THE ROUTE OF PARKS IN PATAGONIA – CHELENCO LAKE
The Route of Parks is a vision for the conservation of Chilean Patagonia from Rewilding Chile and the Chilean State, continuing the legacy of Douglas Tompkins. It connects 17 national parks between the Lakes District and Cape Horn. It protectects 11,3 million of hectarea (28 million acres) and set the stage for quality eco-adventure activities.
Right in the middle of this route, there are three parks around the second largest lake in South America, known to locals as Chelenco. But officially named Lago General Carrera in Chile and Lago Buenos Aires in Argentina.
National Parks Surrounding Chelenco Lake
Laguna San Rafael Park
The southwestern extreme of lake collides with the oldest and bigger Laguna San Rafael National Park with an extension of 1.742.000 hectares (4.305,683 acres) covering completely the Northern Patagonian Ice Cap. We could say a paradise for mountaineers who want to traverse it, with also several glaciers accessible to tourists. The one that gives the name to the park has been the most recognized marine tourism attraction of the country and a truly beautiful evergreen forest area. The Ventisquero Laguna San Rafael is accessible from the community of Puerto Río Tranquilo, where sereval companies provide marine tours.
Patagonia Park
In its southeast edge, the Patagonia Bi-National Park touches the lake on both its Chilean and Argentinean side.This Park extends over 585,000 hectares (1.444.000 acres). Backpacker Magazine describes it as the terrain where trekkers can find solitude, all the challenging off-trail travel they can handle, plus wildlife, forest, mountains, and glacial lakes galore…And you can safely venture further than you ever imagine with Patagonia Huts
Cerro Castillo Park
Near the Northwest side of the lake it is Cerro Castillo National Park of 143.500 hectares (354,600 acres), with the impressive 2.675 m (8,776 ft) Cerro Castillo peak, a well-known trekking circuit and several very active day hikes.
Patagonia Huts, during the COVID Pandemic, successfully built the toilets in Cerro Castillo National Park, buoyed now by positive feedback from both tourists and locals alike. Acknowledging the diverse perspectives surrounding outdoor bathroom and amid the challenges of the pandemic, the company crafted 4 toilets over a two-month period by a team of five mountain guides. The construction process was a testament to human ingenuity and perseverance. Considering the elements—sun, rain, wind, and mud—we toiled tirelessly, wielding chainsaws, hammers, axes, and shovels to bring our vision to life.
With that knowledge we designed The Laguna Cerro Castillo Hike and New Zealander Camp Hike to complement our Smugglers’ Trail in Patagonia National Park that ends on the southern shore of the lake, to see the highlights of Cerro Castillo National Park. Starting from Puerto Ingeniero Ibáñez in the north bank.