National Parks & Reserves

Parque Nacional Corcovado 🇨🇱

Entrance Fee: None

This national park lies west of the Carretera Austral (in the south of the Los Lagos region). The Carretera Austral traces the park's eastern boundary, while the western boundary hugs the rugged coastline of Golfo de Corcovado. On a clear day,  it's possible to see the island of Chiloé (across the gulf) from the park.

The closest towns are Villa Santa Lucía, which experienced a deadly landslide in December 2017, and Chaitén, the former provincial capital flooded with lava during the 2008 eruption of the nearby volcano (of the same name). With close to zero infrastructure or services, the park is infrequently visited by tourists. Those who adventure here can expect to find scattered lakes and ample wildlife– including penguins, pudus, pumas and parrots.

Reserva Nacional Lago Palena 🇨🇱

Entrance Fee: None

This national reserve comprises the Chilean portion of Lago Palena and the surrounding rainforest. It is located in the southeast of the Los Lagos region, adjacent to the Argentine border. The reserve has two refugios: one near Vista Hermosa (which is used by temporary staff of CONAF during the summer period) and the other near Zancudo.

Access is possible on horseback or on foot, via Palena a small village located ~20 km from the reserve. Francis Mallman, a chef famous for authentic Patagonian cuisine retreats to his remote cabin near Lago Palena (the Argentine part of Lago Palena).

Parque Nacional Isla Magdalena 🇨🇱

Entrance Fee: None

This national park covers ~80% (that is, all non-privately owned areas) of Isla Magdalena, a large island off the coast of Chile's Aysen region.  The remaining 20% of the island is privately owned and conserved, much of it by the interests of North Face and Espirit co-founder Doug Tompkins.

This park is separated from the continent and nearby Queulat national park by the Ventisquero Sound, a narrow passage of Pacific.

No infrastructure exists on the island but access to the area should be possible by boat from the nearby port towns of Puyuhuapi and Puerto Cisnes through local tour operators, including Experiencia Austral.

The park is often confused with Isla Magdelena, a rocky island/national monument in the Straight of Magallen (accessible from Punta Arenas) and home to a massive penguin colony.

Parque Nacional Laguna San Rafael 🇨🇱

Entrance Fee: $7,000 CLP/foreign adult; $3,500 CLP/Chilean resident adult

Travellers following the Bicycle Patagonia Route  will trace the eastern boundary of this national park, which covers a massive area (of mostly ice), which includes much of Chile's portion of the Northern Patagonian Ice Field. Within the park are two prominent glaciers: San Rafael Glacier and Glaciar Exploradores.  Primary access is via boat– tours can be booked from nearby Puerto Río Tranquilo.

Tours typically start in Puerto Río Tranquilo, following X-728 to Bahía Exploradores, where boats depart along Río Exploradores to the Moraleda Channel (via Estero Elefantes) and finally into the park's waters.

Parque Nacional Bernado O'Higgins 🇨🇱

Entrance Fee: $7,000 CLP/foreign adult; $3,500 CLP/Chilean resident adult

Massive national park covering much of Chile's portion of the Southern Patagonian Ice Field and including Pío XI (also known as Brüggen Glacier), the largest glacier in South America. Most of the park is dominated by snow-capped mountains and glaciers. Access is possible from the major port cities of Punta Arenas, Puerto Natales, and Puerto Montt.

Parque Nacional Monte León 🇦🇷

Entrance Fee: ?

In Argentina's Santa Cruz province (~200 km north of the city of Rio Gallegos), this less-frequented national park comprises Atlantic coastline and quintessential Patagonian steppe. Much of the land comprising the park was formerly owned by Doug Tompkins (North Face; Espirit; Tompkins Conservation).

Admission is free, but access is regulated (via RP-63 from Ruta 3). As is typical with many Patagonian roads, in the winter the road may be impassable due to weather.

Reserva Nacional Alacalufes 🇨🇱

Entrance Fee: $7,000 CLP/foreign adult; $3,500 CLP/Chilean resident adult

Archipelago in Chile's southernmost Magallanes Region between the cities of Puerto Natales and Punta Arenas. Access may be possible from either of these ports or from Puerto Montt.

Parque Nacional Alberto del Agostini 🇨🇱

Entrance Fee: $7,000 CLP/foreign adult; $3,500 CLP/Chilean resident adult

National park in southern Chile covering a large area of rocky archipelagos and fjords. The park has no infrastructure and is frequently passaged by ships en route to Antarctica. Access may be possible from Puerto Natales, Punta Arenas and Ushuaia.

Parque Nacional Cabo de Hornos 🇨🇱

Entrance Fee: $7,000 CLP/foreign adult; $3,500 CLP/Chilean resident adult

National park covering Cabo de Hornos, the southernmost head lands of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago. Islands include Isla Herschel and Isla Wollaston.  Access may be possible from Puerto Williams or Punta Arenas.

Cabo de Hornos was first circumnavigated in 1616 by Willem Schouten who named it Kaap Hoorn after his hometown of Hoorn (in the Netherlands). The Chilean Navy maintains a station at Cabo de Hornos consisting of a residence, utility building, chapel, and a lighthouse. A sculpture featuring the silhouette of an albatross memorializes the sailors who died while attempting to "round the Horn."