Melimoyu National Park facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Melimoyu National Park
IUCN Category II (National Park)
Melimoyu volcano seen from the surrounding waters
Location	Aysén Region, Chile
Nearest city	Cisnes
Area	1,055.0 km2 (407.3 sq mi)
Designation	National Park
Designated	2018
Governing body	Corporación Nacional Forestal (CONAF)

Melimoyu National Park is a special protected area in Chile. It's located in the Aysén Region, near the town of Cisnes. This park was created in 2018 using land from the government and land donated by Tompkins Conservation. This organization was started by American nature lovers, Kristine and Douglas Tompkins. They worked together with Chile to create a "National Parks of Patagonia Network" to protect large parts of nature.

Where is Melimoyu National Park?

The park is found in a maze-like area of fjords and channels in Patagonia. To the north, it touches the Gulf of Corcovado. To the west, it's next to the Moraleda Channel. To the south, it borders the Jacaf Channel. A big part of Refugio Island is also inside the park.

Other national parks and protected areas surround Melimoyu. These include Corcovado, Queulat, and Isla Magdalena. There's also a marine protected area nearby called Pitipalena Añihué. This area is important for sea life near the mouth of the Palena River.

Why was the park created?

Melimoyu National Park was set up for several important reasons:

• To protect the Melimoyu volcano, which the park is named after.
• To help save animals and plants that are in danger of disappearing.
• To keep whales and dolphins safe. These amazing creatures live in the ocean waters next to the park.

History of the area

People have known about the land where the park is located for a long time. European explorers started visiting and describing it in the late 1700s. One of the first was José de Moraleda.

The Melimoyu volcano is a very important landmark. Sailors have used it for navigation on the Moraleda Channel for centuries. Captain Robert FitzRoy even wrote about it in his famous book about his voyages.

What kind of nature can you see?

The park is mostly covered by large forests. These forests have many types of native trees. Some common trees you might see include:

• Lenga beech
• Chiloé's Coigue
• Mañío
• Magellan's beech

These forests stretch from the coast far inland, except on the highest parts of the mountains.

How to visit the park

Getting to Melimoyu National Park can be tricky because much of it can only be reached by boat. There aren't many roads that connect to the main highway, the Carretera Austral.

There is one road, Route X-12, that goes through two small parts of the park. This road connects the towns of La Junta and Puerto Raúl Marín Balmaceda. In Puerto Raúl Marín Balmaceda, as well as in the small village of Melimoyu and Puerto Cisnes, you can find people who offer local transport services to help you explore the area.

Currently, the park does not have visitor facilities or park rangers.

See also

In Spanish: Parque nacional Melimoyu para niños