La Campana National Park

La Campana National Park
La Campana National Park
	IUCN category II (national park)
Location	Valparaíso Region, Chile
Nearest city	Olmué
Coordinates	32°55′00″S 71°09′00″W
Area	80 km²
Established	1967
Visitors	52,389[1] (in 2012)
Governing body	Corporación Nacional Forestal

La Campana National Park is located in the Cordillera de la Costa, Quillota Province, in the Valparaíso Region of Chile. La Campana National Park and the Vizcachas Mountains lie northwest of Santiago.[2] This national park covers approximately 80 square kilometres (31 sq mi) and is home to one of the last palm forests of Jubaea chilensis (Chilean Wine Palm), which prehistorically had a much wider distribution than at present.[3] Another attraction is the Cerro La Campana, which lends its name to the park. In 1834 Charles Darwin climbed this mountain, during the second voyage of HMS Beagle.

Jubaea chilensis, Ocoa Valley

In 1984, the park, along with Lago Peñuelas National Reserve, was designated by UNESCO as a Biosphere Reserve.[4]

Biology

The park is in the Chilean Matorral Ecoregion. Chilean Wine Palm groves occur in the Ocoa Valley. Other typical vegetation species occurring in the park include the Echinopsis chiloensis, Puya chilensis Roble, Boldo, Litre, Peumo, Patagua, Winter's Bark and Lingue.[4]

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