Tierra del Fuego National Park

Location:
Ushuaia, Argentina

National Park

By D. M. Finer

Created in 1960, Tierra del Fuego National Park is the only national park in Argentina with a coastline. It is massive in size at 63,000 hectares, but only a small portion of this is open to the public where camping and hiking are available. The rest of Tierra del Fuego National Park is preserved for scientific purposes. This part of Patagonia is made up of a mix of peaks and valleys with rivers, thick forests and glacial lakes thrown into the picturesque landscape. Inside the park is a network of hiking paths that are quite easy to navigate, which lead you to its coastline, and through its forests and mountains.

The wildlife in Tierra del Fuego National Park is varied and easy to spot. There are roughly 90 species of birds found in the park. So even in its best attempts to avoid you, the Black-browed Albatross at over 2 m is tough to miss. Other birds include the Condor, Magellanic Oystercatcher, Upland Goose, Steamer Duck, Thorn-tailed Rayadito and Magellanic Woodpecker. Common mammals are the otter, beaver and the red and silver fox.

Tierra del Fuego National Park is a short trip west of Ushuaia and can be reached via

“El Tren del Fin del Mundo.”