Traslasierra

Traslasierra National Park (Parque Nacional Traslasierra) is a federal national park in western Córdoba Province, Argentina, established in 2018 to protect one of the country's most threatened ecoregions, the Dry Chaco. Created by National Law 27,435 on land of the former Estancia Pinas, the park has grown to approximately 91,600 hectares through successive acquisitions, most recently a 47,600-hectare expansion by Fundación Aves Argentinas in January 2026. ^[1] It lies in the Traslasierra region west of the Sierras Grandes, in Minas Department near the boundary with La Rioja. As a national park administered by Argentina's Administración de Parques Nacionales, it safeguards nearly virgin Chaqueño forest and serves as a focus for the reintroduction and recovery of species such as the giant anteater and the yellow cardinal. Its landscapes of dry forest, sierras and the Volcanes de Pocho volcanic terrain provide habitat for pumas, guanacos and peccaries, making it a cornerstone of conservation in an underrepresented environment.

Traslasierra protects a rich Dry Chaco fauna within an area described as nearly virgin, hosting approximately 230 bird species, 35 mammals and 30 reptile species. ^[1] Emblematic mammals include the puma, wild guanaco, collared peccary and the Chacoan peccary (pecarí chaqueño), whose presence in Córdoba was previously unknown and which is considered threatened and a potential umbrella species. ^[2] The park is a flagship site for rewilding: reintroduction and recovery efforts target the giant anteater (oso hormiguero) and the yellow cardinal (cardenal amarillo), an endangered bird prized by illegal trappers. Other notable species include the crowned solitary eagle (águila coronada), black woodpecker (carpintero negro), tamandua (oso melero), land tortoise and the endemic tuco-tuco cordobés and tuco-tuco serrano. This diversity underscores the park's role in conserving Chaco wildlife.

The park conserves montane and arid Chaco forest (Chaco Serrano and Chaco Árido), an environment poorly represented in Argentina's protected-area system and among the most threatened ecoregions in the world. ^[1] Its natural woodlands are dominated by quebracho blanco, horco quebracho, algarrobo, mistol and brea, forming a dry forest adapted to low rainfall and high seasonal temperature contrast. Thorny shrubs, bromeliads and cacti fill the understory, while grasses cover more open slopes and clearings. On the western flanks of the Sierras de Pocho and Guasapampa, the vegetation transitions with elevation, blending Chaco Serrano woodland with drier arid Chaco scrub. This intact forest cover shelters the park's wildlife, stabilizes mountain soils and preserves a representative sample of a rapidly disappearing native landscape.

Traslasierra lies in the Traslasierra region west of the Sierras Grandes, within a landscape of sierras, dry plains and volcanic features. The former Estancia Pinas headquarters sits at the base of the Volcán Yerba Buena, part of the Volcanes de Pocho, an area of ancient volcanic activity that has shaped the local terrain. The park spans terrain between the Sierras de Guasapampa and the plains bordering La Rioja Province, where erosion of the sierras has produced rocky slopes, dry valleys and gently sloping piedmont surfaces. ^[1] Seasonal watercourses drain the mountains during summer rains, carving channels through the arid ground. This combination of sierra relief, volcanic remnants and dry lowland plains creates a varied physical setting that underpins the park's mosaic of montane and arid Chaco habitats.

The park experiences a semi-arid climate with hot summers, mild winters and marked seasonal contrast typical of the Dry Chaco. Rainfall is concentrated in the warm months from roughly October to March, when convective storms briefly fill the seasonal streams, while the winter is dry and cooler. Summer daytime temperatures can be high, and the region shows a wide daily temperature range, with warm days giving way to cool nights. Prolonged dry spells and low overall precipitation define the environment, favoring drought-tolerant forest and scrub. These conditions, combined with the region's history of clearing pressure, make the intact Chaco woodland preserved here both ecologically valuable and highly sensitive to drought and fire.

The lands now within the park were long part of the historic Estancia Pinas, a large rural property in western Córdoba. In the early twentieth century the estancia was owned by the prominent politician Lisandro de la Torre (from 1908 until his death in 1939), later passing to Juan Feliciano Manubens Calvet until 1981. ^[1] The area preserves archaeological remnants associated with the Comechingón culture, the Indigenous people of the Córdoba sierras, as well as a nineteenth-century chapel reflecting its colonial rural heritage. For generations the property was used for grazing and extensive ranching. Its comparatively low-intensity use helped keep large tracts of native Chaco forest intact, ultimately making the estancia an ideal candidate for conservation when Córdoba ceded environmental jurisdiction to the national state.

Traslasierra was created through National Law 27,435, sanctioned on 21 March 2018 and promulgated by Decree 311/2018 in April 2018, after Córdoba Province ceded environmental jurisdiction over the former Estancia Pinas to the national state. ^[1] The law authorized a protected area of up to 105,386 hectares to be secured progressively, with the Administración de Parques Nacionales initially managing approximately 44,000 hectares. An additional 47,600 hectares were added in January 2026 through a purchase by Fundación Aves Argentinas, bringing the total to 91,600 hectares. ^[2] As a full federal national park, its purpose is to protect an underrepresented environment, the montane Chaco forest, and to support the recovery of threatened Chaco species. The park has since become a center for rewilding initiatives, notably reintroductions of the giant anteater and conservation work for the yellow cardinal, and has opened to regulated tourism as infrastructure has developed.

Visitors to Traslasierra can explore the intact Dry Chaco forest through trails that showcase the park's woodlands, sierras and wildlife. Key points of interest include the historic casco (headquarters) of the former Estancia Pinas, with its nineteenth-century chapel and Comechingón archaeological remnants, set against the backdrop of the Volcán Yerba Buena and the Volcanes de Pocho. ^[1] Wildlife viewing is a major draw, with opportunities to spot guanacos, peccaries and abundant birdlife, and the park's rewilding of the giant anteater and yellow cardinal adds special interest for naturalists. Interpretive walks highlight the ecology of the montane and arid Chaco, its native trees such as quebracho and algarrobo, and the conservation challenges facing this ecoregion. Birdwatching is particularly rewarding given the park's rich avifauna. ^[2]

The park is located in western Córdoba Province, in Minas Department in the Traslasierra region near the border with La Rioja, and is reached via provincial roads from towns such as Mina Clavero and the nearby locality of Las Palmas, with the city of Córdoba lying farther east. ^[1] As a relatively young national park, its visitor infrastructure is developing, and access to trails and viewpoints is organized by the park administration. Basic services and accommodation are found in surrounding towns rather than inside the park. Given the arid climate, visitors should carry water and plan activities for cooler parts of the day, especially in summer. The Administración de Parques Nacionales provides orientation and interpretation to help visitors experience the Chaco forest responsibly.

Traslasierra was established specifically to conserve the montane and arid Dry Chaco, one of the most threatened ecoregions in the world and long subject to deforestation for agriculture and grazing. ^[1] Protecting nearly virgin Chaqueño forest, the park safeguards habitat for pumas, guanacos, peccaries and numerous birds, while actively restoring populations of species such as the giant anteater and the yellow cardinal through reintroduction and anti-trafficking efforts. Management by the Administración de Parques Nacionales combines habitat protection, scientific monitoring and regulated tourism to reduce pressures on the fragile dry forest. Ongoing land acquisition works toward expanding the protected area toward the authorized limit of 105,386 hectares. By preserving intact Chaco woodland and championing rewilding, the park plays a leading role in conserving biodiversity in a landscape that continues to face intense clearing pressure across northern and central Argentina. ^[2]