Los Alerces National Park

Los Alerces National Park
Parque Nacional Los Alerces
IUCN category II (national park)

Lake Futalaufquen, one of the many lakes in the Los Alerces National Park.
Map showing the location of Los Alerces National Park
Location Chubut Province, Argentina
Coordinates 42°48′27″S 71°53′56″W / 42.80750°S 71.89889°W / -42.80750; -71.89889Coordinates: 42°48′27″S 71°53′56″W / 42.80750°S 71.89889°W / -42.80750; -71.89889
Area 2,630 km2 (1,020 sq mi)
Established 1937
Governing body Administración de Parques Nacionales
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Criteria Natural: (vii), (x)
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Reference 1526
Inscription 2017 (41st Session)

The Los Alerces National Park (Spanish: Parque Nacional Los Alerces) is a national park in Chubut Province, Argentina, some 30 miles (50 km) from Esquel. It is a park of 2,630 square kilometres along the border with Chile, best known for the alerce (lahuán) trees (Fitzroya cupressoides) from which the park takes its name.

Designated a World Heritage Site in 2017, the park was created in 1937 in order to protect the alerce forest, and other typical examples of the flora of the Patagonian Andes. The National Park has the largest alerce forest of Argentina. Alerce is one of the longest-living trees in the world; some in the park are around 3,000 years old, with many of them over 1,000 years. It grows very slowly and belongs to the family Cupressaceae. The principal forest in the park, visited by tourists, is at Puerto Sagrario at the northern end of Lago Menéndez. Arrayán (Luma apiculata) trees can be seen along the Arrayanes river.

In the west of the park, there is high rainfall and Valdivian temperate rain forests below the high Andes mountains. Much of the rest of the park is Patagonian forest similar to the Lanín and Nahuel Huapi National Parks, with coihues and lenga in addition to the alerce.

There is a complex lake system with many rivers. The most important are the Menendez, Rivadavia, Futalaufquen and Krüger lakes, and the Frey river. A hydroelectric dam, providing energy to industry in Puerto Madryn, has created the large artificial Lake Amutui Quimei, which empties into the Futaleufú River which flows on to Chile.

There is good walking and fishing in the park, and boat trips on the lakes. The Torrecillas glacier can be seen from tour boats.

Climate

The climate of park ranges from temperate to a cold, humid one.[1] In the lower altitudes, mean temperatures range from 2 °C (35.6 °F) in winter to 14 °C (57.2 °F) in summer.[1] Mean annual precipitation ranges from more than 3,000 mm (120 in) in the west to 800 mm (31 in) in the east in which most of it is concentrated in winter.[1] During the coldest months, snowfall can occasionally occur.[1]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Parque Nacional Los Alerces" (in Spanish). Administración de Parques Nacionales. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
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