With a huge range of hiking and camping options, you can’t miss Pumalin Park on your way down the Carretera Austral.
Pumalin Park was one of my first stops on the Carretera Austral. Stepping off the ferry you feel like you have just walked onto the set of Jurassic Park. Giant fjords jut out from the mainland into the ocean. Enormous temperate rainforest plants stretch for as far as the eye can see. There is nothing but pure nature. No shops, no refugios, no hostels. Just camp sites and hikes. If you are headed down the Carretera Austral in Patagonia then Pumalin Park is definitely a stop you should make along the way to kick start your Patagonia season.
Getting There and Away
Pumalin Park really did put on an amazing sunset. There is nothing quite like a good silhouette.
You can access Pumalin Park while travelling along the Carretera Austral in both a northerly and southerly direction. The Caleta Gonzola ferry stop is located at the Northern entrance and the town of Chaiten is located at the Southern entrance.
Ferry and Bus
If you are headed South from Puerto Montt you can catch a bus from Puerto Montt to Hornopiren. This costs $4,000.00 CLP ($8.00 AUD) and takes approximately 3.5hours. It includes a small ferry trip along the way as well.
You can then take a passenger ferry from Hornopiren to Caleta Gonzola, the entrance to Pumalin Park. This ferry costs $6,500.00 CLP ($14.00 AUD) and takes approximately five hours.
You can then exit the park from Chaiten where you can catch a bus to Futaleufu or La Junta. At the time I attended we paid $4,000.00 CLP ($8.00 AUD) for a bus from Chaiten to Futaleufu.
If you are headed in the other direction, it will be the same costs and times, just in reverse.
Driving Your Own Car
There is also another option to drive the Carretera Austral. You would likely start in Puerto Montt and head South, having collected your vehicle in Bariloche. In this case you can drive from Puerto Montt, via Hornopiren and then to Pumalin Park on the same ferry. Keep in mind that the ferry needs to be booked in advance for vehicle’s and that it will be a lot more expensive than a passenger only ticket.
Transport Inside the Park
Once inside the park there is a bus that drives from one end to the other. The bus departs from the Caleta Gonzola ferry stop at 11.00am each day and heads towards Chaiten. It costs $1,100.00 CLP ($2.40 AUD) for a trip from Caleta Gonzola to Chaiten, however if you enter or exit the bus at other stops along the way it is still the same price.
Hiking in Pumalin Park
Sendero Cascada
5 hours return, 5.6km total
I felt like I was exploring the Lost Boy’s treehouse from Peter Pan!!
This hike is the first in the park, with the start point right near the Caleta Gonzola ferry stop. It was quite an interesting hike that was a little bit different to most waterfall hikes I have done before. Throughout the entire hike you walk along log ladders, log bridges and steps made entirely of wood. It can be quite slippery and muddy at times, but it was also a lot of fun.
This rope section was a little more difficult than it looks.
As we grew closer to the waterfall we had a succession of steep ladder climbs down and then up again, followed by ropes we used to pull ourselves around giant boulders. It definitely felt like I was in the Lost Boy’s treehouse from Peter Pan and it was exciting to be doing something a little different. Once we arrived to the waterfall it was absolutely beautiful. It was much larger than I had anticipated and we had it all to ourselves.
The best part? Having friends to share it with that I met on the road!
Sendero Volcan Chaiten
5 hours return, 4.4km total
Just casually standing next to an active volcano. Gotta love Chile!
This is a unique volcano hike in the sense that you are hiking up the blast path from when it erupted in 2008. It is still active and once at the top you can see the puffing smoke from the crater. While this hike isn’t too long, it is very steep with no cover at all from the sun. I would not recommend attempting this hike during the hottest parts of the day, as the heat from the sun made the constant uphill even more challenging. Despite this, it is definitely worth the hike as it is a very stark contrast to the rest of the hikes in Pumalin Park that consist mainly of temperate rainforests and glaciers.
Perfect blue skies, and A LOT of sun on the way up!
Camping in Pumalin Park
Camping Rio Gonzalo
This is the first camping option in Pumalin Park and can be found just after the Caleta Gonzola ferry stop. It costs $6,000.00 CLP ($13.00 AUD) per person. This cost inncludes a cooking shelter, toilets and drinkable water. Cold showers are also available, for the brave.
This campsite is also very close to Sendero Cascada. We set up camp after arriving at Pumalin Park and then completed the Sendero Cascada that same afternoon.
Camping Volcan
Not such a bad way to wake up, right? The camping in this park was so beautiful and tranquil.
This campsite is $6,000.00 CLP ($13.00 AUD) per person. The price includes a cooking shelter, toilets and drinkable water. Again, cold showers are also available for anyone mad enough to use them in the cold. Payment for the camp site are made at the park ranger hut in person or in the honesty box when it is unattended.
This campsite is one of the last sites before arriving at Chaiten and is the closest camp site to the Volcan Chaiten hike. It is a 2.5km walk from the road where the bus drops you, but the walk is worth it to have such a spectacular view at sunrise.
What to Pack
My last piece of advice with regards to hiking and camping in Pumalin Park is what you should pack. If you are doing one of the day hikes then you really only need snacks, water, and layers for potential weather you may encounter. On an average day hike I usually take the following items;
- 18L Osprey Ultralight Stuff Pack
or Osprey 20L Tempest day pack - Fujifilm X-T2 Camera, a wide angle lens and a general purpose / portrait lens, and accessories
- CamelBak water reservoir / Nalgene water bottle
- Snacks (muesli bars, dried fruit and nut, Clif bars and / or fresh fruit or snacks depending on the length of the hike)
- Water/windproof jacket if the weather turns — this jacket from Arc’teryx is excellent quality, or or a jacket from The North Face
- XT Ultralight Packable Down Jacket or Arc’teryx fleece in case it will be cold at the summit or if completing a sunrise hike
- Headlamp in case you lose light
- Phone for emergencies and maps.me
- First Aid Kit
- Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) — depending on how remote your hike will be, although I always carry one regardless
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and / or fresh fruit or snacks depending on the length of the hike)
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Pumalin park is unique in that you have the option to set your tent up at the camp sites along the way and don’t have to hike with all of your gear on the trails. Generally speaking, you will still need the same gear while you are in the park as there are no facilities asides from toilets and a few cold showers here and there. I highly recommend heading over and checking out my post about what to pack for multi-day hikes. That hiking guide provides you with a detailed packing list for clothing, shelter, food and cooking, as well as safety and emergency gear for any multi-day trek. There is a downloadable checklist as well to use the next time you are packing.
Travel Insurance
No adventure filled itinerary would be complete without travel insurance. While you can take every precaution under the sun to ensure the safety and security of yourself and your belongings, you just never know what is going to happen. That is why I always make sure I have adequate travel insurance before I travel or hike anywhere. For my last three long term adventure trips, my preferred travel insurer has been World Nomads.
If you decide to use them for your next trip or hike and you would like to support this blog, then please make your purchase through the below quote link and I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. As always, make sure you read their product disclosure statement and check that it is suitable for your needs before proceeding.
Recommended Reads
If you want to check out some of my existing hiking related posts they are all on my Adventure Travel area of the blog. Or you can also easily access posts about all of my favourite hikes and adventure destinations in Patagonia:
- The 4 Day Trek to Cerro Castillo, on the Carretera Austral in Chile
- The Best Hikes in Bariloche, in Northern Patagonia, Argentina
- Adventure Activities and Hiking on the Carretera Austral, Chile
- The Ultimate Guide to Torres Del Paine and The O Circuit, Chile
- The Best Hikes in El Chaltén, Argentina
If you have never solo hiked before, but have been considering it for a while then you should definitely have a look at some of my posts relating to solo hiking:
Save it for Later
If you are headed to Patagonia soon then why not save this guide about hiking and camping in Pumalin Park on Pinterest? You can share it to Facebook with friends and family as well. If you have been to New Zealand and know of an incredible hike not included here, then please leave it in the comments section below so I can add it to my list for next time. Let me know if you have any questions!
— Girl Seeking Purpose
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