Cape Froward to Become Chile's 47th National Park Protecting Patagonian Coast and Indigenous Heritage
Cape Froward National Park is set to become Chile's 47th national park, safeguarding approximately 200,000 hectares (500,000 acres) of remote Patagonian coast and forest.
The park will complete a key wildlife corridor stretching roughly 1,700 miles (2,800 km) to the southern tip of the Americas.
Located on the north shore of the Strait of Magellan, Cape Froward features a wind-torn coastline, subantarctic forests, rich biodiversity, and significant Indigenous history.
Conservation efforts were led by Tompkins Conservation and its successor, Rewilding Chile, which purchased land and donated it in 2023 to create the park. This marks the seventeenth national park project these organizations have supported in Chile and Argentina.
In February 2025, a population of 10 endangered huemul deer was documented in the park, along with regular camera detections of pumas and the endangered huillín (river otter).
The protected area includes about 10,000 hectares of carbon-storing sphagnum bogs.
Restoration of the historic San Isidro lighthouse is underway to convert it into a museum and entry point for the park, including a cafe on the beach.
The site holds numerous Kawésqar Indigenous archaeological sites and artifacts linked to the Yagán, Selknam, and Tehuelche peoples, including fish traps and animal remains.
Indigenous consultation took place in September, with Chile's environment ministry aiming to advance park plans by March 2026; if progress stalls for two years, the lands will revert to Tompkins’ organizations.
