Argentina national parks

Argentina has 35 national parks protecting an area of 37,000 square kilometers (about 1.5% of the country's total national territory). The parks include some of Argentina's most spectacular natural wonders, including the amazingly complex waterfall system at Iguazu National Park (one of nature's most awe inspiring sights) and the Tierra del Fuego National Park with its landscape of glaciers and rocky islands on the tip of South America.

Iguazu National Park (Photo: Ron Van Oers, CC BY-SA 3.0 igo)

The parks provide habitat for myriad diverse species of plant and animal alike. The majestic Andean condor can be seen soaring above several of Argentina's parks that lie along the Andes mountain range. Penguins are often spotted in Tierra del Fuego, though birdwatchers are more likely to spot some of the more than 300 species of birds that have been seen in the country's many parks.

Understand

Parks are administered for the federal government by the Administración de Parques Nacionales (National Parks Administration), which has its headquarters in Buenos Aires. In addition to national parks, protected areas can be designated as Natural Monuments or as National Reserves.

Argentina also has two off-shore marine areas in the South Atlantic that are designated as National Marine Parks (Areas Protegidas Marina): Yaganes Marine National Park, and Namuncurá-Burdwood Bank II Marine National Park. In addition to protecting fisheries and providing recreational resources for scuba divers, the marine parks provide protected habitat for sea lions and penguins.

Parks

Lakes of Nahuel Huapi National Park (Photo: User: (WT-shared) Gobbler at wts wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 1.0)

Perito Moreno Glacier in Los Glacieres National Park (Photo: Fernando, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Fin del Mundo train to Tierra del Fuego National Park (Photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/galio/, CC BY-SA 2.0)

Andean Northwest

• Baritú National Park — heavily forested park on the border with Bolivia, preserves an area of Southern Andean Yungas
• Calilegua National Park — preserves an area of Southern Andean Yungas (tropical pine forests) in the northwest
• El Rey National Park — northwestern park preserves an area of Southern Andean Yungas
• Los Cardones National Park — Andean highland park with arid desert-like climate that is home to the Argentine saguaro cactus, the park has numerous mountain peaks ranging in height from 2,700 to 5,070 meters.

Chaco

• Río Pilcomayo National Park — grassy plains and wetlands near the Pilcomayo River, protecting the humid Chaco ecosystem, a Ramsar wetland
• El Impenetrable National Park — large park with moist western area and dry eastern zone and alluvial forests along two rivers, largest park in northern Argentina

Cuyo

• Talampaya National Park — rugged desert area of mountain bluffs and plateaus, protects several archaeological and palaeontological sites
• El Leoncito National Park — Andean highlands park that protects clear, dark skies for two astronomical observatories within the park boundaries
• Sierra de las Quijadas National Park — a rough, dry area with strange, reddish colored rock formations is protected here. The park is located in the sparsely populated northwest of the province.
• San Guillermo National Park – Andean highland park and a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve established to provide habitat for vicuña and other species

Mesopotamia

• El Palmar National Park — savannah that protects yatay palms
• Iguazu National Park — world's largest waterfall system, on the border with Brazil and Paraguay

Pampas

• Campos del Tuyú National Park — preserves an area of coastal plains and protects the endangered Pampas deer
• Quebrada del Condorito National Park — protects an area of mountains and plains

Patagonia

• Islote Lobos National Park — natural area along the Atlantic coast protecting six rocky promontories that are occupied by colonies of sea lions and penguins
• Jaramillo Petrified Forest National Park — volcanic eruptions at the start of the Cretaceous period buried forests in lava, creating a petrified forest of trees turned to stone
• Lago Puelo National Park — deep indigo blue lake in the steppes of the high Andes, the park has cave paintings made by ancient indigenous cultures, it is also home to the pudu, world's smallest deer
• Lanin National Park — huge Andean highland park where Huechulafquen Lake reflects the peak of Lanin Volcano
• Los Alerces National Park — mountainous park on the border with Chile protects the endangered alerce tree
• Los Arrayanes National Park — Andean highland park that protects a forest of arrayanes trees (a flowering tree related to the myrtle)
• Los Glaciares National Park — Argentina's largest national park is home to 47 glaciers, including the famous Perito Moreno Glacier
• Nahuel Huapi National Park — Argentina's oldest national park protects a huge Patagonian lake with backdrops of Andean peaks and lush forests
• Monte Leon National Park — seaside park in Patagonia where waves crash into sheer cliffs while sea lions, penguins and aquatic birds cluster on myriad beaches, trying to avoid the hungry jaws of pumas
• Perito Moreno National Park — Patagonian park named after a famed explorer of the region, two mountain chains are in this park with peaks up to 3700 meters high

Tierra del Fuego

• Tierra del Fuego National Park — southernmost park in Argentina, on the tip of South America, a UNESCO World Heritage Site

See also

• Central and South American wildlife
• Chilean national parks
• National parks

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