| Hornopirén National Park | |
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IUCN Category II (National Park)
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Blanco River, Hornopirén |
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| Location | Los Lagos Region, Chile |
| Nearest city | Hornopirén |
| Area | 482 km² |
| Established | 1988 |
| Governing body | Corporación Nacional Forestal |
Hornopirén National Park is located in the Andes, in the Palena Province of Chile's Los Lagos Region. The park contains 482 km2 (186 sq mi) of rugged mountains and unspoiled Valdivian temperate rain forests. This national park borders the northern portion of Pumalín Park. The Carretera Austral passes close to the park. In the vicinity of the park lie Hornopirén and Yate volcanoes.
Contents |
The park is dominated by glacier-carved mountains and active volcanoes. It includes glaciers comprising an area of 30 km2 (12 sq mi).
The three main bodies of water in the park are Pinto Concha Lake 4.75 km2 (2 sq mi), Cabro Lake 1.55 km2 (1 sq mi) and Inexplorado Lake 1.5 km2 (1 sq mi).[1] They are surrounded totally or partially by millennial Alerce forests. Inexplorado Lake is one of a series of paternoster lakes that form part of the Blanco River drainage basin. The aforesaid lakes are characterized by distinctive blue and green hues, due to rock flour suspended in their waters and give to the river its milky appearance. Negro River is another major river system in the park.
The park has about 25 mammal species, including native as well as exotic species. Among them are the cougar, Kodkod, Lesser Grison, Chilla Fox, American mink, Coypu, Pudú and Chilean Huemul.
It includes Fitzroya trees almost in pure stands. The pristine alerce forests cover an area of about 97.41 km2 (38 sq mi), which comprises approximately the 35 percent of the vegetation cover of the park.[2]