Explore Northern Patagonia
To the east of Hornopirén unfold the 500 square kilometres of protected wilderness that make up PARQUE NACIONAL VOLCÁN HORNOPIRÉN. The park’s namesake and centrepiece, 16km along a muddy track from the village, is the perfectly conical Volcán Hornopirén. Five kilometres further along the track lies the seldom-visited Lago General Pinto Concha, with excellent fishing and stunning views onto the 2111m Volcán Yate (1hr hike one-way). From Lago General Pinto Concha, another track leads to the base of Volcán Yate (2hr hike one-way).
Back towards the village, a turn-off from the track leads south around the end of the fjord to a modern bridge over the Río Blanco, with a short trail to your left leading up to the impressive Salto del Río Blanco waterfall. A well-defined 8km path follows the river upstream, passing through alternating patches of pastureland and grand stands of alerce, coigüe, tepa and lenga; above the tree line, you’ll enter a landscape of ice-covered peaks and glaciers, making this a great day-hike.
