Majestic and unspoiled Hornopirén National Park is located in the Andes Mountains.
Nestled within the Palena Province in the Los Lagos Region of Chile, Hornopirén Park contains wonderful expanses of rugged mountains and unspoiled Valdivian temperate rain forests. This national park borders the northern portion of the famous Pumalín Park. To our delight, the remarkable Hornopirén Volcano rises directly in front of our lodge. Hornopirén is a park dominated by carved mountains, active volcanoes and dramatic glaciers. The cool mist of this rare ecosystem reminds us of our own Pacific Northwest.
The three main bodies of water in the park are: Pinto Concha Lake, Cabro Lake and Inexplorado Lake. Inexplorado Lake is one of a series of lakes that forms the Blanco River basin. These lakes are characterized by distinctive blue and green hues due to glacial till suspended in their waters. These pristine lakes are surrounded by untouched millennial Alerce Forests. The Alerce tree is the second oldest tree on the planet behind the Bristol Cone Pine. These old-growth Alerce Forests cover a massive area of about 37.6 square miles, which comprises approximately 35 percent of the vegetation cover of the park. Similar in size and scope to our Redwoods, the Alerce tree is a powerful reminder of a different day and age on our planet.
Hornopirén Park has about 25 mammalian species including native as well as exotic species. Among them are the Cougar, Kodkod (smallest wild cat in the world), Lesser Grison, Chilla Fox, American Mink, Coypu, Pudú (smallest deer in the world) and Chilean Huemul.