Nevado Tres Cruces National Park
Encyclopedia
Located in the Atacama Region
of Chile
at 93.2 miles from Copiapó. Nevado Tres Cruces National Park includes Laguna Santa Rosa, Laguna del Negro Francisco, and a part of the Salar de Maricunga. The park is divided into two zones, the northern zone encompasing the southern portion of Salar de Maricunga and Laguna Santa Rosa, and the southern area the Laguna del Negro Francisco. The park is named after Nevado Tres Cruces
, which dominates the landscape of the area.
The Nevado Tres Cruces National Park is managed by CONAF, which offers two refuges in the area: one at the south of Negro Francisco Lagoon and other at the west of Santa Rosa Lagoon.
The administration charges a fee to enter the park which is $2.000 CLP and $500 CLP for children.The park is open from October to April from 8 in the morning to 6 in the afternoon.
, (6,893meters/22,615 ft.) is located in its vicinity. The salar is 180 km northeast of the city of Copiapó
in the Andes
mountains.
s, which reside on the lagoon year-round. Laguna Santa Rosa, along with Laguna del Negro Francisco, is a Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention
.
volcano. As a nationally protected area, there is an abundance of fauna, such as flamingoes and vicuñas.
Atacama Region
The Atacama Region is one of Chile's 15 first order administrative divisions. It comprises three provinces, Chañaral, Copiapó and Huasco. It is bordered to the north by Antofagasta, to the south by Coquimbo, to east with Provinces of Catamarca, La Rioja and San Juan of Argentina, and to west with...
of Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
at 93.2 miles from Copiapó. Nevado Tres Cruces National Park includes Laguna Santa Rosa, Laguna del Negro Francisco, and a part of the Salar de Maricunga. The park is divided into two zones, the northern zone encompasing the southern portion of Salar de Maricunga and Laguna Santa Rosa, and the southern area the Laguna del Negro Francisco. The park is named after Nevado Tres Cruces
Nevado Tres Cruces
Nevado Tres Cruces is a massif of volcanic origin in the Andes Mountains. It has two main summits, Tres Cruces Sur at 6,749 m and Tres Cruces Central at 6,629 m and a third more minor summit, Tres Cruces Norte 6030m. The former marks the border between Argentina and Chile...
, which dominates the landscape of the area.
The Nevado Tres Cruces National Park is managed by CONAF, which offers two refuges in the area: one at the south of Negro Francisco Lagoon and other at the west of Santa Rosa Lagoon.
The administration charges a fee to enter the park which is $2.000 CLP and $500 CLP for children.The park is open from October to April from 8 in the morning to 6 in the afternoon.
Salar de Maricunga
This salt flat spans 8,300 hectacres at an altitude of 3,700 meters (12,139 ft). The world's highest volcano, and the highest peak in Chile, Ojos del SaladoOjos del Salado
Nevado Ojos del Salado is a massive stratovolcano in the Andes on the Argentina-Chile border and the highest volcano in the world at . It is also the second highest mountain in the Western Hemisphere and Southern Hemisphere and the highest in Chile...
, (6,893meters/22,615 ft.) is located in its vicinity. The salar is 180 km northeast of the city of Copiapó
Copiapó
Copiapó is a city in northern Chile, located about 40 miles east of the coastal town of Caldera. Founded on December 8, 1744, it is the capital of Copiapó Province and Atacama Region....
in the Andes
Andes
The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...
mountains.
Laguna Santa Rosa
Located just south of the Salar de Maricunga, the lagoon is known for its Andean FlamingoAndean Flamingo
The Andean flamingo, or Phoenicopterus andinus, is one of the rarest flamingos in the world. It has a pale pink body with brighter upperparts, deep vinaceous-pink lower neck, breast, and wing-coverts. It is the only flamingo species with yellow legs and three-toed feet. The bill of the Andean...
s, which reside on the lagoon year-round. Laguna Santa Rosa, along with Laguna del Negro Francisco, is a Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention
Ramsar Convention
The Ramsar Convention is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands, i.e., to stem the progressive encroachment on and loss of wetlands now and in the future, recognizing the fundamental ecological functions of wetlands and their economic, cultural,...
.
Laguna del Negro Francisco
Located 210 km northeast of Copiapó at 4,126 meters (13,537 ft.) above sea level, the lagoon is encircled by the foothills of the Andes. It offers a beautiful view toward CopiapóCopiapó (volcano)
Copiapó, also known as Azufre, is a stratovolcano located in the Atacama Region of Chile. The volcano separates the two portions in which Nevado Tres Cruces National Park is divided. In its vicinity lies Ojos del Salado....
volcano. As a nationally protected area, there is an abundance of fauna, such as flamingoes and vicuñas.
See also
- Laguna VerdeLaguna Verde (lake of Chile)Laguna Verde is a salt lake in the Andes Mountains of Chile. It lies in the Atacama Region , near San Francisco Pass. The volcano Ojos del Salado marks the south border of its basin.High mountains surround the lake...