When I first moved to Santiago, Chile, I started hearing about one particular natural park over and over: Parque Yerba Loca. Hikers and nature enthusiasts would mention it as one of their first recommendations. In fact, I passed this park several times on my way to other areas in the mountains east of Santiago, but for over a year, I didn’t get around to going.
At long last, I had the opportunity to go for a day hike in Yerba Loca. I finally understood why everyone had been recommending this gorgeous park to me all along. My only regret with Yerba Loca is not making the time to go much, much sooner.
Why Is Everyone Talking About Yerba Loca?
I constantly heard a variety of attractive things about Yerba Loca. Hikers discussed the numerous hiking trails and the long-distance hikes. Camping enthusiasts raved about the campground and wild camping spots. Even casual hikers talked to me about occasional visits to this park and how it was a great chance to see some of the best that Santiago’s nature has to offer.
It’s just outside the city in the Andes foothills, just about an hour drive from Las Condes or Providencia, depending on how far east you are in the city limits. And why is it so popular? I believe it’s due to the proximity to the city and to Yerba Loca’s accessible, moderate-level hiking trails. There’s no need to commit to a full-on mountaineering weekend; it’s convenient to visit for the day. As my friend and I learned when planning our trip, it’s not dog-friendly—something to keep in mind if you’re thinking of going.
Heading to Yerba Loca: The Curves
Getting to Yerba Loca is a big part of the adventure. The road that goes east out of Santiago and into the mountains (to the ski resort, La Parva, and beyond) goes up a series of sharp, uphill curves. There are 40 curves in total, making it quite a challenge for passengers (like me sometimes) who struggle with car sickness. And on the weekends, every time I’ve gone up these curves in good weather, there are always tons of cyclists riding up and down, so drivers need to use extreme caution.
Besides dodging cyclists, there are also animal crossings on the road up to Yerba Loca. I’ve personally spotted two foxes on or beside the road. There could also be smaller mammals, like the adorable vizcachas (rabbit-like animals), crossing the roads around dusk and dawn. Besides seeing wildlife, driving up this road also offers incredible mountain views as you climb higher and higher, which is my favorite part of the drive. When my friend and I finally pulled into the entrance parking lot area of Yerba Loca on our day trip, we already felt like we’d completely left behind any trace of city life in Santiago.
Entering the Park: Buy Tickets in Advance
As we learned, it’s far easier to buy park tickets in advance, and probably on your computer, before arriving at Yerba Loca. Tickets cost us 7,000 Chilean pesos (about 7 USD). Still, the most difficult part was accessing the park website and painstakingly adding every required, detailed piece of information (including car license plate and emergency contact info) on the mobile version of the website. The tiny park office building had Wi-Fi, but loading each page took quite a while, and we had to restart the process a couple of times because the page wouldn’t load.
But once we bought the tickets, we simply let the park ranger scan our QR codes and then entered the park. After a short drive from the park office to the campground parking area, which is the last point we could leave the truck, we parked and got out to get our bearings. Below us was the campground, where we saw and heard a few families enjoying the day. Huge pine trees and other greenery surrounded us, but the dusty road and scattered succulents proved that we were still in a mix of desert-like terrain. And in front of us was a huge sign marking the trailhead.
Sendero La Paloma: Hiking Through the Valley
It was already about noon, and my friend and I were eager to get started. We slapped on sunscreen and put on our hats to protect us from the blazing late-summer sun, then headed out, trekking poles in hand. Our goal was to go down the main trail for a few hours and then turn back: a truly simple day hike. Sendero La Paloma is the most popular trail in Yerba Loca, running along the mountain stream Estero Yerba Loca, and eventually taking you to the top of Cerro La Paloma.
Immediately on the trail, we heard the rushing sound of the estero flowing over rocks and boulders on its way down through Valle de Yerba Loca. It wasn’t far below us, and we enjoyed the relaxing sound as we started the hike. Only about 30 minutes into our hike, however, we somehow got off the main trail and veered toward the estero. We didn’t think much of it, since we knew Sendero La Paloma was supposed to run alongside the estero, but the small trail we were on suddenly ended, blocked by a human-made wall of rocks. It forced us to climb farther up, where we fortunately reencountered the trail.
After getting lost, we tried to be more cautious about staying on the main trail, but it proved difficult at many points. Although there are orange-tipped posts to mark the trail, they were only in the most obvious places, rather than directing us in places where the trail split into two or more viable options. The good thing about this trail, however, is that we always knew where we were in relation to the river and the park entrance, thanks to the geography. The valley stretched up on our right, and we could hear the estero running on our left. All in all, we got off the trail four or five times due to deceptive trail splits.
We hiked for a few hours, then felt the temperature drop. Unsure whether it was just a temporary drop or caused by our elevation gain and being without jacket layers, we decided it was a good time to turn back. It was about 3:00 pm, so we figured we could get down in a couple of hours and still have time to drive back into Santiago for an early dinner. That’s the beauty of a day hike in Yerba Loca: it can be a part of a Saturday, not exhaust your whole weekend.
Yerba Loca: Ideal for Day Hikes or Camping
I was extremely happy with our day hike in Yerba Loca, and I can’t wait to go back for a longer trail or perhaps even a camping trip. It was a long-awaited adventure, one that I wish I’d experienced far earlier in my time in Chile. And now I can safely say that I finally understand the hype behind this breathtaking natural park—and I agree that it’s worth it.
