The Chaco National Park (Spanish: Parque Nacional Chaco) is a protected area in Argentina, located in the province of Chaco. It covers an area of 150 square kilometers. The park was established in 1954 to preserve a part of the Eastern Chaco, which is mostly made up of warm lowlands. These areas receive summer rainfall of between 750 and 1,300 millimeters each year.
This park protects the quebracho trees. Forests of the quebracho colorado chaqueño (Schinopsis balansae) were once found in the northern part of Santa Fe and the western half of Chaco, extending into the northeast of Corrientes. The tree’s strong wood and high tannin content led to its overuse for more than 100 years.
The park includes several types of environments: scrubland, savanna, swamps, and small lakes. Scrubland is home to the red quebracho (Schinopsis lorentzii), white quebracho (Aspidosperma quebracho-blanco), algarrobo (Prosopis alba), and lapacho (Tabebuia spp.), all of which are valuable for commercial use. The area’s wildlife includes large predators like cougars. Lakes are inhabited by yacare caimans and capybaras. Other animals found in the park include armadillos, South American tapirs, plains viscachas, and over 340 species of birds. The black howler monkey (Alouatta caraya) also lives there.
Indigenous communities of the Mocoví and Toba peoples are present in the protected area.
Gallery
- Carpincho Lagoon and the jungle around it
- A view of the Black River
- The National Park visitor center located in the camping area.