As travel to Patagonia becomes more and more popular, its top spots have become more crowded as well. Perito Moreno National Park in southern Argentina, on the other hand, is a place where flamingos, condors, guancos, and even pumas still outnumber visitors.

How to explore Perito Moreno National Park in Argentina

Parque Nacional Perito Moreno (Perito Moreno National Park) is free to enter, blessed with emblematic Patagonian landscapes and wildlife, and home to visitor infrastructure that many parks can only dream about–including gorgeous cabins, scenic campgrounds, and miles of hiking trails–and it’s all very lightly visited.

First, it’s important to understand that Perito Moreno National Park is not the Perito Moreno Glacier (which is located in a totally different park hundreds of miles away near El Calafate). Nor is it the town of Perito Moreno, which is located 200 miles (320 km) to the north. Why are there so many things named for Perito Moreno?

Well, Francisco Pascasio Moreno, aka Perito, was a naturalist, explorer, and politician who did a lot of notable things in his life, including founding Argentina’s National Park system in the early 1900s. Perito Moreno visited the Patagonia region many times, though he never saw the glacier, park, or town that are now named for him.

Perito Moreno National Park (free, no fires, no fishing, no pets, no swimming, take all garbage out with you) was established in 1937, which makes it one of the first national parks in Argentina. In 2013, Tompkins Conservation donated an enormous chunk of land to extend the park to its current size of 489 square miles (1,268 square km).

The park protects Patagonian steppe grasslands, glacier-fed lakes, native forests, and the wildlife that lives in those ecosystems. You’ll certainly see groups of guanacos and many bird species, including flamingos, Andean geese, black-necked swans, and Andean condors. Foxes, Andean deer, endangered huemul deer, pumas, and two types of smaller endangered wild cats also live in the park. The 12,159-foot (3,706-meter) glaciated peak of Mount San Lorenzo, just outside the park boundary, is a dramatic backdrop.

What you won’t see is many other people. While the most popular destinations in Patagonia attract hundreds of thousands of visitors each year, Perito Moreno National Park is visited by just a few hundred.

The park’s Ceferino Fonzo ranger station at the park entrance has Wi-Fi, good bathrooms, and helpful rangers (Spanish only when we were there). All roads within this park are dirt and gravel.

Hiking in Perito Moreno National Park

There are more than 55 miles (90 km) of hiking trails in the Peninsula Belgrano, Lacteo Valley, and  Azara sectors of the park. These include short strolls, full-day hikes, and multi-day treks. Many hiking circuits include huts and campgrounds along the way (more on those below).

We spent our time on the two trail networks on the Belgrano Peninsula, which is located 5.5 miles (9 km) from the park entrance. First, we hiked the Ciruito Chico (Small Circuit), which is a very pleasant 6-mile (9.6-km) mostly flat loop through native forest.

The next day, we headed out on the Circuito Grande (Big Circuit) trail on the Belgrano Peninsula. Despite good signage, this 10.5-mile (16.8-km) loop turned into nearly 13 miles because we somehow missed the trail that cuts off directly back to the trailhead so we ended up skirting around a huge hill which added extra distance.

Both trails take hikers through a combination of lenga forest and Patagonian steppe landscapes. The Circuito Grande trail, which is mostly undulating but also includes a few climbs and descents, also takes in Belgrano Lake.

During our 4.5 hours on the Circuito Grande, we saw a total of eight other people.

Hiking pro tip: Take a picture of the trail map on the wall in the ranger station at the park entrance when you stop to register. And consult this online park trail map.

Car safari through Perito Moreno National Park

You can also spend five or six hours slowly driving along the dirt and gravel roads that travel through the park to look for wildlife and visit various viewpoints. This is a great option on days when wind or rain (or both) make hiking unpleasant or unsafe.

We drove to the El Rincon ranger station (10 miles/16 km from the main park entrance) in the northern part of the park, where there is a one-room museum displaying household and farm implements from the area’s original ranches.

Then we drove past the museum to the trailhead for Rio Laceto (named for its milky-looking sediment-rich glacial meltwater) where we’d planned to hike a ways up the path to Monte San Lorenzo. However, strong winds turned us back. There’s a small hut here too, not far from the start of the trail.

Then we backtracked past the museum and forked off to Mirador Rio Volcan. This bluff top lookout point, over Laguna Volcan, is favored by water birds. Once we managed to push the truck doors open, we noticed a sign that read “Cuidada en las dias con viento fuerte” (Be careful on high wind days). On that day, the wind was so strong we could barely walk over to look at the lake.

Near the ranger station at the park entrance, you’ll find Lagunas de Mie, an areaw that attracts flamingos, black-necked swans, geese, and other birds.

During a drive through the park, we also saw a guanaco carcass near the road. Upon closer inspection, it appeared to have been the victim of a recent puma attack. The puma was probably watching its kill from a nearby hideout before returning for a snack. Sadly, we never saw the puma.

How to get to Perito Moreno National Park

We said this park is off the beaten path, and we weren’t kidding. Perito Moreno National Park is 130 miles (210 km) from Gobernador Gregores on Ruta 40 to the south, and 200 miles (321 km) from Perito Moreno town on Ruta 40 to the north. There is no public transportation service to the park. This means you’ll need a vehicle to visit Perito Moreno National Park. A 4X4 is not necessary, but be prepared for gravel roads in various states of disrepair. To get to Perito Moreno National Park, turn off Ruta Nacional 40 onto Ruta Provincial 37 and drive on this gravel road for 52 miles (83 km) to reach the Guardaparque Ceferino Fonzo ranger station and main park entrance. Allow at least two hours just for the section on Ruta Provincial 37. This road was in bad condition with severely washboarded sections when we drove it, which meant we had to keep a very, very low speed.

Pro tip: Be sure your gas tank is full before pulling off of Ruta Nacional 40. Fuel is not available anywhere near this park. The closest fuel stations are in Gobernador Gregores 130 miles (210 km) to the south or Bajo Caracoles 120 miles (192 km) to the north. If your vehicle doesn’t have more than a 300-mile range, you will need to carry extra fuel in a gerry can. And be sure your vehicle has everything you need to change a flat tire.

When should I visit Perito Moreno National Park?

Perito Moreno National Park is open from October 1 to April 30 each year during South American summer when temperatures are milder (though still cold), and the region’s infamous winds can be even stronger. We visited this park in February, and the wind was very strong the entire time we were there. The Perito Moreno National Park Instagram account regularly posts helpful weather warnings.

How much time should I spend in Perito Moreno National Park?

If you like to hike and you have the time, we recommend a minimum of three days in Perito Moreno National Park–even longer if you want to give yourself a buffer in case the weather keeps you inside.

Where can I sleep in Perito Moreno National Park?

Perito Moreno National Park has two scenic and free hike-in backcountry campgrounds with flat tent sites and pit toilets. Two campgrounds in the park can be reached by car and have RV sites as well as tent sites.

There are currently 10 charming small wooden huts, called refugios, in Perito Moreno National Park. To reduce environmental impact, they were pre-built in Bariloche to specs supplied by an eco development consulting firm in the US called Butler Parklands, then disassembled, transported into the park, and put together on site.

These huts are well-built (no leaks, no drafts) and are reached on foot. Some huts are less than 30 minutes from a parking area. Others are located much further into the back country. Huts can accommodate three to six people with bunk beds (BYO sleeping bag, pad, and bedding),  wood-burning stoves (and well-stocked wood piles), a cooking/dining/sitting area with basic dishes and kitchen utensils (BYO cooking stove and food), porches with views, and nearby bio outhouses. Jugs of drinking/cooking water are also provided, which means you don’t have to pack in heavy water, which is a true backcountry luxury.

Even though they’re free, you must reserve your campsite or hut by emailing the park (Spanish only, inbox not monitored on weekends) at peritomoreno@apn.gob.ar. If you’re going to camp or stay in one of the huts, bring all of your supplies with you. There’s nowhere to pick up food or anything else near this park.

If you don’t want to camp or stay in a hut, you can book a room at Estancia La Oriental. Located 5 miles (8 km) from the park’s ranger station, this ranch was grandfathered into the park and now offers a handful of simple but clean and comfortable rooms with hot water bathrooms, electricity, and heaters. They also have a shared dorm and camp sites. The atmosphere is homey and breakfast and dinner are home-cooked and abundant, but bring snacks and sandwich fixin’s to fuel your daytime excursions out in the park.

Also see our story about Perito Moreno National Park for CNN Travel.

 

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Here’s more about Patagonia Travel

Here’s more about Adventure Travel in the Americas

Here’s more about National Parks in the Americas