"It’s one of the most untouched landscapes I’ve ever explored": Chile set to establish its 47th national park, connecting a vast wildlife corridor that spans an impressive 2,800 kilometers (approximately 1,700 miles) and protects nearly 200,000 hectares (500,000 acres) of untouched wilderness.
The upcoming Cape Froward National Park is a breathtaking stretch of rugged coastline and lush valleys, renowned for its extraordinary biodiversity and rich tapestry of human history that dates back thousands of years.
Renowned conservationist Kristine Tompkins, who has played a pivotal role in this initiative, remarked, "I have traversed many remarkable locations, and I can confidently say that the Cape Froward project stands out as the wildest place I have ever walked. It represents one of the last truly unspoiled forest and mountain areas in the country, and the deep Indigenous heritage here underscores the importance of preserving these lands for generations to come."
This marks the 17th national park established or expanded in Chile and Argentina by Tompkins Conservation and its successor organization, Rewilding Chile. Over nearly a decade, these organizations have meticulously pieced together a combination of private land purchases and state-owned properties to form this new park.
In 2023, they formalized an agreement with the Chilean government to donate the land that will become Cape Froward National Park.
In February of this year, a small population of ten huemul, a deer species that is currently endangered, was discovered within the park's boundaries. This area is also monitored by a network of cameras that frequently capture images of wild pumas and the endangered huillín, a type of river otter. Additionally, the park includes 10,000 hectares of sphagnum bogs, a unique type of moss known for its ability to store carbon deep underground.
Benjamín Cáceres, who coordinates conservation efforts in the Magallanes region for Rewilding Chile, shared his personal connection to Cape Froward. He first visited the site at the tender age of 12 with his father, Patricio Cáceres, who was also a conservationist. "My father always had grand visions," Benjamín recalled. "Years ago, when he discovered an abandoned lighthouse, he brought our family here to dream with him – and that’s where my journey began."
The San Isidro lighthouse, one of seven crafted by Scottish architect George Slight along the perilous Strait of Magellan, was left derelict in the 1970s. Fishermen would periodically scavenge it until nature took its toll, causing the roof to collapse.
Now, however, their vision of revitalizing the lighthouse is coming to fruition. It has been transformed into a museum dedicated to both the natural and human history of the region and will serve alongside a café located on the beach as the gateway to the new national park.
Along the coast, delicate archaeological remnants tell the story of the Kawésqar, a nomadic Indigenous group that once navigated the fjords, rocky shores, and forests using canoes carved from local trees. "This intricate mosaic of ecosystems is critically important," Cáceres emphasized. "The bogs and subantarctic forests are extremely delicate, and we must safeguard the cultural legacy of the Kawésqar territory, as well as the history of explorers and whalers; all of this biodiversity and heritage must be preserved for future generations within the new national park."
Among the shells buried in the muddy sites of Kawésqar camps, remnants of bird and dolphin bones from past feasts can be found. Stone circles arranged as fish traps are still visible along the beaches, as are trees that have been stripped of their bark to construct the hulls of Kawésqar canoes.
"This area was primarily inhabited by nomadic canoeists who relied on fishing and gathering food," said Leticia Caro, an activist from the Kawésqar community known as Nómades del Mar. "For our people, protecting this land is of utmost importance, as it reflects various ways of life that engage with both land and sea, and showcases our interactions with other groups such as the Yagán, Selknam, and Tehuelche."
Long after these Indigenous communities settled in the area, the waters of the Strait of Magellan, referred to by the Kawésqar as tawokser chams, became a critical passage between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. On his famous voyage aboard the Beagle, Charles Darwin disembarked to ascend nearby Mount Tarn, illustrating the strait's significance as a major maritime route until the Panama Canal was inaugurated in 1914.
The murky waters have claimed many lives and inspired countless legends. Stories of treasures hidden beneath the waves abound, and over the centuries, sealed bottles of rum have occasionally washed ashore.
Timber from these forests was transported as far as the Falkland Islands and Buenos Aires for construction, and in 1905, the Magallanes Whaling Society was established. However, just eleven years later, following a significant decline in whale populations, an auction was held to sell off the society’s properties and equipment.
Today, only the foundation of the processing factory remains at Bahía el Águila, along with a few decaying stump remnants. The society’s Norwegian founder, Adolf Andresen, died in obscurity in 1940, forgotten in the saloons of Punta Arenas.
Yet, there are still several hurdles to clear before the national park can officially open. An Indigenous consultation process, mandated for large-scale projects in Chile, took place in September but did not yield significant feedback. The environmental ministry of Chile has pledged to expedite the plans for the park by March.
However, if no advancements are made within two years, the lands will revert to ownership by Tompkins’ organizations. "Each park project we undertake has its own compelling reasons for being deemed crucial for conservation," noted Tompkins, who served as the CEO of Patagonia outdoor clothing for two decades until 1993. "In this context, Cape Froward is a vital piece of the ecological puzzle that should ensure the permanent protection of key biodiversity hotspots within Chilean Patagonia."
The coverage of this significant development has been supported by Rewilding Chile.
