GRADUAL REOPENING OF PROTECTED AREAS |
|
Stay informed about the latest reopening dates for national parks and their sanitary protocols for visiting via the official Conaf website |
GRADUAL REOPENING OF PROTECTED AREAS |
|
Stay informed about the latest reopening dates for national parks and their sanitary protocols for visiting via the official Conaf website |
Volcán Corcovado
The magnificent Corcovado Volcano stands 7,546 feet above sea level, welcoming visitors to this difficult-to-access, pristine ecosystem of evergreen forests, fjords, bays, rivers, deep valleys, and dozens of hidden lakes. The park was created thanks to Tompkins Conservation’s generous donation of more than 207,570 acres and to the incorporation of national parklands. It features vast expanses of untouched, unexplored land, including hidden corners of the Corcovado Golf and Tic Toc Bay, in Chaitén.
Impenetrable forest covers much of the parkland, including trees such as Canelo, Mañío, Lenga, Coigue, Ñirre, and Ciprés de las Guaitecas (Pilgerodendron).
Alerce (Fitzroya) can be found only in specific areas, with restricted accessibility
The park is a habitat for various endangered species, including the Pudú Deer, the Chiloé Fox, the Güiña (Kodkod), the Huillín (Southern River Otter), the Monito del Monte (Colocolo Opossum), and the Puma. Large colonies of marine birds make their home
in the estuaries and extensive beaches that reach the Gulf of Corcovado and Tic Toc Bay, and it’s common to spot species such as the Magellanic Penguin. For marine mammals, you can find seals and sea lions, as well as cetaceans, which are a constant presence in the area, including Blue Whales, Humpbacks, Pilots, and Sperm Whales.
The parklands are ancestral territory of the Chono people, a nomadic people that navigated the islands and channels in their canoes, moving between the south of Chiloé and the Taitao Peninsula. They hunted sea lions, fished, and gathered shellfish and seaweed along the coast.
The park has no land access at this time. The only area with land access, is the Ventisquero Yelcho.
By sea, you can get to Tic Toc Bay from Chaitén or from Raúl Marín Balmaceda in private boats. For more seasoned travelers, going up the Corcovado River in boat is also an option.
Companies such as Aerotronador in Puerto Varas offer trips in various amphibious aircraft that can land in different lakes in the park.
Difficulty
Low difficulty
Duration
Distance
3.2 km
Open
in the process of improvement
Currently Corcovado National Park has a path called Yelcho Snowdrift Trail. It is a 3.2 km trail of low difficulty trekking, which reaches a viewpoint with a privileged view of the Yelcho Snowdrift. Currently this path is in the process of beginning maintenance and improvement.
Embark from Puerto Montt or Quellón to Chaitén via ferry to observe Corcovado National Park (*), explore in depth the forests of Pumalín Douglas Tompkins National Park and continue south along the Carretera Austral, visiting Queulat National Park.
Navigate the channels of northern Patagonia to view Corcovado National Park and Melimoyu. At Puerto Cisnes you can cross the Puyuhuapi channel to explore Magdalena Island National Park and Queulat National Park.
(*)Corcovado, Melimoyu, and Isla Magdalena National Parks do not currently have public access infrastructure.
At the mouth of the Palena River and the southeastern edge of the Gulf of Corcovado, this small, remote town is located 47 miles from La Junta.
The largest city in the area, located 34 miles to the south of Caleta Gonzalo, Chaiten has beautiful views of the Chaitén and Corcovado volcanoes.
This town is located at the junction of the Palena and Rosselot Rivers, 167 miles north of Coyhaique. It’s the access point for the villages of Lago Verde and Raúl Marín Balmaceda.
Copyright 2018 Ruta de los Parques de la Patagonia
