| Nahuelbuta National Park | |
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IUCN Category II (National Park)
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Forest of Araucaria araucana in the Nahuelbuta National Park. |
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| Location | Araucanía Region, Chile |
| Nearest city | Angol |
| Area | 68 km² |
| Established | 1939 |
| Governing body | Corporación Nacional Forestal |
Nahuelbuta National Park is one of the few parks located in Araucanía Region of Chile's Coastal Mountain Range. It sits atop the highest part of the Cordillera de Nahuelbuta. Created in 1939, it consists of 6,832 hectares situated just 162 km northeast of Temuco. Nahuelbuta (Mapuche for "big tiger") is a sanctuary for Monkey Puzzle trees, with specimens dating back 2,000 years. Though these are the only trees you will find at the highest altitudes of the park, you will see coigüe, ñirre, oak, lenga, orchids, carnivorous plants as well as birds like the black woodpecker and mammals like the puma, Darwin fox and pudú (a small Chilean deer) in the lower lying areas.
The park features 30 roads and 15 trails which you can explore by car or on foot. The Conaf information center and camping area are both found in Pehuenco, where the most popular route begins. Following it will treat you to over four kilometers of scenic paths before ending at Cerro Piedra del Águila (1,379 meters). The peak offers a terrific view of the park's exuberant and pristine natural wonders, the immensity of the Pacific Ocean to the west, and an impressive chain of Andean volcanoes to the east. At sundown, you can enjoy the most sublime postcard view Nahuelbuta has to offer: a sky marked by red and pink hues framed by hundreds of thousand-year-old Monkey Puzzle.
The park provides habitat for the Mountain lion, the Pudú and Darwin's Fox. Among the birds are the Magellanic Woodpecker, the Andean Tapaculo and the Chucao Tapaculo.