Chile’s Route of Parks (Ruta de los Parques) is a 2,800 km conservation corridor linking 17 national parks in Chilean Patagonia, created as a joint initiative of Rewilding Chile and the Chilean state to protect one of the planet’s great wild landscapes while driving local, nature-based economies. It safeguards roughly 11.3 million hectares (about 28 million acres), covers about a third of Chile’s length, and connects more than 60 communities from the Lakes District to Cape Horn. In 2025, it stands as one of the world’s most ambitious conservation routes, continuing the legacy of Douglas Tompkins and positioning Chile as a global leader in large-scale protected areas.
What is the Route of Parks
The Route of Parks is a network of protected areas, roads, and trails running approximately 2,800 km between Puerto Montt and Cape Horn, integrating 17 national parks across the Los Lagos, Aysén, and Magallanes regions. It protects about 11.3 million hectares (28 million acres), representing around 91% of Chile’s national park territory and encompassing temperate and subantarctic rainforests, wetlands, glaciers, ice fields, and one of the world’s most extensive fjord systems.
This vast greenspace has some of the highest carbon storage rates in South America after the Amazon Basin, and its largely intact ecosystems provide refuge for endangered species such as the huemul deer and the huillín otter. The Route serves as a climate and biodiversity buffer, demonstrating how conservation-based development can sustain thriving communities and healthy ecosystems at a planetary scale.
Key figures (2025):
17 National Parks
~2,800 km in length
~11.3 million hectares / 28 million acres protected
More than 60 communities are involved
3 regions (Los Lagos, Aysén, Magallanes)
About 91% of Chile’s national parkland is within the Route
About the Route of Parks
The Route of Parks is a conservation initiative led by Rewilding Chile (formerly Tompkins Conservation Chile) together with the Chilean state, designed to protect Patagonia’s natural and cultural heritage while promoting conservation-based tourism. It builds on decades of work in park creation, rewilding, ecological restoration, and community engagement, aiming to strengthen local identities grounded in landscapes and biodiversity.
As of 2025, the Route is recognised as one of the world’s largest continuous protected area systems, often described as the most spectacular scenic route in Chile. It underpins new opportunities in guiding, hospitality, transport, and local products, encouraging an economy that functions in harmony with nature rather than at its expense.
Vision, Mission, and Goals
Vision: To be regarded as the world’s leading conservation route, projecting Chile as a premier nature-based tourism destination and inspiring communities to reconnect with their natural heritage as a core part of their identity.
Mission: To safeguard and support the natural and cultural heritage of Chilean Patagonia and its 17 national parks, promoting local economic vitality as a consequence of conservation and positioning the region as a global-scale greenspace in the face of climate and biodiversity crises.
Goals: To establish the Route as the most beautiful scenic route on Earth, reinforce Chile’s image as a conservation leader, foster an economy aligned with biodiversity, and promote a conservation culture that sustains healthy, vibrant environments for all life.
How the Route was created
The creation of Corcovado National Park in 2005 and Yendegaia National Park in 2013 set the stage for a larger conservation vision in southern Chile. In 2014, the then Yendegaia Foundation (now Rewilding Chile) presented the Route of Parks concept to the Chilean government as a development model in which conservation serves as an investment and economic engine rather than a barrier to growth.
In 2017, an unprecedented public–private agreement between Tompkins Conservation and the Chilean state led to the largest private land donation in history, enabling the creation of five new national parks (including Pumalín Douglas Tompkins, Melimoyu, Cerro Castillo, Patagonia, and Kawésqar) and the expansion or reclassification of several others. Decrees signed in January 2018 formalised the donation of close to a million acres of private land, the incorporation of millions of acres of public land, and the upgrade of reserves to full national park status, collectively forming the Route of Parks with 28 million acres protected in 17 parks—an area nearly three times the size of Switzerland.
Visiting and using the Route (2025)
The Route of Parks offers diverse ways to explore Patagonia, including long road trips, multi-day treks, day hikes, sea kayaking, and cycling segments along routes such as the Carretera Austral. Some sections and parks are open year-round, while others operate seasonally, often with main visiting windows between October and April, and peak visitation in the austral summer from November to February.
Autumn and spring can be excellent times to visit, bringing fewer crowds, lower prices in some areas, and spectacular seasonal colours, though the weather can be changeable and some services may be reduced. Travellers should always check the official CONAF and Pases Parques websites for the latest information on park access, safety protocols, and required tickets or reservations before setting out.
Practical planning notes (for your post):
What it is: A 2,800 km network of protected areas, roads, and trails from the Lakes District to Cape Horn, linking 17 national parks and over 11 million hectares of wild landscapes.
Activities: Ideal for road-tripping, hiking, trekking, and cycling, with options ranging from short park visits to expedition-style journeys.
Time needed: Traversing the entire Route can take several months at a relaxed pace, whereas emblematic sections like the Carretera Austral can be enjoyed in a week or two.
Preparedness: Some stretches are remote, weather-exposed, and lightly serviced, so visitors should plan for variable conditions, limited supplies, and the need to book in advance at popular parks.
Official information: For up-to-date details on openings, seasonal closures, and regulations, consult the CONAF and the official park pass portal before travel.
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