Sierra de las Quijadas National Park Voyage Tips and guide

Contents

Sierra de las Quijadas National Park (Parque Nacional Sierra de las Quijades in Spanish) is a protected natural area in the central province of San Luis in western Argentina. It is an area of desert mountain landscapes with wide open spaces.

The park was designated as part of Argentina's national park system in December 1991. It was created with the purpose of preserving an area of the country's desert scrubland and thorn forest habitat.

It is a large park, covering an area of 73,785 hectares. The park is filled with remarkable geologic formations, rock towers, sheer cliffs, ravines, and cliff faces punctuated with dark cave entrances. Most of the rocks are a deep umber red color and make for beautiful photos, particularly in the late afternoon near sunset. The park is a transitional zone between the semi-arid Chaco region and the plains and mountain landscapes that abut it.

Geologists and paleontologists date the park's geologic history to the Triassic period. Dinosaur fossils and the remains of ancient human ancestors have been found in the park. Over millions of years, wind and water have conspired to carve unique geological features from the mountainous terrain forming canyons, cliffs, and landscapes that look like layered terraces.

Fossils dating from about 25 million years ago have been uncovered in the park. In the Potrero de la Aguada, paleontologists uncovered a treasure trove of fossilized remains including flying reptile remains, such as the pterodaustro, which stood about half as tall as a man and had a huge curved beak that resembled a pelican jaw in shape.

Hundreds of plant animal species can be found in the park, but three stand out as particularly iconic:

• Chilean tortoise thrives in the arid and semi-arid landscapes where it burrows into the sand to shelter itself from summer heat and to hibernate through the winter. It feeds on cacti, insects, and snails. It has become endangered due to poachers harvesting them for sale as exotic pets.
• Chica is a small bush that grows on rocky slopes. Photosynthesis is done through its thorny, green branches because it has no leaves. Orange and yellow flowers bloom every few years.
• Andean swift is a skillful flyer that feeds as it flies.

A variety of other plant species can be found in the arid desert-like conditions of the park. Cacti are common as are grasses and thorny bushes. Plants in this region use various methods of conserving scarce water such as having small, thin leaves to minimize evaporation losses. Trees like the algarrobo can endure long periods of drought.

A variety of mammals, reptiles, and birds live in the park including guanacos, peccaries, and brown brocket deer. If you want to get up close to the guanacos, the park has a hiking trail for you! In grassy areas, you may find maras...a type of animal that eats grass and can survive with little water. In the rocky hills, you may find pumas, hunting everything else in the park. Birds include the endangered Andean condor, though when you see large birds circling overhead, they are more likely to be vultures than condors.

The air is very dry in the park, which only gets about 300 mm of rain per year. The driest months are in the winter with rain falling in late spring to early fall (when it rains at all). Temperatures are hot during the summer with daily highs averaging about 35°C and winter lows dropping to a chilly -3°C at night.

The closest airport with scheduled commercial flights is Aeropuerto de San Luis - Brigadier Mayor César Raúl Ojeda (LUQ  ^IATA) in the city of San Luis. The airport is served by Aerolineas Argentinas with 1-1/2 hour direct flights from Buenos Aires Jorge Newbury Aeroparque (AEP ^IATA). You can rent a car in the airport and drive to the park (or hire a local taxi to take you).

The park is 125 km northwest of San Luis via Ruta Nacional 147. When you get to the village of Belgrade, look for the park road turning off to your left. Continue on the park road for 7 km to the park entrance.

Park entry fees depend on your citizenship and age. Foreign travelers pay 5500 pesos. Argentinian citizens pay 1500 pesos. Children age 6-16 pay 1000 pesos, and children under 6 are free.

• Potrero de la Aguada - natural amphitheatre formed by water and erosion over millions of years, offers a backdrop of red rock formation and panoramic vistas. Hiking trails go through the rock formations, passing uniquely shaped outcroppings and ledges.

• Birdwatching - some 270 bird species can be found in Sierra de las Quijades National Park
• Hiking - the park offers several marked interpretive trails
  • Floral Trail - 45-minute walk along a nature trail with interpretive signs describing unique and interesting plants, with information about how they adapt to an environment with few water sources and infrequent rains.
  • Las Huellas del Pasado - 2-hour walk along an interpretive trail that explores the park's storied past. Takes you to fossilized footprints and an area where dinosaur fossils were unearthed.
  • Guanacos Trail - 3-hour walk through the part of the park where the guanacos (a type of llama) live. Requires registration at the park visitor center, whose staff will advise you of park rules for the trail, provide maps, etc.
  • Farrallones Trail - 4-hour walk along the park's cliffs with guides to help you understand the geology of the place and to show you the best photo-op places.

A convenience store is 500 meters from the park entrance. The store stocks basic camping supplies, bug spray, sunblock, food, drinks, and bottled water. Stock up on anything you might need and be sure to carry water with you when hiking remote trails.

Free camping is available in the park campground which has 12 cleared campsites. The campground has a shared bathhouse with showers and flush toilets. Each site has a barbecue grill. Information is available from the park visitor center.

• Mendoza
• San Rafael (Mendoza)