Patagonia National Park

The Chacabuco valley was one of the largest sheep estancias in Patagonia, grazed hard for a century, and in 2004 the Tompkins conservation foundation bought it. What followed was a deliberate reversal: the sheep were removed, hundreds of kilometres of fencing was pulled out, the grassland was allowed to recover, and guanaco numbers rose sharply, with puma following them - the valley now has one of the more visible puma populations in South America. Former ranch buildings became the park headquarters and lodge. In 2018 the land was donated to Chile and combined with adjoining reserves to create the national park.

History

Lucas Bridges set up the Chacabuco valley as ranchland in 1908, and the Estancia Valle Chacabuco, one of the region's largest sheep ranches with almost 25,000 animals a year, changed hands several times in the 20th century. Kris and Doug Tompkins first came in 1995, and in 2004 Conservación Patagónica bought the 70,600-hectare estancia, removed almost all the livestock, reseeded the grassland with native grasses and by 2011 had taken out more than half of its 640 kilometres of ranch fencing; in 2018 Tompkins Conservation donated the land to Chile, and it became Patagonia National Park (Wikipedia, Patagonia National Park - Chile).

The landscape

• A century-old sheep estancia - bought and destocked from 2004.
• Fencing pulled out - hundreds of kilometres of it.
• Guanaco and puma returning - one of the more visible puma populations.
• Donated to Chile in 2018 - and combined with adjoining reserves.

When to go

December to March. Several days.

What to expect

It is far down the Carretera Austral on gravel, and getting there is most of the commitment. Wind is constant. Puma sightings are possible but not reliable. Accommodation is a lodge and campsites, both limited.

Nearby

Cochrane is north; the Baker river runs past on the way in.

Key facts