Bernardo O'Higgins National Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bernardo O'Higgins National Park |
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IUCN Category II (National Park)
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Southern Patagonian Ice Field
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| Location | Aysén del General Carlos Ibáñez del Campo Region-Magallanes Region, Chile |
| Area | 3,525,901 ha (8,712,691 acres) |
| Established | July 22, 1969 |
| Visitors | 35,964 (in 2016) |
| Governing body | Corporación Nacional Forestal |
Bernardo O'Higgins National Park is the biggest protected area in Chile. It covers a huge area of 3,525,901 hectares (that's like many, many football fields!). The park is located in two regions of Chile: Aysén and Magallanes.
The people who manage this park, and others in Chile, are from an organization called the Corporación Nacional Forestal (CONAF). The park is named after General Bernardo O'Higgins, who was the first head of state of the Republic of Chile. It shares borders with other famous parks like Los Glaciares National Park in Argentina and Torres del Paine National Park.
Contents
A Look at the Park's Past
The very first people to live in this area were the Alacaluf people. They were native groups who lived off the land and sea.
In 1830, a captain named Phillip Parker King visited the Eyre Fjord. He was on a ship called HMS Beagle.
Something unusual happened in the park in 2007. Between March and May, a whole glacial lake disappeared! It left behind a deep crater, about 100 feet deep. Scientists believe this happened because of climate change.
Later, in 2014, special natural sites were created within the park. These include the Chaltén Mountain Range and the amazing Pío XI Glacier.
Exploring the Park's Geography
The park is located in the southern part of Chile. It stretches from the Baker Channel up to the Fjord of the Mountains. The highest point in the park is the Lautaro volcano, which is 3,607 meters tall. Other tall mountains include Mount Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre.
Even in the southern part of the park, where the mountains are not as high, the views are still amazing. A special highlight there is Mount Balmaceda, which is 2,035 meters tall. It looks beautiful with the Balmaceda and Serrano glaciers nearby.
There are no big rivers along the park's coast. Instead, narrow fjords cut deep into the mountains. These fjords carry water from the ice-covered peaks down to the sea.
Amazing Glaciers and Geology
A large part of the Southern Patagonian Ice Field is found within this park. One of the most incredible sights is the Glacier Pío XI. This glacier is huge, and enormous blocks of ice often break off from it.
The Pío XI glacier is the largest glacier in the southern half of the world, outside of Antarctica. It covers an area of 1,265 square kilometers. Over the last 50 years, it has actually grown by more than 10 kilometers! One part of it is about 6 kilometers long. The ice face of this glacier is about 75 meters high. That's like a 30-story building! When ice falls from it, it can create waves over 10 meters high. These waves are big enough to rock even large boats.
Other important glaciers in the park include Chico, O'Higgins, Jorge Montt, Bernardo, Témpano, Occidental, Greve, Penguin, and Amalia.
Plants and Animals of the Park
The park is part of a special type of forest called the Magellanic subpolar forests. These forests have several unique tree species. You can find trees like Nothofagus betuloides, Nothofagus pumilio, Nothofagus antarctica, and Drimys winteri.
Bernardo O'Higgins National Park is also a very important place for animals. It is one of the last safe places for the Chilean huemul, which is a type of deer. Other animals you might see here include the Andean condor, a large bird, and the marine otter. You might also spot cormorants, which are seabirds.
Visiting the Park
It can be a bit tricky to visit Bernardo O'Higgins National Park. This is because of its rough landscape and how far away it is. You can only get there by boat or helicopter.
The most popular places to visit are the glaciers at the end of Última Esperanza Sound and the giant Pío XI glacier. The main towns where visitors start their trips are Puerto Natales, Villa O'Higgins, Caleta Tortel, and Puerto Edén. If you like adventure, sea kayaking is a popular activity in the park.
See also
In Spanish: Parque nacional Bernardo O'Higgins para niños
- Chaltén Mountain Range Natural Site
- Base General Bernardo O'Higgins Riquelme
- Wellington Island
- Zona Austral
- Guayaneco Archipelago
- O'Higgins Lake
