Yendegaia National Park

Yendegaia National Park is located in the Magallanes y la Antártica Chilena Region of extreme southern Chile, within the Tierra del Fuego archipelago. The Darwin Range and Lake Fagnano frame its pristine landscapes.

The National Park stretches from the Cordillera Darwin to the Argentine border and from the Beagle Channel to Fagnago Lake. The landscape comprises vast pampas, unexplored mountains, glaciers, lakes, canals, rivers, and fjords.

Yendegaia National Park borders the Alberto de Agostini National Park in Chile and Tierra del Fuego National Park in Argentina, creating a contiguous ecological corridor. It contains 150,612 ha (372,170 acres) of mountainous terrain and Valdivian temperate forests.

The climate in this region is variable and often bleak, with rain and regularly overcast skies. In winter, from June to September, the temperature can drop to a low of -11 °C (12 °F). In summer, temperatures can reach a maximum of about 24 °C (75 °F).

History

Yendegaia National Park is the result of public-private collaboration between the Government of Chile and the Yendegaia Foundation, a branch of the conservation project run by Douglas and Kris Tompkins.

It comprises 111,832 ha (276,340 acres) of state-owned land and 38,780 ha (95,800 acres) of the privately owned Estancia Yendegaia, led by the Tompkins.

Route of Parks

Yendegaia National Park is part of Chile's scenic 2,800 km (1,700 mi) "Route of Parks" that stretches from Puerto Montt in the north to Cape Horn in the south.

Spanning 17 national parks, the Route of Parks of Patagonia encompasses one-third of Chile and protects over 11.8 million hectares (28 million acres).

_{Chile's Route of Parks map - Thompson Conservation}

Flora and Fauna

The ecosystem here comprises Patagonian steppe, deciduous and evergreen forests, tundra, alpine and coastal vegetation.

Yendegaia National Park protects the last remaining sub-Antarctic beech forest. Other species that can be found in the park include Lenga (Nothofagus pumilio), Canelo (Drimys winteri) and Coigüe (Nothofagus dombeyi).

It is an essential habitat for three species in danger of extinction: the culpeo, the river otter and the ruddy-headed goose. It hosts many native flora and fauna, including 128 vascular plant species.

Yendegaia National Park is home to 49 land and marine birds, including the Bandurria, the Pidén Austral, and the Condor. The forests are home to the Comesebos, Rayaditos, Cachañas (Austral Parakeets) and Magellanic Woodpeckers.

Guanacos can frequently be spotted on the pampas and the Tucus. South American Fur Seals, Chungungos (Marine Otters), Toninas Overas, Minke Whales, Southern Right Whales, Orcas and Sperm Whales also inhabit the park's coasts.