Carrasco National Park, Protected natural area in Cochabamba, Bolivia.
Carrasco National Park is a protected area in Cochabamba Department that stretches across more than 622,000 hectares and covers the transitions between the Andes and the Amazon basin. The landscape shifts from cloud forests with orchids and ferns to lower rainforest sections, where rivers flow between limestone walls and form small waterfalls at several points.
Created on 9 December 1988 as Carrasco-Ichilo National Park with 180,000 hectares, the reserve was re-established on 11 October 1991 by Supreme Decree No. 22,940 as Carrasco National Park. That decree reduced the protected area to 622,600 hectares to lessen the environmental impact of the Chimoré-Yapacaní road and attached the Cavernas del Repechón Wildlife Sanctuary, created in 1986. Administration passed from the Forest Development Center to the National Directorate of Biodiversity Conservation in late 1993.
The park's name honours the Carrasco province, one of the Cochabamba provinces it spans, alongside Tiraque and Chapare. Management follows a community participation policy: park rangers and administrators born in the communities around the park have been hired, which improved relations with state agencies and brought local residents into enforcing the area's regulations.
Access is usually through Villa Tunari, where lodging and restaurants are available and offices for arranging hikes or kayak trips can be found. Trails in the park range from short walks to multi-day treks, with a guide recommended for longer routes.
Within the protected area lies the Cavernas del Repechón Wildlife Sanctuary with three natural caves that house bat colonies and shelter nocturnal birds. Visitors can explore the entrances to these caves with a guide, though they should watch for slippery paths and low ceilings.
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