A short and easy trip to the Araucaria in the heart of the Chilean Andes

Walk for less than an hour at Lake Conguillío and the national park of the same name

Starting point

We start and end the trip at the Conguillío park ranger station. There is no fee to enter the park, but there is an entrance fee: CLP 9,000 for adults, CLP 4,500 for children aged 12-17, children under 11 are free (2019). You can leave your car in the car park right next to the station or at a nearby campsite. The site can be reached by your own car or by hitchhiking from Temuco.
 

Description of the hike

It was actually an unplanned stop on our way to the Sendero Sierra Nevada trek. After a roughly two-hour minibus ride from Temuco, we arrived at the park ranger station at Lake Conguillío and within half an hour, we had completed the entire circuit and continued towards our original destination.

A very short and easy hiking trail that is suitable as a complement to a program in Conguillio National Park - for example, before or after a trip to Lake Conguillío. The trek's destination is the Araucária forest in the immediate vicinity of the park ranger station and offers an excellent opportunity to get to know the Araucarias better.

From the car park at the station, the forest path descends gently to a wooden footbridge over a stream and climbs to an information board. From here you can choose which direction to take for a short circuit. About halfway along, there is a short detour to a small waterfall. The hike is manageable for anyone who can negotiate a root here and there and a few wooden steps. Children have to walk on their own or in a carrier. No special equipment is needed.
 

Difficulty

A very easy trek on a forest path, occasionally crossing roots and in some places wooden steps are built. Pets are not allowed in the park. The trail is not suitable for children in strollers, but school-age children will enjoy the trail.

 

Water availability

It is not relevant due to the length of the hiking route. It is less than an hour of slow walking with minimal elevation gain.
 

Sleeping options

You can spend the night at the nearby Camping Los Carpinteros.
 

Danger

There are mountain lions and wild cats in Conguillío National Park, but it is highly unlikely that you will encounter them in the trekking area.
 

Food

There is a convenience store with a very limited range of food at the nearby campsite, but no provisions are needed for such a short walk.
 

Attractions

The main goal of this trip was to get to know the aracaurias trees, which are found only in a few places in the southern hemisphere. The Chilean region where the trek takes place is named after these trees - Aracuanía. The aracaurias are complemented by a wide variety of other exotic plants and several animal species.