Conguillío National Park – Chile

Chile´s Hidden Gem – Conguillío National Park

This lesser known National Park is part of an ancient landscape that forms the Kütralkura Geopark (UNESCO). Famous for it´s volcanoes and impressive rock formations and volcanic lakes, it even made an appearance on the “Walking with Dinosaurs” series. It´s not difficult to understand why, the combination of the primitive gymnosperm Monkey Puzzle Tree that reaches 1000 years of age, with the surrounding volcanoes and volcanic rock formations is impressive.

Why Visit Conguillio?

In the indigenous Pewenche/Mapuche language (Mapudungun), “Conguillio” means “pine nuts in water” or “water with pine nuts”. This refers to the indigenous people´s traditional staple food, the seed of the female Araucaria araucana tree (Monkey Puzzle Tree). These living fossils create a primeval atmosphere unlike anywhere else on the planet. Combined with one of Chile´s most active volcanoes, you have a great destination for exploring.

Summer in Conguillío National Park – what to expect

Summer in the Araucanía region of Chile brings long days, warmer temperatures (15-25 ℃ /59-77 ℉ on average). Tracks are generally easily accessible as the winter snow has melted and there aren´t so many rainy days. January and early February are great months for seeing the colourful alpine wildflower display on the trails that are above 1500 meters (4920 f). Thee turquoise waters of Laguna Verde and Laguna Arcoíris are at their most inviting.

Suggested Activities

Hiking

There are many options from short 20 minute walks to 6 hour or overnight hikes. A very popular one is the Sierra Nevada trail. The trail takes around 6 hours for moderately fit people and starts from the carpark , finishing at the final lookout above the tree line. For the experienced adventurer  one can start here and end up in Malalcahuello, crossing the Sierra Nevada glacier. Flatter trails include a loop around the Captren Lagoon which takes around 1 hour and includes sights and sounds of ducks and moorhens.  The Truful Truful waterfall is another short walk at the southern entrance to the Park.

Water Activities

Conguillio Lagoon is a large, shallow lagoon with a volcanic sandy beach where one can swim, rent a kayak or paddleboard. During summer the kiosk is usually open for business. The park information centre is not far away and is worth a visit. Here toilets can be found.

Wildlife watching

The more likely wildlife to be seen are water birds, the Magellanic Woodpecker bird and the Austral Parakeet. The shy native Pudú and Puma are unlikely to be seen by visitors. High up on trails the majestic condor is not an uncommon sight.

Summer tips for visiting the Park

• The Park managers, CONAF have a daily vehicle limit (500 at the time of writing). To be sure you are allowed to enter it´s best to buy your park entry online with some anticipation https://tickets.pasesparques.cl/es/events/parque-nacional-conguillio
• Start early to avoid the crowds. During summer the Park is popular with locals.
• Take plenty of water and apply sunscreen regularly throughout the day.
• Take food. The kiosk is not always open and the only other place to buy food within the park is a privately owned restaurant, towards the southern entrance of the park.
• Keep in mind that at the time of writing, Conguillío National Park is closed on Mondays for maintenance

Autumn and Winter in Conguillío National Park

Autumn is a great time to visit the Park for photography or appreciation of the autumn colours. The native deciduous beech leaves transform to all shades of orange prior to falling. They form an attractive contrast to the dark, rich green of the evergreen beech and Araucaria trees.

Winter may be complicated for vehicle entry, by snow. It may be closed to vehicle access or if open, only for 4WD vehicles. Even during autumn, if it has been raining the roads may not be accessible to vehicles other than 4WD.

The weather can be very cold and windy during these months so one must visit prepared for abrupt weather changes, even if it is a forecast to be a sunny day.

Getting There

It is most easily accessed by car, either from the Curacautín entrance or the Melipeuco entrance to the south. Temuco and Temuco airport have rental car options.

If coming from Argentina, one can cross vía Pino Hachado crossing (closest city in Argentina is Neuquén). Another option is the Mamuil Malal frontier crossing.

Where to Stay

Inside the Park a privately owned camping/cabin concession holder operates near Conguillío Lagoon. Outside the Park at both entrances, accommodation options can be found. Malalcahuello, Curacautín and Melipeuco are the closest towns servicing tourists.