Yendegaia National Park project

The Yendegaia National Park project is a conservation and protected-area initiative in the Yendegaia valley and coastal zone on the Chilean side of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago in the Region of Magallanes. It aims to secure and manage rugged subantarctic terrain including forests, mountains, lakes and fjords.

The landscape includes lenga-dominated forests, mountain ridges and coastal fjords with a mix of freshwater lakes and small glaciers typical of the southwestern Fuegian environment. Recreational activities where permitted are primarily hiking and small-boat coastal exploration in summer months, with minimal built infrastructure in most parts of the valley.

The project advanced when significant private landholdings in the Yendegaia valley were transferred into formal protection, and Chilean protected-area authorities took on management and longer-term conservation planning. Management is oriented toward preserving ecological values while enabling low-impact visitor access.

The site is located on the Chilean side of Tierra del Fuego in the Region of Magallanes, facing channels and fjords of the southern archipelago; it is remote from major urban centres and is accessed via regional roads and coastal approaches.

• Conservation focus: The initiative is focused on protecting subantarctic forests, mountain valleys, fjords and coastal environments typical of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago on Chile's southern flank.
• Access and remoteness: The area is remote with limited visitor facilities; access is seasonal and largely undertaken by overland routes and small-boat approaches where coastal fjords are involved.