Cordillera Yerba Loca Park

Cordillera Yerba Loca Park

Located near Santiago, the Yerba Loca Park is a diverse nature reserve in the very heart of the Chilean Andes, full of glacial crevasses, rocky peaks and wildflower meadows, and it is characterized by high mountainous terrain, with slopes ranging from 15º to 30º, intersected by numerous gorges and rugged slopes running down to the west, covered by debris and boulders. The streams are relatively deep and generally have rocky beds with high coarse material content. Famous for the La Paloma Glacier, the towering peaks of Los Piches and El Altar, and the densely wooded forests of the Villa Paulina valley, the park is a popular destination for hikers. The conditions of the sanctuary allowed the development of the high mountain fauna. There is a wide variety of mammals and reptiles inhabit the large area of the reserve. Yerba Loca Park is home to more than 500 species of plants and animals, including the Chilean Condor, Cordilleran Hummingbirds, Puma and Culpeo Foxes. The main permanent watercourse is the Yerba Loca stream, which contains high levels of sulphate, preventing its water from being used for drinking, and which originates at the foot of La Paloma Mountain, at an altitude of 3,900 m above sea level.