Reserva nacional El nogalar de Los Toldos, Nature reserve in Santa Victoria Department, Argentina.
The Reserva nacional El nogalar de Los Toldos is a national nature reserve in the mountains of Salta Province, northwestern Argentina, protecting a cloud forest with native walnut trees and high-altitude vegetation. The terrain rises from forested valleys to open mountain slopes, supporting a wide range of plants and animals typical of the Yungas ecoregion.
The territory was part of Bolivia until 1938, when a border agreement based on an earlier treaty from 1925 officially transferred it to Argentina. This change placed local communities under a different administration almost overnight.
The name of the reserve comes from the native walnut trees, called "nogal" in Spanish, which give the area its character. Visitors who walk through the forest can still spot old water mills that local communities once used to grind corn.
The reserve sits in remote mountain terrain, so sturdy footwear and good physical condition are strongly recommended before setting out. Weather can shift quickly at these elevations, so bringing warm layers and enough water is always a good idea.
The forest here is one of the few places in Argentina where native walnut trees still grow in their natural state, without ever having been cultivated. These trees form a nearly closed canopy that keeps the forest floor damp even during dry periods.
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