GENERAL INFORMATION OF THE AREA
It was created in 1937 in order to preserve a representative sector of the northandinenan-patagonic forest that houses representative specimen from this region like “pehuen”, “rauli” and “roble pellin” –which in Argentina there are only in a short area of the “neuquina” mountain chain.

The Park took its name from the Lanin volcano, whose cone covered by permanent snow overpasses 1.500 meters the other peeks of the zone, dominating the mountain's landscape from any angle. Its beautiful geography has also 24 lakes with glacier origin.

It occupies 412.000 hectares and it is located in the southeast of Neuquen province. Lanin National Park belongs to the forest, patagonic steppe and “Altos Andes” eco-regions.

CULTURAL RESOURCES
The pre-hispanic population evidences inside the National Park –toils, cave painting and burial places-, which has 10.000 years, together with post-hispanic chronicles make possible to understand how old inhabitants of the region were related to the “cordillerano” landscape and how they used its multiple resources and ambient.
The old inhabitants used to dedicate to “piñones” collection, and complement that activity with guanaco, “huemul” and “ñandu” hunting. They managed stone, bones and ceramics instruments. In that époque existed exchange relations between both sides of the mountain chain.
The presence of the Mapuche community in the “cordilleranos” valleys has a long history. Before the Spanish people arrived in the 16 th century, the original populations occupied large extensions of territory. Like other communities, they suffered the conqueror and national society bad effects.
Inside the Park there are populations that their origin is previous than the creation of the protected areas. Actually, seven communities live there: Curruhuinca, Cayun, Cañicul, Raquithue, Aigo, Norquinco and Lefiman totalized 100 families.
The present shows a new relation between the Mapuche community and Administracion de Parques Nacionales. It had been accorded the joint participation around the generation of proposals and take of decisions (co-management), and also the lands devolution in communitarian property, considering as an aborigine territory the space where they develop their culture. The indissoluble link that exists between the biological and cultural diversity, characteristic of the mapuche vision, is also a conservation value for the whole society.
The Ñorquinco area, as well as its natural beauties, is also a cultural heritage. In that place there is a mapuche figure with human characteristics made by wood, the REHUE. That figure is related to the space that surrounds it and became a religious, social and philosophical place. Around it occurred the Nquillatum ceremony.

NATURAL RESOURCES
Landscapes. Flora and fauna

Flora
The north part of theThe PN Lanín (Lanin National Park), between Ñorquinco and Huechulafquen lakes, are dominated by the pehuen, which is also associated with the “lenga” and the “caña colihue”. The “pehuen” is a magnificent “conifera” which has a trunk that has 45 meters height, coronate by huge crown. The densest concentrations are between the 900 and 1.800 meters over the sea, in wet and cold sites. Many animals use its seed and today it is still eaten by mapuche and creoles of the region.
In places where rains are over 1.500 mm a year there are many shows of the “Selva Valdiviana”. In that place the “colihue” has a big development. The “sotobosque” is dense, and predominates there the “caña colihue” and shrubs like “muichay” and “espino negro”.
The “roble pellin” forest is other of the typical formations of this Park, with important manifestations in the north and southwest areas. Next to it, there is the “rauli”, a native tree that has a high forestall value, whose extraction is nowadays very restricted and controlled.

Fauna
The forest's fauna has two characteristically birds: the chucao and the huet-huet. These are walker birds, which are usually seen in “caña colihue” brushes, where is easier listen to their sing than watch them. Between the most common birds of prey, there are “halcon peregrino”, “aguila mora” and “aguilucho comun”.
The “pudu”, a little deer, and the “huillin”, a otter that only lives in Chile and Argentina, there are two mammals in danger of extinction that protects this national Park.
The most picturesque component of the aquatic avifauna is the “pato de los torrentes”. It is characteristic because it swims against the course hunting insects that captures diving very well, turning stones with its beak. Other ducks presents in these ambients are: “pato zambullidor grande” and “pato de anteojos”. Inside the lakes many birds like “huala”, “maca”, “pato creston” and “pato vapor volador”, “macacitos”, “martin pescador” and “gallereta ligas rojas” can be seen.
Between fishes predominate exotic salmons that were sowed in the past with sporty interests. They displaced native fishes like “trucha criolla”, “pejerrey patagonico”, puyen” and “otuno”.

Eco-region
Lanin National Park belongs to forest, patagonic steppe and “Altos Andes” eco-regions.

Patagonic Forests: Its climate goes from warm to cold and wet, with wintered snows and rains. There frosts along the whole year with strong winds from the West. It is characterized by a mountain landscape with abrupt relief, with glacier valleys.

Patagonic Steppes: Represents the medium and inferior basin of rivers with atlantic slopes. The weather is cold and dry with wintered rains lower than 400 mm. Strong winds from the west, dry summers and frosts along the whole year are characteristically.

ACCESS
To San Martin de los Andes, neighbouring with the National Park, visitors can travel through National Route Nº 234. By plane, national flights arrived to Chapelco Airport, 24 kilometres far from San Martin de los Andes and 20 km far from Junin de los Andes.
From Alumine city, visitors can get to Quillen, Ñorquinco and Rucachoroi. Inside the Park there are three ways that communicate with Chile: Carirriñe way, through Provincial route Nº 62; Tromen Way, through Provincial Route Nº 60; and Hua-Hum Way, through Provincial Route Nº 48, and them up to Pirihueco, by boat.
It is important to point that there isn't GNC sell in the zone, and that to get to the National Park during season visitors must get the admission ticket, which is sold by tourism companies, the maintenance and many hostels.

SUGGESTIONS
Visitors must noticed that the National Park is a protected area, so that is necessary:
-Return with the garbage that you generated inside the Park, do not bury it.
-Only camp in authorized areas.
-Do not make ditches.
-Use recipients to clean yourself, wash clothes and utensils. Do not do it directly in rivers and lakes.
-Remember that heaters are more practical, cleaner and more safety that making fire.
-To make fire, use the fireplace that already exits or do it far from vegetation. Only use dry wood, which can be broken by hand.

WALKS AND SERVICES
The National Park Maintenance is located in San Martin de los Andes, and Junin de los Andes and Alumine cities, also neighboring to the Park offers different accommodation services like hostels and cabins. There are also many free and organized campsites in many places of the protected area.
In the lakes of the protected area, after having a permission from Administracion de Parques Nacionales, visitors can fish salmons (you should consult the annual fishing rules). In some of these lakes are also allowed aquatic sports, except for jet-skiing, water motorbikes and water-skiing, because their noises impact both in visitors and in birds, and also because their turbines remove the bottom of the lakes.
The routes that cross the Park and aren't asphalted take to many interested sites like the Escorial, memory of the colossal eruption of Aven Niveu volcano 500 years ago; the Lahuen-Co hot baths; the Tromen Lake, in the base of Lanin volcano; or the Rucachoroi Lake.
The protected area offers many alternatives of walks through paths with different difficulties. The following are means routes that visitors can make. It is recommended to ask for completely information at Administracion de Parques Nacionales dependences, and to be registered at Foresters Desk before you start your trip.

Huechulafquen Area
“El Bosque” Interpretation Path: It is a 45 minutes route. It starts at Puerto Canoas, offering a short and light walk.

Ascension Path to “Cerro Chivo”: It takes three hours of climbing from Cañicul Bay, walking through a “colihue” forest.

Path to “El Saltillo” Waterfalls: It takes 35 minutes from Piedra Mala. The route has a low slope.

Path to Paimun Sectional: It takes five hours of ascend from the beginning of the route. Visitors must be registered at Canoas Port.

Tromen Area
Route to the international Limit and “araucaria” forest: From the Sectional there are 3 km, traveling around a pure “araucaria” forest that has hundred of years, with a low difficulty terrain to cross and the Christ that is located in the frontier. You must ask for authorization at the Customhouse.

Path to River Malleo origin and Tromen Lake: To the Lake the distance is 4 km, in a low difficulty route.

Path to Quillen through Valle de las Magdalenas: It is an old vehicles trace that it isn't used and goes through transition valleys, araucaria forests and high “mallines”. The approximated distance is 50 km. and it takes 2 or 3 days. This path can't be done nowadays because it goes through the private property of Lagos Marmol Stay, who doesn't allowed the pace.

Lanin volcano climbing: The path starts next to the Forester's Sectional, where it is done the obligatory equipment control. You don't need an authorized guide, but it is suggested in case you are climbing for the first time. It is also recommended to be advised at Administracion de Parques Nacionales dependences before starting the climbing. It is not allowed to reserve places at the refuges.

Path to Arturo Port-Auquinco-Laguna Verde: It is a medium difficulty path that takes three days (trekking). Visitors can rest in two refuges that are not in good conditions. It is closed from the end of March to the end of April, because of the “ciervo Colorado” hunting season. It is obligatory to be registered. Making fire is only allowed in the refuges areas. You must take a heater.

Termas Lahuenco- Paimun Lake bottom- La Union Path: It is a two days path. You should start from Termas, hiring a service to get to the end, because there isn't public transport to return from that place. It has medium difficulty. Making fire is prohibited.

Quila Quina-Lago Escondido-Ruca Ñire-Pucara Path: It is the most frequented trekking path of Lacar area. It takes two days and you must be registered at Quila Quina Sectional. There are free campsites at Escondido Lake and in Pucara. From Pucara there are 12 km by car to Hua Hum where you can take a public transport to go back to San Martin de los Andes. The whole route covers 100 km.

Villa Quila Quina Area:
Path to the carbonated mineral water fountain: You get there through the Ville dock by car, covering 800 metres up to the slope.

Path to Grande Brook Waterfall: It is a pedestrian path that starts at the Ville entry, and covers 500 metres up to the waterfalls. It goes through the brook, between “robles”, “cipreses” and “coihues” forests. It is located inside the mapuche communal property and visitors must pay to get inside there.

“El Cipresal” Interpretation Path: Starts at Grande brook shore, close to the mouth. It covers a “cipreses” forest, making possible to discover the importance of the vegetation and its directly relation with the man through an explicative notice board. The path covers 800 metres.

Lacar-Queñi Area
Arrayan Circuit: This circuit covers 22 kilometres, with nice views of Lacar River and San Martin de los Andes surrounding hills.

Catritre Beach: There are 4 kilometres from San Martin de los Andes, getting to a campsite and aquatic sports site.

SOCIAL CONTEXT
Lanin National Park houses in its jurisdiction a meaningful quantity of a variety population: mapuche communities, private owners, creole population, and the Argentinean Army. The land that is out of National State domination is divided in the following way: seven mapuche communities that occupy 24.000 hectares; twelve creole population settlement; twelve private owners farms that cover a 24.323 hectares surface; 1.871private owners lots that add 26.865 hectares; and the Army has 4.000 hectares in charge.