Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park, National park in Los Lagos Region, Chile
Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park covers 253,780 hectares in the Andes of Los Lagos Region. It protects Lake Todos los Santos and the Petrohué River, which leaves the lake at Petrohué and runs over the Petrohué waterfalls, where whitewater breaks around dark boulders. The park also takes in the eastern slope of Osorno volcano, the southern slope of Puntiagudo and the western slopes of Tronador, whose snowfields and forests frame the water.
The park was founded in 1926 as Chile's first national park, a milestone in the country's conservation history. The area was previously explored by Jesuit missionaries seeking routes from Chiloé Island to the pampas.
The park lies in the Bosques Templados Lluviosos de los Andes Australes biosphere reserve. Its name honours Vicente Pérez Rosales, the agent of German colonisation in southern Chile. The nalca, a giant rhubarb-like plant up to 2 m tall, is named for its edible stem, and its root was once used to dye wool brown.
The western entrance near Ensenada is located about 72 kilometers northeast of Puerto Montt and features ranger stations and visitor facilities in the town of Petrohué. The best time to visit is during warmer months when trails are more accessible and weather conditions are more stable.
The Petrohué area receives around 4,000 millimeters of rainfall annually at 700 meters elevation, creating dense forests and powerful waterfalls that cascade over volcanic rock. This intense water flow has shaped the landscape for centuries and makes the region a dynamic ecosystem.
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