Founded: October 19, 1988
Area: 163,573 acres
Donated area: 267 acres
Ecosystem: Humid high Andean deciduous forest, Andean evergreen forest, Chiloé evergreen forest, and montane evergreen forest
Estimated carbon sequestration: 32.32 million metric tons
Location: Los Lagos Region

Hornopirén National Park––“snow kiln” in the Mapudungún language––is famous for its impressive biodiversity and for being the home to millenary alerce (Fitzroya) forests. The Hornopirén volcano, although technically outside the park’s borders, crowns this landscape of mountains and valleys sculpted by snowdrifts, rivers, lakes, and lagoons.

History

The park was created in 1988 and later expanded as part of the large 2018 land donation made through an agreement between the Chilean government and Tompkins Conservation Chile. This agreement included the donation of more than 250 acres to the Hornopirén Park territory, as well as the incorporation of public land.

Ecological Value

Hornopirén National Park is part of the evergreen forest ecoregion, which is known for its rich biodiversity, high levels of endemism, and ecologically intact species of ancient trees. It is part of the World Biosphere Reserve of Temperate Rainforests of the Austral Andes and is home to more than 22,000 acres of alerce (Fitzroya) trees.

Among fauna, highlights include the puma, the guiña (the smallest feline in the Americas), the fox, and the pudú deer.

Find more information at https://www.rutadelosparques.org/en/parque-nacional-hornopiren/.