List of national parks of Argentina

The National Parks of Argentina make up a network of 35 national parks in Argentina. The parks cover a very varied set of terrains and biotopes, from Baritú National Park on the northern border with Bolivia to Tierra del Fuego National Park in the far south of the continent. The Administración de Parques Nacionales (National Parks Administration) is the agency that preserves and manages these national parks along with Natural monuments and National Reserves within the country.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The headquarters of the National Template:Not a typo Service are in downtown Buenos Aires, on Santa Fe Avenue. A library and information centre are open to the public. The administration also covers the national monuments, such as the Jaramillo Petrified Forest, and natural and educational reserves.

History

The creation of the National Parks dates back to the 1903 donation of Template:Convert of land in the Lake District in the Andes foothills by Francisco Moreno, the renowned explorer and academic in Argentina.<ref name=history>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> This formed the nucleus of a larger protected area in Patagonia around San Carlos de Bariloche. At the beginning of the 1920s there was an amazing revival of the national park idea at Lake Nahuel Huapí, which led to the official establishment of the Parque Nacional del Sud on 8 April 1922 by decree of President Yrigoyen.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> In 1934, a law was passed creating the National Parks system, formalising the protected area as the Nahuel Huapi National Park and creating the Iguazú National Park.<ref name="history" /> Thus, Argentina was the third country in the Americas, after United States and Canada to establish a national parks system.<ref name="history" /> The National Park Police Force was born, enforcing the new laws preventing tree-felling and hunting. Under the direction of the founding director of the National Direction of National Parks Exequiel Bustillo, a conception of national parks focused on economic development and colonization of the region was developed. Beyond touristic development the aim of the parks was to establish national sovereignty over peripherical areas and to protect national borders. Five further national parks were declared in 1937 in Patagonia and the service planned new towns and facilities to promote tourism and education. Six more were declared by 1970.

In 1970 a new law established new categories of protection: National Parks, National Monuments, Educational Reserves, and Natural Reserves. Three national parks were designated in the 1970s. In 1980, another new law affirmed the status of national parks – this law is still in place. The 1980s saw the service reaching out to local communities and local government to help in the running and development of the national parks. Ten more national parks were created with local co-operation, sometimes at local instigation. In 2000, Mburucuyá and Copo National Parks were declared, and El Leoncito natural reserve was upgraded to a national park. Currently, there are 41 protected areas in Argentina,<ref name="history" /> which cover an area of Template:Convert or about 1.5% of the total land area in Argentina.<ref name="history" />

National Parks

• Template:Legend

Name	Image	Province Coordinates	Creation	Area	Visitors (2015)	Ref
Aconquija		Template:Flag Template:Coord	Template:Dts	Template:Convert	Template:CNone	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Baritú		Template:Flag Template:Coord	Template:Dts	Template:Convert	938	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Bosques Petrificados de Jaramillo		Template:Flag Template:Coord	Template:Dts	Template:Convert	6,535	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> <ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Calilegua		Template:Flag Template:Coord	Template:Dts	Template:Convert	13,667	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Campos del Tuyú		Template:Flagcountry Template:Coord	Template:Dts	Template:Convert	Template:CNone	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Chaco		Template:Flag Template:Coord	Template:Dts	Template:Convert	4,913	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> <ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Copo		Template:Flag Template:Coord	Template:Dts	Template:Convert	444	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
El Impenetrable		Template:Flag Template:Coord	Template:Dts	Template:Convert	Template:CNone	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
El Leoncito		Template:Flag Template:Coord	Template:Dts	Template:Convert	16,343	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
El Palmar		Template:Flag Template:Coord	Template:Dts	Template:Convert	175,414	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
El Rey		Template:Flag Template:Coord	Template:Dts	Template:Convert	1,204	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> <ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Iberá		Template:Flag Template:Coord	Template:Dts	Template:Convert		citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Iguazú‡		Template:Flag Template:Coord	Template:Dts	Template:Convert	1,349,801	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> <ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Islas de Santa Fe		Template:Flag Template:Coord	Template:Dts	Template:Convert	Template:CNone	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Islote Lobos	Error creating thumbnail:	Template:Flagcountry Template:Coord	Template:Dts	Template:Convert	Template:CNone	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Lago Puelo	File:Puelo Lake.jpg	Template:Flag Template:Coord	Template:Dts	Template:Convert	120,554	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> <ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Laguna Blanca	File:PN Laguna Blanca, Neuquen.jpg	Template:Flag Template:Coord	Template:Dts	Template:Convert	938	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> <ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Lanín	File:Lanin4.JPG	Template:Flag Template:Coord	Template:Dts	Template:Convert	51,321	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Lihué Calel	File:LihueCale063.JPG	Template:Flag Template:Coord	Template:Dts	Template:Convert	7,582	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> <ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Los Alerces‡	File:Lago Futalaufquen.JPG	Template:Flag Template:Coord	Template:Dts	Template:Convert	143,943	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Los Arrayanes	File:Parque Nacional Los Arrayanes.jpg	Template:Flag Template:Coord	Template:Dts	Template:Convert	Template:CNone	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Los Cardones	File:Los Cardones National Park. Salta-Argentina..jpg	Template:Flag Template:Coord	Template:Dts	Template:Convert	72,947	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Los Glaciares‡	File:Glaciar Perito Moreno Los Glaciares el Parque Nacional Argentina - panoramio (13).jpg	Template:Flag Template:Coord	Template:Dts	Template:Convert	542,794	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Mburucuyá	File:Palmar de Yatay.jpg	Template:Flag Template:Coord	Template:Dts	Template:Convert	3,136	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Monte León	File:Cabeza de Leon Parque Nacional Monte Leon Santa Cruz Argentina.JPG	Template:Flag Template:Coord	Template:Dts	Template:Convert	6,762	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Nahuel Huapi	File:Bariloche view.jpg	Template:Flagcountry and Template:Flag Template:Coord	Template:Dts	Template:Convert	279,360	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Patagonia		Template:Flag Template:Coord	Template:Dts	Template:Convert	Template:CNone	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Perito Moreno	File:Nothofagus pumilio-general view (cropped).jpg	Template:Flag Template:Coord	Template:Dts	Template:Convert	177	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Predelta	File:PN Predelta 1.jpg	Template:Flag Template:Coord	Template:Dts	Template:Convert	74,217	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Quebrada del Condorito	File:PN Quebrada del Condorito.jpg	Template:Flag Template:Coord	Template:Dts	Template:Convert	22,079	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Río Pilcomayo	File:Parque Nacional Río Pilcomayo.jpg	Template:Flag Template:Coord	Template:Dts	Template:Convert	10,186	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
San Guillermo	File:Parque Nacional San Guillermo, depto. Iglesia, San Juan.jpg	Template:Flag Template:Coord	Template:Dts	Template:Convert	Template:CNone	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Sierra de las Quijadas	File:Sierra de las Quijadas, San Luis.jpg	Template:Flag Template:Coord	Template:Dts	Template:Convert	29,599	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Talampaya‡	File:Talampaya NP.jpg	Template:Flagcountry Template:Coord	Template:Dts	Template:Convert	63,797	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Tierra del Fuego	File:Escalonadas Lakes.jpg	Template:Flag Template:Coord	Template:Dts	Template:Convert	265,633	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Traslasierra	File:Río chico de Nono.jpg	Template:Flag Template:Coord	Template:Dts	Template:Convert	Template:CNone	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> <ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>

See also

• List of World Heritage Sites in Argentina
• List of UNESCO Biosphere Reserves in Argentina

External links

• National Parks Administration (Spanish/English)