CAMPO DE LOS ALISOS NATIONAL PARK

PROTECTED AREA

The Campo de Alisos National Park was created in order to protect a representative sample of the “montanos” jungle and the “Altoandino” ecosystems.

GENERAL INFORMATION

This park is located in the Chicligasta department, in Tucumán province and has a surface of 10.000 hectares. It was created in 1995 by law 24.526 in order to protect a representative sample of jungle and “montanos” forest and the “Altoandino” ecosystems.

The high zone of the national park belongs to the eco-region “Altos Andes”, has cold climate with permanent snows. The eco-region rains oscillate between the 100 and 200 mm. Its soils are emaciated and have incipient evolution.

The Aconquija Mountain, southern extension of the Cachalquíes summits, is the first west mountainous step of the Chacopampeana plain.

NATURAL RESOURCES

The Inca Empire’s traces

Between the 4.400 and the 5.000 meters of weight, the park conserves the ruins called “Ruinas de Ciudacita” or “Pueblo Viejo” and “Santuarios de Altura”. The archeological sites are important to the Inca culture’s study in the Argentinean northeast. It was built after 1480 of our era, has two building’s sectors joined by a cobbled way. Both of them have different stone structures: circular, rectangular and quadrangular precincts, with yards, squares and promontories. The “Ciudacita” represent an important sample of the Incas settlement in the south frontier of the Empire.

It is a great installation where different aspects of the Empire organization are converged: social, political and economic; which belongs to the Inca view of the world. It is important to point out that these ruins are not open to visits.

ACCESS

From San Miguel de Tucumán city, you have to drive along the Ruta Provincial Nº38 towards the south, to Concepcion city (80Km). From there, continue 17 Km to the west to Alpachiri. Then go 12Km to the west by a track to La Jaya, east border of the National Park.

NATURAL RESOURCES

Landscapes Flora and fauna:

The mountain range of Aconquija, southern extension of the Calchaquiés summits, is the first west mountainous step on the “Chacopampeana” plain. This national park is located on the “Nevados de Aconquija” eastern slope. Its peaks limit with Catamarca province, between the rivers: Las Pavas – in the north, and Java – in the south. It is from 847 to 5.200 meters above the sea level, and it is the highest one of the “Cerro de la Bolsa”.

In the “Montana” jungle the following species predominate: laurel, walnut, “horco molle”, “tala de selva”, tabaquillo and cochucho. In the 1.000 meters there are species like the “caña brava” in the dense sotobosque. In the 1.5000 of weight, there is a “montano” forest, where there are species like: pino del cerro, aliso del cerro, walnut, elder and lily (a flashy grass with big red flowers during the spring).
Other important specie is the “Doradilla macho” fern. In the aliso forest, you can find the “ aliso el junco” and the white sage.

In the 2.000 meters of weight there is a queñoa forest on the rocks. There, the “chaguares” covers the rocky walls; there are other species such as yaretas, yaretillas, and lupinos. The protected area’s birds are the “quiula puneña” and the ”monterita serrana”. The rodents of the region are: the big “ pericote”, the andina rat, and the “tuco-tuco”. Other mammals are the guanaco, the "sacha mono" and the "puma".

SPECIES

Flora: laurel, walnut, horco molle, tal de selva, tabaquillo, cochuco, caña brava, pino del cerro, elder, doradilla macho hen, rush, white sage, yaretas, yaretillas and lupinos.

Fauna: quiula puneña, monterita serrana, pericote grande, rata andina (rat), oculto o tuco-tuco, guanaco, puma, taruca o huemul del norte, ocelot, wild cat and the osito lavador.

CLIMATE

It has different climatic characteristics because of the varied altitudes in the area.
In the 2600 meters, especially in winter, there are snow covered and frost.

In the Basal jungle, it is warm and wet in summer. The annual media rain in summer is from 2500 to 3000 millimeters.

WALKS AND SERVICES

Due to the recent creation, the national park doesn’t have the appropriated services for visitors. It is recommended to ask for information in the Park Maintenance. Once you arrive at the park, ask foresters where camping is allowed.

Season to visit: it is recommended to avoid visiting in summer; the raining days impede the entering.

The park opens 24 hours a day

Inside, there is a mountain hut and, it is allowed to camp in some places (it is essential to have permission). In Alpachiri town (12 km away), it is possible to fill up your car. The city of Concepción offers several lodging options, restaurants, dining rooms, warehouses, markets and service stations. There are three circuits for the visitors, but first ask to the foresters for being registered, filling a form with your personal data that will be used with statistical aims.

The circuits are:

- “La Mesada” is a quaint place located at 1.680 m.a.s.l. where it is possible to visit the Montana forest, whose biological diversity is surprising.

They are from 5 to 6 hours ascending from the park entrance. It is advisable to have at least three days to cover the route walking.

- The Waterfall is the second option. It consists of arriving to the Waterfall (at 2.700 m.a.s.l.). People will enjoy walking among a Montana jungle. Then, there will be a sketch about what it would be the “altoandino” grass, whose scenic point of view could be considered one of the most beauty panoramas of the area. From the park entrance, this circuit requires two days for covering the route and it is possible to arrive in 7 hours walking from La Mesada.

- The archeological ruins of “Ciudacita” or “Pueblo Viejo”, it is a - several centuries old Inca construction, according the experts, it could be a site of astronomical observations. It has been considered very valuable by archaeologists, has two differentiated sectors that are joined by a rocky road. It is at 4.400 m.a.s.l., is surrounded by a beautiful landscape where it is possible to feel the rigor of the climate, with some snow most of the year. This circuit requires that people be in a good physical condition and have training in mountain climbing, not only for the field difficulties, but also for the tiredness and the lack of oxygen because of the altitude. All of these aspects will be ruined the experience, if people don’t have the mentioned requirements. This route requires four days of ascent and three days of descent. As the other mentioned ascents, the Ciudacita requires the banqueanos´ guide.

Another place where there are remains of the Tawantinsuyu civilization (Inca Empire) is at 5.000 m.a.s.l. and is considered unique by its characteristics, but it is not a habitual circuit.

Crossing the park main road, it is possible to appreciate some constructions of what it was the former kiosk of the ex-ranch; they were made with stones and wood, and have approximately 100 years.

The most important city close to the unit of Conservation is Concepcion – 30 Km away- where there is all kind of services. Alpachiri is another nearby town, is only 12 Km. away but offers some basic services.

Nearby attractions:

In Cochuma, 16Km to the west of Alpachiri, there is a path that leads to the captivating lagoon called”Laguna del Tesoro” (1.750 m.a.s.l.; 6 hrs. walking). You can also visit San Miguel de Tucumán, the cradle of the Independence.

CONSERVATION PROBLEMS

General information

About ninety years ago that Eduardo Holmberg, famous naturalist -in order to have the First national Meeting of the Argentinean Company of Natural Sciences celebrated in Tucuman- alerted seriously to Tucuman people in the meeting, about the necessity to protect the forests of Aconquija due to their degradation. Later, other people tried to affect the mountain range sector but they couldn’t prejudice it. The foundation Miguel Lillo made the last attempt in 1977, undertook a detailed survey of the flora and fauna’s zone, in order to have an argument to demand for this valuable place because of its biodiversity with a lot of endemic qualities in the flora and the fauna. The Aconquija National Park’s project was not fulfillment. Then a recovery’s evidence arose with the creation of Campo de Los Alisos National Park.
But this place -with an area of 10.000 hectares- is not enough for protecting the zone of Aconquija because it affects to the phenomenon of insularity and the ecosystems are very damaged by the anthropic contamination.

Archeological sites

According the survey of December, 1995 and then in 1997, it has been demonstrated considerable damages of the archaeological sites, besides the common anthropic contamination, dues to the water effects. That means, in only two years, between a survey and other, there were differences observed in these sites. So that, it is has to be taken the whole preventions as soon as possible, for stopping this damage. The work named “Caracterización y Diagnóstico” of Campo de Alisos National Park, developed by the “Delegación Técnica Del Noreste de la A.P.N.”, specify in detail the whole registered damages by the committee members.

Roads and camping

Bettering the road from Alpachiri to the National Park entrance is one of the priorities; the maintenance of the way that go from the ford of Java River to the “Puesto de Los Chorizos” ( it covers 7 kilometers approximately) is the second one. Moreover, the entrance way is blocked in summer season by the rise of level of Java River.

It is also essential to build a camping area with the necessary installations for this purpose.

Inside the archaeological sites, it is essential to establish a board that indicates the camping zone in order to avoid people camp where they want, damaging every place.

Poaching

The poaching that happened a long ago, for subsistence or recreation, reduced in 2000 and 2001 thanks to the forester’s control. However, in 2002, maybe due to the economic crisis in Argentina, a poaching was noticed that were under control. A long time ago there have not been evidences of poaching in the high zone of the mountain (from 2000 m.a.s.l.). The weak zones are among the ford of Jaya River, the Puesto de Los Chorizos and the entrance to the protected area from Catamarca. It is difficult to have control in the mountainous zone, since there aren’t qualified personnel in the obligatory spots, whose ways are the routes of the mountaineers and archaeology lovers.

It has been confirmed that the only inhabitant of the park practice hunting frequently. Given that inside its house there were hundred of pecarí jaws, three jaws of little roe deer; two skins of ocelot, two of puma and one of Lobito de río.
The definitive eviction of this person some time ago was not fixed yet. If this situation had continued, it would have been urgent to resolve it.

Livestock

During several decades, this property that belonged to the park was a livestock establishment, with the modality of renting for grazing. This was the reason for taking possession of the area; there were still more than one thousand heads of cattle. After the foresters arduous job of explaining to each tenant the new situation, most of the cattle were evacuated. The remaining unbranded cattle are very few, but the entrance of cattle is even allowed in some places of the park and surrounding the kiosk of the “Mesada El Campamento de la Cooperadora del Instituto Técnico de la Universidad de Tucumán” and in the kiosk of Santa Rosa.

Exotic fauna and flora

Besides the mentioned cattle, there are rabbits that prowl the house of the only inhabitant in the park. It is important to be alert to any wild breeding. There is permanent breeding of salmons in several places of Tucumán province.

With respect to the intrusive flora, there are ornamental plants such as: cala, dandelions, yellow iris and ligustrina.

Recommendations for visiting:

It has difficult access and limited services, it is essential that the visit will be planned in advance, if you want to get to the high peaks or to the archaeological ruins, it is advisable to contact with the Park’s Maintenance, here you will absolve your doubts and will receive advices.

Useful Information

Campo de Los Alisos National Park
24 de septiembre 2044
(4146) Concepción
Tucumán, Argentina.
Phone/Fax: (038) 65-421734

Administración de Parques Nacionales
Santa Fe Avenue 690 C1059ABN

Buenos Aires, Argentina
Phone: (011) 4311-6633/0303