the Región de la Araucanía.
The mountains create the ideal conditions for the araucaria to grow. This tree, which is tipically found in the pre-Andean and Andean mountain chain, can also be found here, near the coast, with some specimens being around 2 thousand years old.

In the park, which name means "big tiger" in Mapudungun, there are coigües, robles, lengas and insectivore plant. Foxes, black woodpeckers, chucaos, and churrines are only some of the species you might find here. The hills here do not exceed the 1,600 mts (5,248 ft), the highest being Piedra El Águila, from which you can see the sea, the central valley, and the Andean volcanoes.

The park has camping and picnic areas as well as marked trails for exploration.

Plan your visit

Nahuelbuta National Park Basic Information

Location
Región de la Araucanía, 35 km northwest of Angol. Temuco is 132 km southeast.

How to get there
Santiago - Los Ángeles: by air and land. From Los Ángeles to Angol through Ruta 5 Sur, and then from Collipulli through the road leading to Angol. Leave Angol via Colima st. and take the gravel road for 35 km until you reach the park.

When to go
Year round.

Business hours
Monday to Sunday from 8:30 to 18:00 hrs.

Other nearby attractions
Millaray waterfall.

Activities
Mountaineering, wildlife observation, horseback riding, photography.

Climate
Warm, template, with six rainy months and an annual precipitation index of 1.000 - 1.500 mm. Summers are dry and hot. The year average temperature is 13ºC. It snows from June to September.

Services
Park ranger, environmental information, trails, camping.

Rates
Chilean tourists
Adults: CLP 2500
ChildrenNiños: CLP 2.000
Elderly: CLP 1.250

Foreigners
Adults: CLP 4.000
Children: CLP 2.000
Elderly: CLP 2.000

Infrastructure

Infrastructure and Services in Nahuelbuta National Park

Administration in Los Portones area
Phone number: 02 1960245
E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

The park is divided in five areas: Portones, Coimallin, Cotico, Pehuenco, and Pichinahuel.

Camp sites
High season (site per day):
Chileans: CLP 8.000
Foreigners: CLP 12.000

Recommendations

Follow CONAF's advice for a more pleasant visit to the park:

Sun radiation is dangerous, so do not forget to wear sunscreen and drink lots of water when going through the trails.
Respect the avifauna in the reserve and do not take specimens of flora with you.
Respect the signs in the area and follow the instructions given by the park rangers.

Attractions

Attractions and trails in Nahuelbuta National Park

What to do

Excursions: everywhere in the park.
Wildlife observation: in all the park's areas.

Trails

El Aguilucho: 1.8 Km, 2hrs round trip.
Piedra del aguila: 4.5 Kms, 4 hrs round trip.
Casa de Piedra: 1.5 Kms, 2 hrs round trp.
Cerro Anay: 0.8 kms, 1 hr. round trip.
Estero Los Gringos: 5 Kms, 5 hrs round trip.
Camino del arbol: 0.2 km, 0.6 hrs round trip.

Nature

Natural Heritage in Nahuebluta National Park

Flora
According to the classification proposed by Gajardo (1996), Nahuelbuta National Park is located in the Andean-Patagonian forests, in the sub region of 'Cordillera de la Araucanía'. Some areas of the park also have deciduous forests.

The vegetation in the first sub region belongs to the category of Formación Vegetal Bosques Alto Montano de Nahuelbuta. The second area features Formación Vegetal Bosque Caducifolio de Concepción. There is also an important number of Araucarias (Araucaria araucana), a species of remarkable botanic importance.

Fauna
The park is well known for the diversity of its fauna and its notorious endemism. Some of its species can only be found in the park, such as the Mud Frog (Alsodes barrioi). This aspect has been acknowledged by several experts in the field of Protected Wild Areas.

Hidrography
In general terms, the basins in the area are exorheic, with a lotic ecosystem.
The lotic basins belong to Picoiquén river, which water is born in the park, supplying the cities of Angol and Purén. In turn, Picoiquén is a tributary of Purén river, which supplies the village of Purén and is a tributary of Imperial river.