La Chimba National Reserve, National reserve in Antofagasta Province, Chile.

La Chimba National Reserve is a protected desert area in Chile's Antofagasta Region in the north. The reserve contains different landscapes with native plants and animals adapted to the dry environment.

The reserve was created by the Ministry of Agriculture through decree No. 71 of 12 May 1988, published in the Diario Oficial on 13 July 1988. Its establishment responded to human degradation of the area. Since January 2014 it has been closed to the general public to restore the site and reduce damage caused by visitors and by the nearby municipal landfill, which was due to be relocated.

The reserve's name comes from the Quechua word "chimba", meaning the opposite bank of a river, a term used in the Andes for the far side of a watercourse. The reserve takes it from the La Chimba ravine, one of the two quebradas inside the protected area, together with Los Cactus.

The reserve has been closed to the general public since January 2014, so check its status before travelling. Access is from Route 1, about 1 km past the start of Antofagasta's motorways at kilometre 11, then 3 km along a gravel road near the municipal landfill. The reserve lies 15 km north of Antofagasta, on the western slopes of the Cordillera de la Costa.

The reserve sits where the desert meets the coastal region, creating rare conditions in this spot. This transition zone allows specialized plants and animals to thrive that would not survive elsewhere in the area.