Lago Puelo National Park

Lago Puelo National Park is located in Chubut province, Argentina, within the Patagonia forest ecoregion. It is situated between the foothills of Currumahuida and it borders Chile to the west.

Having originally been created as an annex to the Los Alerces National Park, in 1971 it became an independent 27,674 ha (68,383 acres) national park. Along with four other national parks, it comprises a part of the Andino Norpatagónica Biosphere Reserve.

The characteristics of this natural reserve are unique in Patagonia. Due to its low elevation (only 200 m or some 650 ft), its geographical environment, and its geologic formation, Lago Puelo National Park is home to many endemic flora species and exhibits beautiful scenery and exceptional weather.

Mean temperatures range from 5 °C (41.0 °F) in winter to 17 °C (62.6 °F) in summer. Mean annual precipitation is around 1,400 mm (55 in), most of it being concentrated between May to August. Occasionally, snowfall can occur during the coldest months.

The mountainous zone where Lago Puelo National Park lies was modified by the action of glaciers, which created many rivers and lakes, including the one (Puelo Lake) that gives the park its name.

The rivers of the region show high levels of glacier sediment (silt), which gives Lago Puelo its blue color. The lake empties into the Pacific Ocean via the Puelo River, impressively framed by Mount Tres Picos and Mount Vanguardia.

Lago Puelo National Park has the distinction of being in a transition zone between the Andean Patagonian forest and rainforest ecoregions.

Some of the flora of the park that belongs to the Valdivian temperate forests include the avellano, the tique, the lingue, and the ulmo. It also includes the ciprés de la cordillera, the coihue, the lenga, the radal and the arrayán. The rosa mosqueta is an exotic plant.

The fauna includes the pudú, the huemul, the red fox, the cougar, and the coipo. Among birds we find the huala, the pato vapor volador, the bandurria, the pitío, and the zorzal patagónico. The lake features native fish such as the perca, the peladilla, the puyén grande, and foreign species of trout.