Alerce Costero National Park

Alerce Costero National Park is a protected area in Chile’s Los Ríos Region set in the coastal range and dedicated to conserving remaining stands of Fitzroya cupressoides, known locally as alerce. The park preserves fragments of Valdivian temperate rainforest and the unique, long-lived conifer forests that occur on the coastal slopes.

Trails within the park lead through dense, mossy forest and allow visitors to view ancient alerce trees and associated understory species; routes vary in length and difficulty and are typically forested and damp. The park is valued for its biodiversity and for safeguarding one of the southernmost coastal occurrences of Fitzroya.

The protected area was created to conserve the remnant alerce populations and their forest ecosystems, which declined historically due to logging and land conversion. Management focuses on habitat protection and regulated public access to minimise impacts on old-growth trees.

Situated in the coastal mountains of Chile’s Los Ríos Region, the park lies west of the Andean foothills and protects slopes facing the Pacific; access is by regional roads from towns and local trailheads within the coastal range.

• Alerce trees: Protects remnant stands of Fitzroya cupressoides, commonly called alerce, a slow-growing conifer species that can live for many centuries and reaches great trunk sizes.
• Visitor note: Contains trails and parkland in the coastal range of southern Chile, often accessed from nearby regional towns; weather can be wet and trail conditions variable, so waterproof gear is recommended.