Reserva Nacional Altos de Lircay

Middle Chile


The great range of challenging hikes at this well-organized, easily accessible national park will leave you as short of breath as the fabulous views. Its 121 sq km cover high-Andean steppes, lagoons and deciduous forest that turns a glorious gold and red in the fall. Pudú deer, Patagonian foxes and Pampas cats also live here, though sightings are uncommon.

About 2km before the park entrance, Conaf runs the Centro de Información Ambiental, which has displays on local natural and cultural history (the area has seen four sequential indigenous occupations). You pay admission and register for camping and trekking at the Administración, about 500m after the entrance.