Visit southern Chile’s Huerquehue National Park near Pucón to see lakes, waterfalls, a temperate rain forest and snowcapped volcanic peaks. Spring brings the wildflowers, while summer best shows the reflections of the snowcapped volcano in the green and blue lakes. Fall is great for red and orange colors and winter may be cold and wet but makes the landscape look stunning after snowfall.
Huerquehue National Park spans nearly 50 square miles (125 square kilometers). The park is part of a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve that protects the tall araucaría trees with their mossy bark. You will also see the native evergreen coigüe trees in the higher regions, along with similar lenga trees.
Hike the famous Los Lagos trail to see the best the park has to offer. The trail is so nicknamed because it leads past many lakes, including Laguna Los Patos (Duck Lagoon), Laguna Huerquehue, Lago Toro (Bull Lake), Lago Verde (Green Lake) and Lago Chico (Small Lake). The whole circuit takes 5-8 hours, depending on your level of fitness and the number of picnic and photo stops you take.
Those with limited time can walk the Small Circuit to Lago Verde instead, which still takes about half a day to complete. If you have a day to spare and brought the right gear, take the detour trail from the path near Laguna Huerquehue to the hot springs of Río Blanco, which are about 5 hours away.
There are several other scenic hiking trails in the park as well. The park rangers of CONAF, the National Forest Corporation of Chile, supply maps, weather information and other information at the station by the park entrance, which is also where you can pay the access fee if you haven’t already done so in Pucón.
To reach Huerquehue National Park, drive from Pucón by Lake Villarrica towards Caburgua. After about 12.5 miles (20 kilometers) you can see a sign to the national park. Follow the gravel road up for another 9 miles (14 kilometers) until you reach the park’s entrance by the CONAF station. You can also take a public bus from Pucón to get there. There are lodges within the park itself and camping is also permitted in places.