Tierra del Fuego National Park

Tierra del Fuego National Park
Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego
Map showing the location of Tierra del Fuego National Park
Map showing the location of Tierra del Fuego National Park
LocationTierra del Fuego Province, Argentina
Nearest cityUshuaia
Coordinates54°50′S 68°30′W / 54.833°S 68.500°W / -54.833; -68.500
Area630 km2 (243 sq mi)
Established15 October 1960
Governing bodyAdministración de Parques Nacionales

Tierra del Fuego National Park (Spanish: Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego) is a national park on the Argentine part of the island of Tierra del Fuego, within Tierra del Fuego Province in the ecoregion of Patagonic Forest and Altos Andes, a part of the subantarctic forest. Established on 15 October 1960 under the Law 15.554[1] and expanded in 1966, it was the first shoreline national park to be established in Argentina.[2]

The park has dramatic scenery, with waterfalls, forests, mountains, and glaciers. Its 630 km2 (240 sq mi) include parts of the Fagnano and Roca lakes. The Senda Costera (Coastal Path), connecting Ensenada Bay to Lapataia Bay on Lago Roca, is a popular hiking trail within the park. Forests of Antarctic beech, lenga beech, and coihue in the lower elevations of the park are home to many animal species. There are 20 species of terrestrial mammals, including the guanaco, Andean fox, North American beaver, European rabbit and muskrat. Among the 90 species of birds are the kelp goose, torrent duck, austral parakeet, Andean condor, blackish oystercatcher, and Magellanic oystercatcher.[3][4][5][6]

The southernmost national park in Argentina,[4] it is listed as an IUCN category II park.[3][7][8] The park stretches 60 km (37 mi) north from the Beagle Channel along the Chilean border. Ushuaia, the capital of Tierra del Fuego Province, is 11 km (6.8 mi) from the park.[6][9] The park can be reached by car or by train. The southern terminus of the Pan-American Highway is located within the park, as is the El Parque station of the End of the World Train.

Tierra del Fuego National Park, Argentina
  1. ^ Oyola-Yemaiel, Arthur (1999). The Early Conservation Movement in Argentina and the National Park Service: A Brief History of Conservation, Development, Tourism and Sovereignty. Universal-Publishers. p. 110. ISBN 978-1-58112-098-1. Retrieved 30 March 2011.
  2. ^ McCarthy, Carolyn; Carillet, Jean-Bernard (2009). Chile and Easter Island. Lonely Planet. p. 417. ISBN 978-1-74104-779-0. Retrieved 30 March 2011.
  3. ^ a b Green, Toby; Janak Jani (1982). IUCN directory of neotropical protected areas. IUCN. pp. 15–16. ISBN 978-0-907567-62-2. Retrieved 24 October 2013. Contributor: IUCN Commission on National Parks and Protected Areas
  4. ^ a b Erin McCloskey; Tim Burford (2006). Argentina: The Bradt Travel Guide. Bradt Travel Guides. p. 371. ISBN 978-1-84162-138-8. Retrieved 30 March 2011.
  5. ^ William C. Leitch (1990). South America's national parks: a visitor's guide. Mountaineers. p. 108. ISBN 978-0-89886-259-1. Retrieved 26 March 2011.
  6. ^ a b "Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego". Official website of Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego. Archived from the original on 31 May 2011. Retrieved 27 March 2011.
  7. ^ "PN Tierra Del Fuego". Administration De Parques Nationales. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 28 February 2011.
  8. ^ de Dios; Julian (2006). This is Argentina. de Dios Editores. pp. 87–91. ISBN 978-987-9445-51-8. Retrieved 26 March 2011.
  9. ^ Holly Hughes; Alexis Lipsitz Flippin; Julie Duchaine; Sylvie Murphy (2009). Frommer's 500 Extraordinary Islands. Frommer's. pp. 507–. ISBN 978-0-470-50070-5. Retrieved 27 March 2011.