Location: 155 mi (250 km) South- East of Jujuy, Salta Province Map
Tel. (03487) 4312 683
Area: 441 km²
Open: 9am- dusk Mon- Sat
Parque Nacional El Rey (El Rey National Park) in Salta Province is one of Argentina’s quieter and more remote protected areas - a 44,162-hectare refuge of Yungas subtropical mountain forest and Chaco Serrano dry woodland, with altitudes roughly from 700 to 2,300 meters. Created in 1948 (the first national park in the Northwest), it remains far less visited than better-known parks, offering genuine immersion in wildlife-rich forests, rivers, waterfalls, and historical remnants of a former cattle estancia.
Best Time to Visit
The ideal window is the dry season, roughly May
to November (some sources extend this to April–November). Temperatures
are milder, trails and roads are more reliable, and conditions suit
hiking, birdwatching, cycling, and 4x4 travel. Winter nights can drop
near or below 0°C with occasional frost or snow on higher ridges, while
days warm up with marked temperature swings.
Avoid December to March.
Heavy rains swell rivers and streams, turning the access road
(especially RP 20) difficult or impassable even for 4x4 vehicles. Check
the weather and road status with the park (WhatsApp or social media) or
the national meteorological service before traveling.
Getting
There
The park sits in the department of Anta, roughly 180–200 km
from Salta city. The reference arrival point is the Seccional Martín
Miguel de Güemes / Centro Operativo.
From Salta (about 181 km):
RN 9 toward the west to the RN 34 junction (Torzalito), then RN 9-34
south to the RP 5 junction near Lumbreras. Take RP 5 northeast to Paso
de la Cruz (junction with RP 20), then RP 20 north for about 34 km to
the park.
From Metán (~125 km) or Las Lajitas (~89 km): Similar
routing via RP 5 to Paso de la Cruz, then RP 20.
The final
stretch of RP 20 is a gravel/ripio road with multiple river and stream
crossings. High-clearance vehicles or 4x4s are strongly recommended.
Public buses reach Paso de la Cruz; from there you need a remis/taxi
(available in Metán or Las Lajitas; none in Lumbreras). 4x4 rentals are
mainly in Salta. Fuel up in General Güemes, Las Lajitas, or Metán -
there is none inside or immediately near the park.
Entry is free. The
park is open daily 8:00–18:00; the camping area operates 24 hours.
Always confirm road conditions in advance via the park’s Instagram
(@parquenacionalelrey) or contact channels.
Camping, Facilities,
and Practical Logistics
Free camping is available near the
operational center (including “La Sala” area and picnic zones). Expect
basic infrastructure: toilets, asadores (barbecue grills), merenderos
(covered picnic tables with seating), and parking. Some power or
lighting is available in limited areas. Motorhomes can use the picnic
zone.
Critical points:
There is no proveeduría (no shop or food
supplies) and no potable water. Bring all food and at least 2 liters of
water per person per day.
No mobile phone coverage in most of the
park; Wi-Fi is limited to the operational center.
No official guides.
Trails are self-guided and signed; inform park rangers of your planned
route.
Pets are prohibited. Hunting and fishing are not allowed.
Carry trash bags - pack out all waste.
Nearby options outside the
park include an eco-village/community near Las Lajitas (rooms and
camping) and hotels, restaurants, and shops in Metán or Las Lajitas.
Recommended stay: 2–4 days to cover trails without rushing.
What
to Bring
Water (minimum 2 L/person/day) and all food.
Insect
repellent, sunscreen, hat or cap.
Comfortable non-slip hiking shoes.
Layers: light long sleeves/pants in warmer months (for insects); warmer
layers for cool nights and mornings.
First-aid kit, binoculars
(essential for birds), and a bird guide if possible.
Trash bags and a
basic emergency kit.
For vehicle access: extra fuel contingency and
vehicle recovery items if doing longer internal tracks.
Trails
and Activities
Trails are self-guided and signed. Many can be done on
foot, by bike, or in a vehicle (4x4 preferred on unconsolidated
sections). Always check current conditions, especially after rain.
Easier / family-friendly options:
Chorro de Los Lobitos: ~8 km
round-trip (vehicle or walk). Low difficulty. Crosses old estancia
pastures of Chaco Serrano forest to a small waterfall.
Laguna Los
Patitos: ~1.5–3 km round-trip. Low difficulty. Artificial lagoon now
used by wildlife; excellent for waterbirds. Vehicle access possible.
Ruta Vieja: ~8.5 km circular. Low difficulty. Old cattle path; suitable
for walking or cycling.
La Chuña and Bañadero de las Vacas: Short,
low-difficulty walks. The latter shows remains of the early-20th-century
cattle-dipping infrastructure.
More demanding:
Río Popayán:
~20 km round-trip. Medium. Vehicle (4x4 recommended) or bike; explores
Chaco forest to river pools with native fish. Multiple fords.
Pozo
Verde: ~12–20 km round-trip. Medium-high. Through montane forest (tipa,
cedro, etc.) to a lagoon covered in floating plants. Initial section
vehicle-accessible, then on foot.
Cascada / Chorro de los Loros:
Longer full-day option (descriptions range from ~10 km to 40 km
round-trip depending on exact route). Medium-high, trekking only.
Through forest with stream crossings to a ~30 m waterfall; passes the
historic site of the large cedar that inspired the park’s creation.
Other activities include birdwatching (best at dawn 6–8 h and late
afternoon 16–18 h), cycling on suitable tracks, swimming/refreshing in
the Popayán River or Arroyo La Sala (cold currents - use caution), and
wildlife observation. Some internal circuits are vehicle- or
bike-oriented year-round, subject to water levels.
Wildlife and
Flora
The park protects the transition between Yungas (cloud and
montane forest) and Chaco Seco. It is an Important Bird Area with over
350 bird species, including the endangered loro alisero (alder parrot).
Iconic and often approachable birds include the large red-legged
seriemas (chuñas de patas rojas), which frequently appear near
campsites, plus toucans, various waterbirds, and many Yungas endemics or
specialties.
Mammals include the tapir (one of the better places in
Argentina for wild sightings - the park’s emblematic species),
peccaries, brown brocket deer (corzuelas), foxes, ocelots, puma, howler
or capuchin monkeys, and others. Flora shows clear altitudinal zonation
with large cedars, tipas, laurels, and other canopy trees in the forest
zones, plus drier Chaco vegetation lower down.
Archaeological and
historical traces include the old cattle infrastructure and the site
linked to the massive cedar whose exhibition in Buenos Aires reportedly
helped prompt President Perón’s 1948 decree creating the park from the
former Cornejo family estancia (lands originally granted by royal
merced).
Tips for a Smooth Visit
Arrive self-sufficient. The
isolation is part of the appeal but demands planning.
Start trails
early for cooler temperatures and better wildlife activity.
Register
or speak with rangers on arrival about conditions and your plans.
Respect the environment: no fires outside authorized areas, no
collecting plants or animals, pack out all trash.
Combine with nearby
Salta attractions (city, Cafayate wine region, other reserves such as
Calilegua) if desired, but the park itself rewards multi-day stays.
Contact: Intendencia in Salta (phone +54 9 387 413-6046 or listed
numbers; emails elrey@apn.gob.ar / info.parquenacionaelrey@gmail.com).
Official pages on argentina.gob.ar and the park’s social media provide
the most current information.
Flora: Stratified by Elevation
Vegetation changes markedly with
height, humidity, and temperature. The park is noted for dense,
multi-layered forests, abundant epiphytes, and one strict plant endemic.
Lowest belt – Bosque chaqueño serrano (Chaco serrano woodland)
Drier, more open woodland with xerophytic elements. Characteristic
species include horco quebracho (Schinopsis haenkeana), cochucho
(Zanthoxylum coco / Fagara coco), atamisque (Atamisquea emarginata), and
columnar cacti (cardones). Lower-stature trees and shrubs dominate
compared with the humid forests above.
Selva de transición /
pedemontana (transition or foothill forest)
Taller, denser forest
with large trees such as tipa (Tipuana tipu), pacará (Enterolobium
contortisiliquum), palo blanco (Calycophyllum multiflorum), palo
amarillo (Phyllostylon rhamnoides), cebil colorado (Anadenanthera
colubrina), and guayaibí (Patagonula americana). Canopy trees often
reach 20–30 m.
Selva montana (montane rainforest)
The most
humid and structurally complex belt, with large timber trees including
cedro (Cedrela species, notably the valuable and now scarce cedro
tucumano C. angustifolia), tarco / jacarandá (Jacaranda mimosifolia),
tipa, and nogal criollo (Juglans australis). The shaded, humid
understory supports horco molle (Blepharocalyx), laurel (Cinnamomum /
Phoebe porphyria), güili (Amomyrtella guilii), mato (Eugenia /
Myrcianthes), horco cebil (Parapiptadenia excelsa), and lapacho yungueño
(Handroanthus / Tabebuia avellanedae). Dense canopy, lianas, and
epiphytes create a classic Yungas rainforest structure.
Selva de
mirtáceas (Myrtaceae forest, from ~800 m)
Dominated by Myrtaceae
species: palo barroso (Blepharocalyx salicifolius), alpamato, mato,
chal-chal (Allophylus edulis), and güili. These form a distinct
mid-elevation community.
Bosque montano (montane woodland, above
~1,500 m)
Cooler forests of pino del cerro (Podocarpus parlatorei,
the characteristic southern Andean podocarp), aliso (Alnus acuminata),
and queñoa (Polylepis australis). Stands can be relatively pure. Highest
slopes support pastizal serrano (high-altitude grasslands) and small
queñoales.
Throughout the humid forests, epiphytes are abundant and
conspicuous: tank bromeliads (Tillandsia australis and others), claveles
del aire (Tillandsia spp.), and numerous orchids. The understory
includes bamboo (Chusquea lorentziana), nettles (Urera), and dense ferns
(e.g., Pteris).
A strict endemic known only from the park is
Aphelandra lilacina (Acanthaceae), a perennial or subshrub never
collected outside El Rey’s boundaries.
Fauna
The park is one
of the better places in northern Argentina to encounter larger mammals
relatively frequently, thanks to its protected status and habitat
diversity. It holds an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA/AICA)
designation.
Mammals (~44 species recorded)
Emblem species:
Lowland tapir / anta (Tapirus terrestris), the largest terrestrial
mammal in South America (up to ~300 kg). It is well-adapted to water,
frequently bathes, and is a key seed disperser. Populations remain in
the park though the species has disappeared from much of its former
Argentine range.
Felids: puma (Puma concolor), ocelot (Leopardus
pardalis), yaguarundí (Herpailurus yagouaroundi), margay (Leopardus
wiedii — first camera-trap record in the park relatively recently), and
others such as gato del pajonal. The jaguar / yaguareté (Panthera onca)
has the park (together with Baritú) as one of its remaining strongholds
in the Argentine Yungas, though the population is critically reduced
nationally.
Ungulates and related: collared peccary (Pecari /
Dicotyles tajacu), white-lipped peccary (Tayassu pecari), brown brocket
deer / corzuela parda (Mazama gouazoubira), and red brocket (Mazama
americana).
Other notable species: capuchin monkey / mono caí
(Sapajus / Cebus apella), southern tamandua / oso melero (Tamandua
tetradactyla), Neotropical otter / lobito de río (Lontra longicaudis),
foxes, coatis (Nasua nasua), and various rodents and armadillos.
Bats
are especially diverse: about 16 species (roughly 25% of Argentina’s bat
fauna), including frugivorous phyllostomids typical of the Yungas and
some regionally vulnerable taxa.
Birds (approximately 285–350+
species)
High diversity reflects the Yungas–Chaco transition and
wetlands. Characteristic and frequently mentioned species include
red-legged seriema / chuña de patas rojas (Cariama cristata), Chaco
chachalaca / charata (Ortalis canicollis), and dusky-legged guan / pava
de monte común (Penelope obscura).
Conservation-priority or
range-restricted birds include the Vulnerable Tucumán amazon / loro
alisero (Amazona tucumana), Andean condor (Vultur gryphus), Endangered
crowned solitary eagle (Buteogallus coronatus), black solitary eagle
(Buteogallus solitarius), blue-capped puffleg (Eriocnemis glaucopoides),
and white-browed tapaculo (Scytalopus superciliaris). Other groups are
well represented: waterfowl and grebes at Laguna de los Patitos,
hummingbirds, toucans (including toco toucan), raptors, and a large
assemblage of passerines. The park is recognized as an Important Bird
Area.
Other vertebrates
Rivers and streams hold native fish
such as dorado, boga, bagre, and sábalo (roughly 29 species recorded).
Amphibians number around 16 species and reptiles around 30; both groups
are less intensively surveyed than birds and mammals. Invertebrates are
diverse but poorly inventoried overall.
Ecological Context and
Notes
The combination of humid Yungas forests, drier Chaco serrano
elements, permanent streams (including the Río Popayán), and lagoons
produces a rich mosaic. Many larger mammals and several threatened birds
depend on the continuous forest cover the park helps maintain. Epiphytes
and the multi-layered canopy support specialized birds, bats, and
insects.
Conservation challenges historically included selective
logging and cattle grazing (especially in lower areas); recovery is
ongoing. The tapir remains the official emblem, and the park is valued
both for its biodiversity and as one of the older protected areas in
Argentina’s Northwest (established 1948).
This description draws
primarily from official Argentine National Parks Administration
materials, Spanish-language Wikipedia summaries of local inventories,
BirdLife IBA data, and related biodiversity reports.