Due to the danger in which many of the animal and forest species are found in Chile, the state has determined areas where trees, birds and animals are protected from logging and hunting, respectively. These areas are called National Parks, areas that receive government assistance to stay alive, as well as protection and environmental education so that tourists who visit them maintain the fragile ecosystem of southern Chile.
In Patagonia there are about twenty Parks or National Reserves. Among the most important, in geographical order, are:
PUMALIN
Located in Palena, 60 km from Chaiton, between Hornopiron and Caleta Gonzalo, it is the largest private park in Chile. It has 317 thousand hectares, was created in 1991 by the American businessman Douglas Tompkins and validated by the Chilean government in 1997. Declared a Nature Sanctuary in 2005, the organization Conservation Land Trust donated the land to the organization Pumalon Project (which administers the lands), which aims to preserve and protect the species that inhabit its boundaries.
Although it is a private park, it does not work as such, since there is no charge for the income and it works together with the government to maintain the balance of the ecosystems that coexist in the place.
Despite the political opposition to the project, due to its private nature, the Park continues to grow. It continues to build infrastructure to improve the stay of visitors and reach the level of other parks in the world. Without a doubt, Pumalon has nothing to envy.
Previous to the purchase by Tompkins, the lands of the place were abandoned, they were occupied so that the cattle of the adjacent farms grazed, among them to lodge 7 thousand hectares of native forest without commercial value. Hence the interest of the entrepreneur to create an ecological park, whose purpose was only to preserve and protect the forest.
Pumalon offers activities for all tastes. Thanks to its varied geography, where high summits and mighty rivers meet, visitors can choose what to do during their visit, whether to go on foot or on horseback, or climb a mountain or canoe down a river.
The place was formed almost completely by glaciations, which allowed to create trails for hiking. The Pumalon Park offers at least 9: Puelo-Ventisquero, Cahuelmo-Laguna Abascal, Viewpoint, Waterfall, Tronador, Larches, Hidden Cascades, Black Lake-Punta del Lago and Michimauida.
LAKE PALENA (NATIONAL RESERVE)
Although CONAF authorization is required to enter, the Lago Palena National Reserve is worth the trip. Located 24 km from the small town of Palena, it is a reserve of 40,500 hectares dominated by high peaks, ice caps and a large forest that reaches the waters of the lake itself.
The lake belongs to Chile and Argentina, where it is called Lago General Winter. In Chile, the harsh climatic conditions and access conditions make it difficult to reach the; So much so, that CONAF keeps a park ranger in place only in summer and closes the area to visits during the rest of the year.
Within the Reserve you can find the first part of the Path of Chile, a bi-regional road that advances 60 km to the south of Patagonia. Likewise, the Eastern Patagonian Cord has molded the place, giving it a unique beauty, thanks to the action of glaciers.
The lake is accessed by a path suitable for horses and climbers, although it is also possible to reach Argentina by a gravel road that runs along the shores of Lake Winter.
QUEULAT
The Queulat National Park is located in the province of Aysén, Region XI, at 220 kms. from Chaiton, and 167 kms. north of Coyhaique.
Crossing more than 40 kms. along the Carretera Austral, the Queulat National Park is a faithful representative of the ecosystem of Patagonia. Summits, river, fauna and vegetation are part of the attractions offered to tourists, in a chance to stop time and recreate the landscapes we have always imagined to explore.
This park, the only one of these characteristics in Chile that can be reached by car, has an area of 154,093 hectares and its relief is largely made up of the Patagonian Mountain Range of the Andes. It has ten sites to camp, endowed with basic services for survival, in addition to day and night with the guard of the National Forest Corporation, CONAF, to provide guidance to anyone who enters this place.
The innumerable trails that run through the park allow you to appreciate the different forms of the relief of the region, through activities such as trekking, horse riding, mountaineering and observation, among many others.
One of its major attractions is its hanging glacier, a living sample of the effects of the glaciation in Patagonia, which is born from the highest peak of the park, the Alto Nevado Hill (2,225 mts). This can be accessed through the paths programmed for the walks and it is possible to contemplate it in a viewpoint.
Without a doubt, the ever-green flora of the place enchants most visitors; and is that in very few places in the country are the various tree species such as the maitén, canelo, coihue, tepe and evergreen shrubs of leaves and wild flowers.
The Queulat National Park is divided into several sectors, including the large glacial formations mentioned above, rivers and, especially, virgin vegetation, a territory that has not yet been fully explored. There is no doubt that the satisfaction and pleasure felt by the eyes of the tourist to appreciate a landscape like this park, is one of the greatest benefits of the place. However, there are many attractions that this offers to those who are willing to venture into its vegetation, meet its wildlife and marvel at this southern tranquility. Enter this peaceful and at the same time extreme world, living this experience with the greatest possible energy and even give a new twist to your scouting vein.
The main attractions of the park are the Queulat Hanging Glacier, Tampanos Lagoon, Risopatran Lake, Cuesta del Queulat, Murallón de Glaciares, Padre García Falls, Queulat Portezuelo, Salto del Cóndor and Piedra del Gato, undoubtedly excellent safety pins.
LAGOON SAN RAFAEL
The Laguna San Rafael National Park invites you to venture into beautiful landscapes of eternal ice, water mirrors, forests and mountains. Its most attractive places are the San Rafael Glacier that is born in the San Valentín Hill: the highest summit of the austral Andes and that ends in the recognized San Rafael Lagoon. The navigation by the lagoon surprises by the luminosity of its waters and by the beauty of its surroundings. While giant blocks of ice detach from the glacier falling into the lagoon in a show that moves for its beauty.
It is also important to highlight the great variety of flora and fauna that the park offers, where it is possible to observe species of marine and terrestrial birds, among which are black browed albatrosses, duck huala, black-necked swans, among others. The flora also stands out for its richness and is represented by a dense population with species such as cypress, lenga, evergreen and coihue, which owe their growth to the humidity of the area.
In addition, it is possible to carry out activities such as climbing, trekking, sailing, fishing and many more.
In the Laguna San Rafael National Park you can navigate the lagoon, observe the millenary ice and the beautiful landscape that surrounds it. You can also perform various recreational activities such as walks on the trails of the forest, observation of animal species, photography and mountaineering.
FUTALEUFU
There are 12,000 hectares of wonderful forests and protected animals, at the beginning of Chilean Patagonia. The Futaleufú National Reserve, moreover, is recognized for housing the Futaleufú River, which means “Rio Grande” in Mapudungon, one of the most visited places on the Carretera Austral and considered internationally as the best white water rapids. world.
It was created to protect native species, such as the Cypress of the Cordillera and Huemul, both in danger of extinction. For this reason, it is administered by the National Forestry Corporation, which maintains two park rangers in the Reserve, ensuring the care of the species and providing information to visitors.
It is the habitat of a particular ecosystem. Despite being a small reserve, endangered species live in it. We already mentioned the Huemul, but also live in it vizcachas, quirquinchos, condors, amphibians and the Argentine wildcat.
A mere ten kilometers from the border with Argentina, it was populated by people from the neighboring country, who crossed the border more than one hundred years ago. Since then, the relationship between the two countries in the area is rather close. In the Reserve you can also find the Espolón River, which runs next to the Futaleufú, and which flows from the beautiful lake of the same name. Smaller and quieter river, it is ideal for kayaking and rafting, while its shore is great for walking with the family. Both trout and salmon inhabit the Futaleufú and the Espolón, so it is not strange to see fishermen doing their activity along the two bodies of water.
Because of its location, the Reserve was visited by just 300 people in 2004, without any promotional support. At the same time, due to the size of the reserve, people are hospitable and receive exceptionally both Chileans and foreigners. It is an attractive place for all the activities that can be done inside. Only to arrive at the Reserve is an unparalleled experience, since it must be done on horseback. From there, the possibilities are endless. You can fish, continue riding on horseback or do it on foot, rent a canoe and spend the afternoon by the water. Another option is to raft down the Futaleufú, a river that has been listed as one of the best to practice this sport, with fast category 4 and 5. The Futaleufú National Reserve offers that combination of nature and city, hostels and hotels equipped to satisfy all the needs of the visitors.
BERNARDO O’HIGGINS
It is the largest National Park in Chile, with an area of 3,525,901 hectares. Its flora, fauna and landscapes also make it one of the most attractive and beautiful places to visit in Patagonia, and in the most important reserve of the Magallanes Region. Created in 1969, it extends from Tortel in the XI Region to the last Esperanza in the XII, comprising a large part of Campos de Hielo Sur, one of the largest reserves of fresh water on the planet. The park stands out for its large areas of ice, the main one being the Pao XI glacier, where the ice wall, approximately 75 meters high (similar to a ten-story building), sometimes gives off icebergs that create huge waves, some of which they have reached ten meters, reaching to move the nearby boats without causing damage. It is the largest glacier in the southern hemisphere and the only one that increases its size every year, unlike all other glaciers. The Pao XI Glacier has increased its dimension more than ten kilometers in the last fifty years; the last measurement of its surface gave 1,265 km, advancing on average about 20 cm. each night. Other important ice bodies within the park are Campos de Hielo Sur, the most 
important reserve of fresh water on the planet; Dr. Juan Bruggen Ice Field and Patagonian Ice Field, which extend over 1,100,500 hectares. But not only ice makes up this place. Leaving aside the snow, we can find vegetational formations such as the Deciduous Forest of Aysén, which houses a series of native species such as the Lenga, the Common Cigue and the Coihue de Magallanes. In Pre-glacial Scrub and Swampy Evergreen Scrub of the Messier Channel there are also trees that only grow in this point of the planet. As for the fauna, you can find penguins, cormorants, ducks, thrushes and the typical animals of Chile: the condor and the huemul, which adorn the national coat of arms. In the same way, there are chungungos, sea lions, pumas, guides, nice otters and long-tailed mice. These are some of the most common animals.
The best way to observe the life that surrounds and that inhabits the park is by sea. Tours of this type are made every day, in high season, navigating the Seno ultima Esperanza to the Balmaceda, Serrano and Pao XI glaciers. In this place it is possible to disembark and take a walk along the shore of the lagoon with floating icebergs. The Balmaceda and Serrano glaciers are glaciers that hang from the slopes of Mount Balmaceda; the first deposits its icebergs in the last Esperanza fjord, while the second one does the same in a lagoon. In 2004, the Park was visited by 14,334 people, of whom 76% were foreigners.
TOWERS OF PAINE
Biosphere Reserve since 1978, Torres del Paine Park is the third most visited park in Chile. Its green and white areas are protected by the government and by UNESCO, and are located in the XII Region (Magallanes) and the Chilean Antarctic, 400 kms., North of Punta Arenas and 2,500 kms., Of Santiago, the capital of Chile. With almost 3,400 meters of height, the Central Tower of the Paine is the highest of the three granite peaks formed by glacial movements, and was first climbed in 1963.
The Park, which has an approximate area of 2,400 km, has several access routes, shelters, places to camp and other services for tourists. You can develop various activities, such as fishing, climbing, hiking, photography, walking, trekking, mountaineering, among others.
The main attractions, within the National Park, are Laguna Amarga and the Gray and Pehoe lakes, which provide an unparalleled view of the towers and glaciers, which give off impressive ice floes towards the lake. In addition, you can visit the glaciers Balmaceda, Pio XI, Serrano and Campos de Hielo Sur.
PALI AIKE
Pali Aike means “desolate place” in Aenikenk, the language used by the ethnic groups that originated in this sector of Patagonia; although it is also known as “El Escorial del Diablo”. The Pali Aike National Park was created in 1970 and includes 5 thousand hectares of forest, volcanoes, caves and pampas inhabited by guanacos, armadillos and andes. One of the most recognized landmarks within the Park is the Pali Aike Cave, where archaeological evidence has been found of populations that used the place as a refuge more than 11 thousand years ago.
Within the Park there are four trails and a variety of caves. If you have authorization, you can access the Cueva Fell, where you can see cave paintings of 9 thousand years old.
The Park is in the most arid part of the area and exhibits traces of basaltic lava, which turn the landscape of the place into something similar to what we know as lunar territory. The valley formed by lava, has a vegetation completely different from the rest of the area. You can access the caves and trails, which allow you to see animals such as guanacos, gray foxes, flamingos, chingues and bats, among others.
LAGOON PARRILLAR
Created in 1977, the Laguna Parrillar National Reserve has 18,414 hectares and was created to protect the Laguna Parrillar watershed, the main reservoir of water in Punta Arenas. With areas between 300 and 650 meters above sea level, the Parrillar Lagoon stands out, with 970 hectares, which freezes completely in winter due to its height and the low temperatures of the season. The ice, especially that of the riverbank, reaches thirty centimeters in thickness. In other sectors, the snow reaches 0.7 meters in height, all the rivers and lagoons of the place become ice.
The reserve has a trail of seven stations and 19 sites for camping, where you can practice sport fishing if it is season, that is, between October and March. In the tour you can see the forest, mostly composed of Lengas and native shrubs, as well as typical animals of the area. Despite being completely frozen in winter, the Laguna Parrillar National Reserve allows hiking, recreational fishing and trekking during the summer. As always, you can take pictures, walk one of the authorized trails and spend the night outdoors, in one of the 19 sites for the campsite.
ALBERTO DE AGOSTINI
It is the third largest park in Chile, with 1,460,000 hectares. It is located 800 nautical miles from Punta Arenas and west of Puerto Williams, including a series of islands and peninsulas, fjords, channels and breasts, glaciers and snowdrifts.
It owes its name to one of the most important Salesian priests in Chilean history, Father Alberto Marea de Agostini, who was in charge of drawing a series of maps of the region of Magallanes and paintings that reproduce the beauty of this southern area.
In the National Park is the Darwin mountain range, a long mountain range that appears as islets in this latitude, and the Beagle Channel. Both milestones are important when describing the Tierra del Fuego area. Through the Beagle one navigates to the Strait and the Murray Channel, site where Charles Darwin had a meeting with the natives of the place, encounter that later would be vital for the development of his theory on the human evolution. In this place they settled onas and yaganes, being one of the most inhabited places in the region.
Its cultural value is only surpassed by the ecological and environmental value, as the Agostini National Park hosts a series of native species, including the coligüe and the canelo.
Among the most known landmarks is the Marinelli Glacier, the most extensive in the area; the Agostini Glacier, surrounded by mountains that allow the landing on its surface; and the Pampa Guanaco, ideal for those who practice recreational fishing. In all these places are animals, some still in danger of extension, such as guanacos, wolves and elephants, marine, otters or chungungos, among others.
CAPE OF OVENS
It is one of the most recent places to be named a Biosphere Reserve, protecting its species against any evil caused by man. It is a distant place but it promises to draw sighs.
Created in 1945, it was called the Biosphere Reserve in 2005. It has an area of 63 thousand hectares that make up the Wellington Islands and the small Hermite Islands. In the last, there is a monument that remembers all the men of the sea who lost their lives fighting with the stubborn southern sea. The sculpture was installed in 1992, for the 500th anniversary of the discovery of America.
In the Park there is an important number of animals and seabirds, all of thick fur to withstand the low temperatures in the Islands. In addition, the vegetation is different from the rest of Tierra del Fuego, since it is lower and denser. Similarly, there are no heights greater than 200 meters.
The archipelago and the Park correspond administratively to the Chilean Antarctic.
The Cabo de Hornos Park, because of its geography, allows you to take a boat ride among the islets that make it up. At the same time, of course, you can photograph the wonderful landscape that appears behind each island, where the Andes mountain range has completely disappeared.