When does Cerro Castillo National Park peak?

In a typical year, color peaks around April 1–May 31. The weather model's elevation extrapolation isn't reliable on this terrain, so this is a climatological window (source: https://www.chileundiscovered.com/itineraries/autumn-in-patagonia-cerro-castillo) rather than a season-specific forecast.

Cerro Castillo National Park

Name: Cerro Castillo National Park
Address: Chile

National park · Aysén — Northern Patagonia

Autumn foliage at Cerro Castillo National Park — Photo: Yiyo Zamorano / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Granite spires above Villa Cerro Castillo give way to lenga and ñirre forest that burns red and orange through April, reached by a trail past Laguna Cerro Castillo below the jagged 2,675-meter summit. The Carretera Austral runs along the park's eastern edge, 64 kilometers south of Coyhaique.

Best for: a day hike into red lenga forest

Don’t miss

Laguna Cerro Castillo trail
granite spire summit
Carretera Austral access

Typical year

Peak: April 1–May 31

Climatological window from published records — the weather model’s elevation extrapolation isn’t reliable on this terrain, so this is the long-run normal rather than a season-specific forecast.

Source: https://www.chileundiscovered.com/itineraries/autumn-in-patagonia-cerro-castillo

Cerro Castillo National Park on the map

More things to do in Aysén — Northern Patagonia

Marble Caves, Lake General Carrera

Lake

Wave action over 6,200 years has hollowed these calcite formations on the shore of Lake General Carrera, reached by small boat or kayak from Puerto Río Tranquilo. Lenga forest on the slopes above turns deep red through autumn, the lake itself shifting turquoise with glacial silt each spring.

Don’t miss: Marble Chapel and Cathedral formations · boat or kayak access · General Carrera's turquoise water

Río Simpson National Reserve

Forest

Typically April 1–May 31

The highway between Coyhaique and Puerto Aysén threads this steep river canyon, ñirre and lenga turning gold on the valley walls through April. Peaks above 1,600 meters frame the Simpson River's rapids and waterfalls, a half-day stop on the Carretera Austral's approach to Aysén.

Don’t miss: Simpson River canyon drive · ñirre and lenga color · roadside waterfalls

See all things to do in Aysén — Northern Patagonia →

Frequently asked

When does Cerro Castillo National Park peak?: In a typical year, color peaks around April 1–May 31. The weather model's elevation extrapolation isn't reliable on this terrain, so this is a climatological window (source: https://www.chileundiscovered.com/itineraries/autumn-in-patagonia-cerro-castillo) rather than a season-specific forecast.
What is Cerro Castillo National Park best for?: A day hike into red lenga forest.

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