After staying at Camping Los Nogales de Vilches we moved closer to the trails at Camping Parque Nacional Altos de Lircay rather than hike the first 4km on a trail we could drive on. This Conaf operated campground is situated within the National Park so both an access permit and camping permit needed to be purchased from the ranger office.
The campground is the best place to base yourself for access to the myriad of trails including the more well known Enladrillado
The good
Location is great, passing a small gate it is set amongst the trees and a private campground can be easily found.
The bad
Toilets were pretty compact not leaving much room to sit down. Showers were cold, but OK after a days hike. The National Park entrance, located 5km from the campground has a locked gate. The gatekeepers office is supposed to operate 9am-5pm however each time we arrived we had to wait for the park ranger to happen to drive by and open it for us.
The ugly
Watch the balance on the outdoor tables in the campground! We both sat on one side of the table and just managed to prevent it toppling over! Nearly wearing our piping hot meal in the process!
Ratings:
- Overall: 3 stars
- Ambience: 4 stars
- Facilities: 2 stars
Price:
- 5,000 CLP per person (+ 6,000 CLP park entry permit)
Features:
- Electricity: Yes
- WiFi: No
- Hot Showers: No
- Lighting: No
- BBQ: Yes, but fires not permitted when we were there
- Shade/Shelter: No. Tree coverage is OK though.
Location
Follow route K-705 until you reach the locked gate. From here it is 5km further to the campground. A high clearance vehicle is required as the road is quite steep and rocky in sections.
About The Author
Warren
Ever since venturing out the back gate into the bush as a kid, I've had a curiosity to escape and explore as often as I could. It's fair to say that my curiosity has continued to grow instead of fade as the years go on. It eventually came time to turn a few scribbled notes into some legible stories and travel tips for anyone with a similar curiosity as me.