PN Los Alerces (Los Alerces National Park) was created in 1937 in order to protect "lahuan" and "alerce" forest, a typical exponent of andino-patagonica flora.

GENERAL INFORMATION OF THE AREA
Los Alerces National Park is a 263.000 hectares protected area situated in the cordilleran region of Chubut, over the international limit with Chile. It was created in 1937 in order to protect “lahuan” and “alerce” forest, a typical exponent of andino-patagonica flora.

PN Los Alerces (Los Alerces National Park) has the most populated “alerces” forest of the country. The “alerce” is a millenary tree, one of the oldest of the world. Grows 1 mm a year and belong to the “Pinacea” family.

The different ambient of this protected area could be classified in two eco-regions: Patagonic Forest and the High Andes. In the area there is a complex lake's system with a lot of rivers, streams and water mirrors. The most important are Menendez, Rivadavia, Futalaufquen and Krüger lakes, and the Frey rivers, which ended in Futaleufú hydroelectric repress.

Crystal clear lakes and mountains with lush vegetation frame the beauty of a place that dedicated to conserve natural beauties.

CULTURAL RESOURCES
The first inhabitants of the region got settled in the River Desaguadero Vay 3.000 years ago. They were hunter and sewer. They used animal bones and stones to make arrows, needles to sew leathers, and milling device. They used eaves walls to make cave painting. The most important leitmotif was circles, human figures and rectangles. These cave painting were too similar to the ones, which were founded in the patagonic northeast.

The descendant of original people was the tehuelches and the araucanas. When Spanish conqueror came, they had to change their way of life. They incorporated new alimentary and productive habits, like horses, that produced transformations, like more mobility of the groups. The effects of The Dessert Campaign (1879-1883) caused a disarticulation. Nowadays, mapuche families live en many areas close to the National Park.

INTERACTIVE MAP
Press click and explore the map

NATURAL RESOURCES
Landscapes. Flora and fauna
The protected area has a beautiful and complex lake's system, where comes out onto and grows a lot of rivers and streams, which are surrounded by mountain chains.
Crystal clear lakes and mountains with lush vegetation frame the beauty of a place that dedicated to conserve natural beauties.
PN Los Alerces (Los Alerces National Park) has the most populated “alerces” forest of the country. The “alerce” is a millenary tree, one of the oldest of the world. Grows 1 mm a year and belong to the “Pinacea” family. Reaches a height of 19 or 22 metres. It has a strong dark red wood, which resists the putrefaction, so that it is used to make joists, poles and ships. Leafs, bark and resin has medicine properties.
In many places it is cultivated as an ornament because it is a very decorating plant, especially in autumn.
Other vegetables specimen that grows in the National Park are: “cipres de la cordillera”, “coihues”, “maniues”, orange flower's “mutisias”, red flower's “chilcos”, lile flower's “virreinas” and yellow flower's “liutos”.
The native fauna is composed by: pumes, little weasel, grey wolves, “pudues”, “huemules” and mouse-mole. The birds are “hualas”, “macacitos”, “garzas brujas”, “peuquitos”, mirror's ducks; “chimangos”, red head carpenters and patagonic thrush. There is also an important native fish's sampler like “pejerrey patagonico”, puyen”, “peladilla”, criolle trout, and other that are foreign like “salmonidos” and trouts.

SUGGESTIONS
Los Alerces National Park suggests visitors:

-Return with the garbage that you made.
-Only camp in allowed places.
-Don't dig ditches.
-Avoid cutting branches or writing trees.
-Use containers to have a shower, wash clothes or tools. Don't do it directly in rivers or lakes.
-Remember that using heater is more practical, cleaner and safety than making fire.
-Just use dry branches that can be cutting by hand.
-To make fire use fireboxes that have already existed or do it far from vegetation.

CONTACTS
Los Alerces National Park
(9.200) Esquel
Chubut,
Argentine Republic
Telephone numbers: (029) 45-471020, 45-471015
E-mail address: infoalerces@apn.gov.ar

Administración de Parques Nacionales
690, Santa Fe St.
C1059ABN
Buenos Aires
Argentine Republic
Telephone numbers: (011) 4311-6633/0303
E-mail address: informes@apn.gov.ar

ACCESS
To get to the National Park visitors must go to Esquel and take National Road Nº 259. Then take Road Nº 71, which cross the protected area in north-south direction, to get to Futalaufquen, where is the National Park administrative centre.
Road Nº 71 continues to the north joining Futalaufquen Village with National Road Nº 258, which connect to El Bolson.
Esquel city has an airport (38 km far from National Park) and a bus station that offer better possibilities to get to the protected area.

WALKS AND SERVICES
Inside the Park, in Futalaufquen Village, there are the Maintenance, the Information Service and the Museum, where you can get information y fishing licences. The NP has gas station, telephone cabins, restaurant, stores, organised and free camping, hostels and cabins. Visitors can visit the Park along twenty pedestrian crossing and many car routes.

Obligatory inscription paths at Information Centre
Cinco Saltos Path: It starts 1.500 passing Bustillo Port. It gets to the Los Pumas stream waterfalls viewpoints. It has medium difficulty and it takes 3 hours.

Alto El Dedal Hill Path: It starts 200 mts far from the Information Desk and it ends in a viewpoint of the hill, where visitors can watch part of Futalaufquen Lake, Situacion Cordon and Desaguadero River Valley. It has high difficulty and the walk takes 7 hours.

Krüger Lake Path: It starts at Limonao Port and ends in Krüger Lake, where it is allowed to camp. It has high difficulty and it takes 12 hours.

Cascada Waterfall Path: Starts 200 mts far from Information Desk. It goes along the east side of Situacion Cordon, crossing many viewpoints. It has middle level y the walk takes 4 hours.

Obligatory inscription paths at Lago Verde and Arrayanes Gamekeeper Sections
Escondida Small Lake Path: It starts in front of the Arrayanes Gamekeeper Section and it finishes in Escondida Small Lake. The walk has middle difficulty and it takes 3 hours.

Alto el Petiso Hill Path: Starts in Mermoud Port, near the Verde Lake, and arrives at the top of the hill. It presents medium difficulty and it takes 6 hours.

Paths where visitors don't have to be unscripted
Cave Paintings: They 1.200 mts far from Information Desk. It has low difficulty and it takes 30 minutes.

Limonao Port: Starts 650 mts far from Information Desk. The way has 4 kilometres, between Futalaufquen Lake and the road. It has low difficulty and it takes 2 hours.

Lake's Trips: Visitors can hire an excursion that leaves at Limonao Port (4 kilometres far from maintenance) and continues along Krüger Lakeand Mermoud Port. In the east the route goes down and walkers can walk a small distance in order to get to Chucao Port. Visitors can take there a ship that sails along Menendez Lake, goes round Grande Island, and let watch Torrecillas Glacier. Then the ship arrives Sagrario Port, in the north part of the same lake where, after an hour and a half walk, tourist can watch the “Alerzal”.

Also visitors can reach to Chucao Port crossing over the Arrayanes River footbridge in order to get to 1500 metres interpretative path where old "alerces" can be appreciated.