Timeline Entries

TimelineNahuelHuapi

Nahuel Huapi National Park, Argentina

Nahuel Huapi was South America’s first national park.  It was first designated a national park by the scientist, Francisco “Perito” Moreno in 1903. 

1903
monilaVillarrica

Villarrica Forest Reserve, Chile

This reserve was the first of five protected areas in the general area near Villarrica volcano.  The region was depicted by the Chilean born Jesuit priest and early naturalist, Juan Ignacio Molina, in his 1788 map.

1912
MapVillarricaBenjaminVicunaMackenna1929

Benjamin Vicuña Mackenna National Park, Chile

Chile’s first national park was created on December 22, 1925 but it did not last long.  The area was carved away for settlement just four years later.  It no longer exists as a national park.

1925

Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park, Chile

In 1926, this park was created as adjacent and the west and south of Argentina’s Nahuel Huapi National Park. It was expanded five years later and appealed greatly to the skiers and recreationists of the Alpine Club of Osorno.

1926
MapNPS

Lanín National Park, Argentina

To the north of Nahuel Huapi, Lanín National Park was named after the perfectly symmetrical conical mountain said to compare with Japan’s Mt. Fuji.

1937