Bosques Petrificados Natural Monument

GENERAL INFORMATION OF THE AREA

Due the need of protecting petrified forests, the Bosques Petrificados Natural Monument was created in 1954. It is located in the northeast of Santa Cruz province, in the Puerto Deseado Department. The nearest village is Jaramillo. From Jaramillo to the Natural Monument there is a 135 km distance. Nowadays, the MN Bosques Petrificados (Bosques Petrificados Natural Monumen)t has a 13.700 hectares surface. The National Parks Administration acquired two adjacent farms, and is negotiating to include them in the protected area. Bosques Petrificados Natural Monument belongs to the patagonic steppe eco-region. Its climate is cold and dry, with winter rains lower than 400 millimeters and strong west winds. The summers are dry. There are permanent frosts.

NATURAL RESOURCES

Landscapes. Flora and fauna.150 millions of years ago, the protected area´s climate was very wet. There were dense forests with big trees. Some important species were the “ pehuenes” or “araucarias”. In the cretacic period beginning, the volcanic eruptions –that coincided with the mountain chain raising- buried a big part of the patagonic territory, with ashes and lava. A lot of these forests were petrified. They conform the MN Bosques Petrificados (Bosques Petrificados Natural Monument). The Los Andes mountain chain raising had generated drastic changes in the ambient. The patagonic climate changed in a radical way. Since that moment, the humidity –transported by the pacific winds- is condensed in the cold heights, and generate rains that allows the develop of the present patagonic forests. Later, the territory erosion generated an arid zone and made possible the discovery of the petrified forests. The “Madre e Hija” mountain is a good example of the old volcanic activity. This mountain is an extinct volcano. FloraThe present nature of the protected area offers different and interesting attractions to the visitors. The sparse vegetation is amazing, due the plants capacity to survive in an arid zone. Different vegetables adopt compact and semicircular forms. The “ cojines” are a good example of these vegetables. In the protected area there are many shrubs like the following: “molles”, “duraznillos”, “algarrobos” and “calafates”. The “calafates” have edible fruits. Fauna The fauna is abundant, due the permanent foresters vigilance. The fauna of the protected area have adopted no evasive behaviours. You can see the different animals in the “ araucarias petrificadas” path surrounding area. There, you can see little pack of zools, composed by the male and its females and its breedings. Also, you can see gray foxes, “ Chingolos”, “agachonas”, and “comesebos”. In the access way there ara some attraction s to the visitors. There, you can see the “piche patagónico” and the “choique” or “ñandú petiso”. This specie is a big bird, its plumaje is gray with white. The males are polygamous and build the nests, the incubate the eggs and look after the breedings. It is recommended to transit in a low speed to see the abundant fauna of the protected area.

CULTURAL RESOURCES

In prehistoric periods, the protected are was inhabited by hunter and collecting populations. In the MN Bosques Petrificados (Bosques Petrificados Natural Monument) there are some evidences of this: different settlements as “picaderos" or workshops to the raw material extraction. The araucarias´ fossil wood was used to create stone instruments. For populations´ economy the microambient diversity offered some available resources in accessible spaces with short trips. There were water the whole year (little oasis), firewood, good visibility, animals to hunt (the “guanaco” and the “choique” or “ñandú petiso”), and a great stones availability to the device sculpt.
ACCESS The Bosques Petrificados Natural Monument access is located in the National Route number 3, between the villages Caleta Olivia (in the north) and Puerto San Julián (in the south). In the kilometer number 2.074 appear the route number 49, that arrives to the natural Monument foresters area. There is the Visitors room and a path to visit the protected area.

WALKS AND SERVICES

In the MN Bosques Petrificados (Bosques Petrificados Natural Monument) camping is not allowed. You can stay in a private camping, which is located 20 km far from the access way. It is important to know that there is a pedestrian path, which cross de protected area. There, you can see the petrified araucarias. The path´s access is free. The timetable hours are 9:00 to 19:00 (between October-March) and 10:00 to 17:00 (between April-September).