From the W Trek I walked on my own in Patagonia to the red rocks of Piedras Rojas high in the Atacama, these are the best hikes in Chile, with the permits, seasons and rules you need to know for each.
Chile is a land of extremes, stretching from the world’s driest desert to the frozen beauty of Patagonia, so it’s little surprise that it offers some of the most stunning hikes on the planet.
Think of Chile as an adventurer’s dream come true, so why wouldn’t you want to put your hiking boots to work? I’ve been to Chile four times and I can’t get enough of it, hiking included. I walked the W Trek in Torres del Paine solo in January, picked my way over the red rocks at Piedras Rojas on both of my Atacama trips, and wandered up the cactus-lined canyon at Guatín on the way back down from the El Tatio geysers.
I’m not exaggerating when I say that hiking in Chile has given me some of the most unforgettable experiences of my life, whether that’s watching the evening light on the granite peaks of Los Cuernos at the end of my longest day on the W, or reaching the shore at Piedras Rojas to find the lake frozen so solid that it looked more like a piece of turquoise than water.
Whether you’re an avid trekker or a casual wanderer, these are the trails I’d put at the top of any list, from multi-day treks at the end of the world to day hikes you can fit around a few days in Santiago. The ones I’ve walked myself come with my own notes; for the rest, I’ve set out exactly how they work today, from booking systems to winter closures.
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The best hikes in Chile
W Trek, Torres del Paine
Length: about 80km (50 miles)
Time: 4 to 5 days
Difficulty: Hard
This four- to five-day trek in the Torres del Paine National Park is the most popular multi-day hike in Chile, and one of the most rewarding anywhere. It was the biggest hike I had ever done when I set off on it on my own in January, and it’s still one of the most memorable things I’ve done.
The trek is named for the W shape it traces along the southern side of the Paine massif: up to Glacier Grey in the west, into the Francés Valley in the middle and up to the base of the granite towers in the east, with long lakeshore stretches linking them. There’s no rule about direction. I went west to east, taking the catamaran across Lago Pehoé to Paine Grande and walking up to Refugio Grey on the first day, then sleeping at Paine Grande, Los Cuernos and Chileno before walking out to Hotel Las Torres. That way round starts with a relatively gentle day, keeps the cliffs of Los Cuernos in front of you, and gives you two chances to see the towers at the end. I went straight up on my fourth afternoon, and the next morning was cloudy and rainy, so I was very glad I had.
Before I set off, I went to the free talk at Erratic Rock in Puerto Natales, and I’d recommend it to anyone planning the W. The wind is no joke: on my second morning it was so strong that I’d walk in one direction and be blown two paces in the other, and I gave up on the main Grey viewpoint. Day three was my longest, about 28km with the detour up the Francés Valley. Mirador Francés was worth every step, though Mirador Británico was lost in cloud by the time I got there. My fellow hikers ranged in age from 20 to 75, and while the W is challenging, it’s doable if you’re an average hiker with the right gear and a meal plan.
You can walk the W without a guide from mid-September to late April, but you must book every night of your accommodation before you arrive, and the rangers and refugio staff check. Grey and Paine Grande are run by Vertice Patagonia, and Francés, Los Cuernos, Chileno and Central by Las Torres Patagonia. You also need a park ticket, bought online in advance on CONAF’s Pases Parques site, as there are no ticket sales at the gates. Since 1 May 2026 foreign adults pay CLP 48,500 for a multi-day ticket, valid for up to 10 days in a row.
Top tip
December to February beds go first, so book as soon as your dates are fixed. Winter is a different story: in 2026 CONAF required an accredited guide on the W and the Base Torres trail from 27 April to 15 September, and closed the W completely in June and July, with the boats on Lago Pehoé and Lago Grey suspended. Check CONAF’s notices before you plan a shoulder-season trip, and read my W Trek packing list before you go.
O Circuit, Torres del Paine
Length: about 120 to 130km (75 to 80 miles)
Time: 7 to 9 days
Difficulty: Hard
If you thought the W Trek was arduous, the O Circuit will push you further (if you’re up for it!).
It takes in the whole of the W and then adds the quiet back side of the Paine massif, so you can call yourself a proper thru-hiker by the end of the journey. Far fewer people walk the O than the W, so you’re up for bragging rights and plenty of quiet time if you decide to take it on. I’ll be honest: as I hadn’t hiked for ten days in about as many years, I focused on the five-day W instead.
The trail starts at the Laguna Amarga entrance and makes a full loop of the park. It can only be walked anticlockwise, with nights at Serón, Dickson and Los Perros before you cross the John Gardner Pass, at around 1,200 metres, and drop down beside Glacier Grey and the edge of the Southern Patagonian Ice Field. From there you join the W to finish, ending at the striking granite torres (towers).
Since a fatal storm near the John Gardner Pass in November 2025, CONAF has capped numbers at 100 hikers a day, made registration at the Guardería Coirón ranger station compulsory and stationed rangers at Dickson, Los Perros and the pass. You have to book every night before you arrive: Serón is run by Las Torres Patagonia, and Dickson and Los Perros by Vertice Patagonia.
Top tip
The O only opens in summer. For the 2026/27 season CONAF kept it closed until 1 November, with the pass reopening only after a technical and weather assessment, and it can close early when snow arrives (it shut early in March 2026). Plan it for December to February for the best chance of (reasonably) mild weather.
Mirador Base Torres, Torres del Paine
Length: about 20km (12.5 miles) return
Time: 7 to 8 hours
Difficulty: Hard
If you only have one day in Torres del Paine, this is the hike to the view on every postcard: the three granite towers rising above their green glacial lake. It’s a steep climb, with the best part of 800 to 900 metres of ascent, but it works perfectly well as a day hike if you aren’t doing the W.
I walked it at the end of my W Trek, dropping my pack at Refugio Chileno and going straight up in the afternoon. It was about an hour through forest and over a few rickety bridges, and then a final section so steep it felt almost vertical. Above the treeline the path becomes a boulder field: my poles were useless, as there was nothing for them to grip, so I put them away and used my hands and feet. More than once I considered turning back. I sat at the top for a few minutes before it turned grey, and it rained all the way down.
Day hikers start from the Welcome Centre near Hotel Las Torres. Buses leave Puerto Natales for the Laguna Amarga entrance at around 7am and noon; take the early one, as a ticket doesn’t always guarantee a seat in peak season. A single-day park ticket costs foreign adults CLP 32,400 on Pases Parques. Pack for four seasons, even on a sunny morning, with layers and a waterproof in a daypack.
Top tip
Start early. Rangers set cut-off times for starting the climb and for leaving the viewpoint, so check them on the park map, and from late April to mid-September you can only do this hike with an accredited guide.
Cerro Toco hike, Atacama Desert
Length: about 4.5km (2.7 miles) return
Time: 3 to 4 hours on the mountain, about 7 hours door to door
Difficulty: Hard
Hop on this short but serious out-and-back Cerro Toco trail, one of the best hikes near Chile’s San Pedro de Atacama.
Cerro Toco is a dormant stratovolcano in the eastern Atacama Desert, close to the Bolivian border, in a landscape of high-altitude, Mars-like plateaus, cracked salt flats and lunar valleys. It sits inside the Atacama Astronomical Park on the Chajnantor plateau, so you share the road up with observatory traffic and look down on the dishes of the ALMA array from the top.
The trailhead is at around 5,200 metres, and you gain about 400 metres more to reach the summit at 5,604 metres. The walking isn’t technical, but the altitude is the real test: you’ll move slowly, stop often and feel every step. The reward is one of the most breathtaking views in the Atacama, across Chile, Bolivia and Argentina.
While it’s technically possible to hike Cerro Toco without a guide, I strongly recommend going with one because of the altitude. The access road climbs through the astronomical park, where signs say you can’t enter without prior permission, so don’t try to drive past a closed gate or checkpoint. Small-group ascents with a 4×4, mountain guide, poles and snacks cost from around CLP 75,000 to US$150 a person and usually need a minimum of two to four people, so book a few days ahead. This guided Cerro Toco ascent is one of the best reviewed.
Top tip
Save it for the end of your trip. San Pedro is at about 2,400 metres, and most operators want you to have spent at least two nights there, ideally with a high-altitude day trip such as Piedras Rojas or the El Tatio geysers, before you climb.
Piedras Rojas and the Salar de Talar, Atacama Desert
Length: about an hour’s walk on the community path
Time: 1 to 1.5 hours at the site, plus the drive
Difficulty: Moderate (because of the altitude)
Sitting on the road that eventually leads to Argentina, Piedras Rojas and the Salar de Talar are some of my favourite places in the Atacama, and I’ve walked here on both of my trips to the region. The red rocks that give it its name run from the car park down to the shore of a salt lake whose colours shift from pastel pink and light stone to bright teal, with snow-dusted volcanoes behind.
On my first trip there was no marked path, and scrambling over uneven ground at about 4,000 metres was hard work. The local community from Socaire has since built a marked path in exchange for paid access, and the walk now takes about an hour, mainly because you have to move so slowly at this altitude. I was walking slower than I ever thought possible and still got out of breath every time I had to climb a big rock. The advice I’d been given before I set off suddenly made complete sense: “Walk up like an old man and you’ll be able to come down like a young bull.”
When I went back in July, the lake was frozen, which made a brilliant contrast with the red rock. Be sure to walk right down to the water: frozen, it looks more like a piece of turquoise than water. Winter is the time to see it at its brightest, too, as the water levels are lower and the minerals more concentrated.
Piedras Rojas is about 150km and two and a half hours’ drive from San Pedro. Tickets are only sold online, through the Socaire community’s website, and you have to buy it together with Lagunas Miscanti and Miñiques as a pack (around CLP 13,000 to 15,000 for foreign adults). You book a time slot and check in at the control point in Socaire an hour before it, with your QR code and your car’s number plate. If you’d rather not drive, this full-day Piedras Rojas, altiplanic lagoons and Salar de Talar tour covers the lagoons and Piedras Rojas in one day.
Top tip
Don’t skip the lagoons on the way. I missed Miscanti and Miñiques on my first trip to the Atacama (big mistake), and on my second I followed the trail down to Miscanti and then climbed over an outcrop of lava to reach Miñiques, which is a completely different colour. In winter, heavy snow can close Piedras Rojas for a day or two, so leave a little slack in your plans.
Guatín canyon, Atacama Desert
Length: as far as you like (the full canyon route is one way)
Time: 2 to 4 hours
Difficulty: Easy to moderate
For a hike that feels a world away from the crowds, head for the canyon at Guatín, a tiny hamlet on the road from San Pedro de Atacama up to the El Tatio geysers, close to the Puritama hot springs and about 30km north of town.
The walk starts where the Puritama and Purifica rivers meet to become the Vilama, at around 3,000 metres, and follows the river down a canyon lined with towering candelabra cacti, some of them up to 7 metres tall, with thick, chunky trunks and spines covered in huge prickles (don’t get too close).
I spent the night in Guatín on my campervan road trip to shorten the 3:30am drive up to El Tatio, and the sunset over the canyon that evening was unlike anything else I saw on the trip. I hiked the canyon on the way back down from the geysers, and it was the perfect foil to the crowds up there: just me, crunching along the riverbed, with cacti, pampas grass and dense riverside greenery all around.
If you want to go further, small-group tours from San Pedro walk the canyon with a guide from around CLP 35,000, including transport, and often combine it with a soak at the Termas de Puritama (book the hot springs online in advance, as places are limited).
Top tip
The full trek is quite long, and you’ll need to arrange for someone to pick you up at the end. Or just walk until you’re satisfied and turn back. I did the latter.
Apoquindo waterfall, Santiago
Length: about 17km (10.5 miles) return
Time: 6 to 7 hours
Difficulty: Hard
Spend a day in Santiago and experience some of the best hiking in Chile without leaving the city. This Apoquindo waterfall hike lets you explore one of Santiago’s best-kept secrets, the Parque Natural Aguas de Ramón, a protected area in the Andean foothills that is home to the Salto de Apoquindo waterfall.
Open year-round, the trail begins at the far end of the Los Peumos trail. Head upstream and stay near the stream before you switch your way back up the ravine walls, then carry on until you reach the crystal-clear Apoquindo cascades. It’s about 1,000 metres of climbing in all, so it’s a proper workout: carry plenty of water and set off early in summer.
The park is open from 8am to 6pm, and tickets (a few thousand pesos) are sold online through Parque Cordillera, the association that runs it. The entrance is on Álvaro Casanova in La Reina. You can get close by metro and bus, but when I was in Santiago all my hotels told me to use Uber, and it’s the simplest way to the gate. If you’re short on time, my guide to things to do in Santiago has plenty more to fill your days.
Top tip
Timing is everything here. You have to check in for the Salto de Apoquindo trail by 10am, rangers stop anyone heading further up after 11am at the second river crossing, and you have to start back down from the waterfall by 2pm. In winter the trail can close in bad weather.
El Morado glacier lagoon, Cajón del Maipo
Length: about 14km (8.7 miles) return
Time: 6 to 7 hours
Difficulty: Moderate to hard
If you only do one day hike from Santiago, make it this one. The Monumento Natural El Morado sits at the head of the Cajón del Maipo, about 93km from the city, and the trail climbs around 700 metres up a high Andean valley to Laguna El Morado, a glacial lake beneath the hanging glacier of Cerro El Morado.
The trail starts at Baños Morales, near the head of the Cajón del Maipo (the last stretch of road from San Gabriel is gravel), and follows the valley up to the lake, with views of the snowfields and glaciers above.
Tickets have to be bought online in advance on Pases Parques, with foreign visitors buying separately from Chileans. The monument is open Tuesday to Sunday, from 8:30am to 5:30pm between October and March and to 5pm between April and September, and the last entry is at 12:30pm. You can only walk as far as the lagoon: the glacier itself and its base are off limits because of rockfall. Boots suitable for snow and gaiters are on the park’s list of requirements, and rangers can turn you away without them.
If you don’t have a car, plenty of day trips from Santiago head into the Cajón del Maipo.
Top tip
November to April is the season for this hike. In winter, snow can cover the trail and turn it into a far more technical outing.
Cerro La Campana, La Campana National Park
Length: about 7km (4.3 miles) each way
Time: 6 to 8 hours return
Difficulty: Hard
Charles Darwin climbed Cerro La Campana in August 1834 and wrote that time had never seemed to pass so quickly as the day he spent on the summit. It’s easy to see why: from the top, at 1,880 metres, you can see from the Pacific to the high Andes on a clear day.
The mountain is in the Granizo sector of La Campana National Park, near the village of Olmué, inland from Valparaíso. The summit trail, the Sendero Andinista, climbs steeply over rocky, uneven ground, past the old mine workings that make a natural rest stop before the final climb.
Summit tickets are only sold online, through a dedicated link on the park’s website or Pases Parques, and numbers are capped at 40 people a day. According to the park, the summit trail opens on Fridays, weekends and public holidays, and you need to start early, as there’s a morning cut-off for setting off up the mountain. Adults pay around CLP 8,500 to 9,000.
Top tip
Combine it with a few days on the coast: La Campana is an easy add-on to a trip to Valparaíso, and the park’s shorter trails through the palm groves of the Ocoa sector make a good warm-up.
Grey Glacier trail, Torres del Paine
Length: about 22 to 24km (14 to 15 miles) return from Paine Grande
Time: 7 to 8 hours
Difficulty: Hard
Next up is the Grey Glacier trail, promising icy lake shores and unspoiled Patagonian nature. This trail forms the western arm of the W Trek and is a great option for those who want to hike in Torres del Paine but don’t have several days to do one of the longer trails featured above.
This was my first day on the W. The moment I stepped off the catamaran it started raining, and it was so wet and windy that my glasses were doing that comedy thing of being too wet to see through. After a few short, steep climbs the rain stopped and the sun came out, and Lago Grey, less grey than an unexpected brilliant blue, was behind me, with small icebergs floating on it. I passed meadows of foxgloves and caught tantalising glimpses of the glacier, a picturesque reminder of just how close you are to the Southern Patagonian Ice Field.
Start by taking the catamaran from Pudeto across Lago Pehoé to Paine Grande, which takes about 30 minutes, then follow the clearly marked trail north to Refugio Grey, about 11km away. The main glacier viewpoints and the suspension bridges are beyond the refugio. Return to Paine Grande by retracing your steps. You can do this hike without a guide in season, but look out for slippery conditions and wear waterproof gear.
Top tip
The catamaran runs several times a day in season, timed around the buses from Puerto Natales, with the last boat back from Paine Grande in the early evening. That makes the full return trip a long day, so staying overnight at Refugio Grey or Paine Grande is the play here. Check the current fares and timetable with the operator before you go, and note that the boats stop in the depths of winter.
Maunga Terevaka hike, Rapa Nui (Easter Island)
Length: about 7km (4.3 miles) return from Ahu Akivi
Time: 3 to 4 hours
Difficulty: Easy to moderate
If you plan on visiting the mysterious Easter Island, hiking through it might be the best way to appreciate its subtropical splendour up close. Maunga Terevaka is the biggest volcano on the island, and at about 500 metres its summit is the highest point on Rapa Nui, with views over the whole island and nothing but the Pacific in every direction.
The most common start is at Ahu Akivi, about 5.5km from Hanga Roa, where seven moai unusually look out towards the sea. From there it’s about 3.5km up open, grassy slopes to the summit. The old vehicle tracks have been closed to protect the fragile ground from erosion, so stick to the footpath. The trail is completely exposed, so go early in the morning or near sunset, bring a wide-brimmed hat and a windproof layer, and lather on the sunblock.
Almost the whole island is part of Rapa Nui National Park. Foreign adults pay US$100 for a park ticket, valid for ten days, which you can buy online in advance or at the airport. The park’s rules now require visitors to be accompanied by a guide accredited by Ma’u Henua (or a resident host) at its sites, with only a few exceptions such as Tahai and Anakena beach, so plan to go up Terevaka with a guide. This half-day tour from Hanga Roa covers Ahu Akivi and the Puna Pau quarry, the best way to see the archaeology around the trailhead.
Dientes de Navarino, Isla Navarino
Length: about 40 to 50km (25 to 31 miles)
Time: 4 to 6 days
Difficulty: Hard
Here’s one for the extremists: the southernmost trek in the world sees only a small number of hikers each summer. Considered one of the most gruelling hikes in South America, the Dientes de Navarino circuit offers those brave enough the chance to walk among jagged, tooth-like peaks above the Beagle Channel and experience complete isolation.
The start and finish are at Puerto Williams, the southernmost town in the world, about 3km from the trailhead. From here the trail climbs steeply to the viewpoint at Cerro Bandera, and then the real work begins as you cross a series of wind-blasted passes, including the Paso de los Dientes and the Paso Ventarrón, past lakes such as Laguna Martillo, until you reach your final climb and pass of the journey, the Paso Virginia. Published distances range from about 37km to 53km depending on the route, and most people take four to six days.
There are no huts or resupply points, and you camp wild along the way. There are no park fees or permits, but you must register (free) with the Carabineros in Puerto Williams before you set out, as it’s the only record that you’re on the circuit. Carry a water filter and a reusable water bottle, as you’ll be drinking from streams and lakes.
Seasoned hikers who are confident navigating with a GPS track can tackle it independently, but I recommend going with a guide if you have any doubts, because of the unpredictable weather and extremely remote conditions.
Top tip
This hike is only realistic in summer, roughly December to March, and even then you can get snow, hail and storms. Getting to Puerto Williams is part of the adventure: the quickest way is a DAP flight from Punta Arenas, there’s a 30-hour-plus ferry from Punta Arenas, or you can take a boat across from Ushuaia in Argentina.
Sendero Transversal, Chiloé
Length: about 52km (32 miles)
Time: 5 days
Difficulty: Moderate
The Sendero Transversal is one of the best multi-day hikes Chile offers for eager adventurers. It crosses Parque Tantauco, a private reserve of 1,180 square kilometres at the southern tip of the island of Chiloé, through cold temperate rainforest, peat bogs and Guaitecas cypress groves where you might spot the rare Chilote fox or a huillín, the southern river otter. Blue whales feed off the coast.
The route runs from Camping Lago Chaiguata in the north to Caleta Inío, a remote fishing village on the south coast, over five days, with nights in the park’s simple refugios at Chaiguaco, Pirámide, Huillín and Mirador Inío. In high season you can only walk it in that direction, and it takes about three hours to reach the start from Quellón or Castro.
You can only walk it with prior authorisation and a booking with the park administration, and places are limited to eight people a day. There’s no communication with the outside world along the route, and help is only sent once you’re overdue, so leave your plans with the park and stick to them.
Top tip
The refugios and camping areas are pretty basic, and the trail is often boggy, so waterproof boots are a must. Pack insect repellent for the summer horseflies, and to lower the small risk of hantavirus, carried by wild rodents in southern Chile, air out any closed-up hut before you use it and keep your food sealed.
Las Horquetas trek, Cerro Castillo National Park
Length: about 40 to 50km (25 to 31 miles), depending on side trips
Time: 3 to 4 days
Difficulty: Hard
Embark on one of the best hikes in Patagonia: the Las Horquetas trek, a linear multi-day route through Cerro Castillo National Park that shows off raw Chilean Patagonia like no other, without the crowds of Torres del Paine.
Walk amid snow-capped mountains, experience untouched wilderness and weave past hanging glaciers and turquoise lakes. The high point, in every sense, is Laguna Cerro Castillo, a glacial lake beneath the jagged spires of Cerro Castillo itself.
Your journey begins at the Las Horquetas gate, at kilometre 67 of the Carretera Austral and about 30 minutes’ drive from Villa Cerro Castillo, and follows an old track up the Río Turbio valley, past old gaucho camps (South American cowboy camps), into the mountains. From there you cross the Paso Peñón, which can be icy, and the Paso El Morro, the highest and most exposed point of the route, before dropping down past Laguna Cerro Castillo to finish close to Villa Cerro Castillo.
You have to buy your access pass in advance on the park’s trail website, senderospncc.cl, as numbers are capped at 40 visitors a day, and the last entry at Las Horquetas is at noon. You can only camp in the designated campsites, such as Río Turbio, El Bosque, Porteadores and Neozelandés, according to their seasonal capacity.
Top tip
Go in the southern summer, roughly December to March. Outside that window, snow on the passes can mean you need a certified guide, so check conditions with the park before you set off.
Villarrica volcano hike, Pucón
Length: about 8km (5 miles) return
Time: 4 to 5 hours up, plus the descent
Difficulty: Hard
Pucón is a small Chilean town known as the country’s adventure capital, thanks to the abundant lakes and volcanoes surrounding it. Climbing Villarrica is usually one of the best day hikes in Chile, and not everyone can say they’ve stood on the rim of an active volcano.
You won’t need prior mountaineering experience, but it’s not for the faint-hearted, and you need a reputable tour company to get you up and down safely: CONAF only allows climbs with a registered guide unless you can show your own mountaineering credentials. Your guide will help you with the crampons, ice axe and snowy slopes on the way up to the summit at 2,847 metres.
Starting at the base of the volcano in Villarrica National Park, you can usually take a short chairlift ride from the ski centre with your guide to save the first part of the climb, then hike over snow and ice for around four hours to the crater rim. The descent is quicker.
Top tip
Check the alert level before you plan around this one. Villarrica was raised to a yellow alert on 4 September 2026 after its lava lake rose towards the surface, which restricts access to the area around the crater. During the last long yellow alert, guided climbs turned back well below the summit, so ask your operator how high they’re currently allowed to go before you book.
Los Lagos trail, Huerquehue National Park
Length: about 13km (8 miles) return
Time: 4 to 6 hours
Difficulty: Moderate
If Villarrica is off limits, this is the day hike to do from Pucón instead. Huerquehue National Park is about 45 minutes’ drive from town, on the road to Lago Caburgua, and its Los Lagos trail climbs from the shore of Lago Tinquilco through ancient forests of araucaria (monkey puzzle) trees to a plateau of mountain lakes.
The path climbs from about 700 metres to 1,350 metres, which makes for a steady, sometimes steep first half, before it reaches Lago Chico and the viewpoints over Lago Verde and Lago Toro.
Tickets are sold through Pases Parques, which also lists the park’s current opening hours. The last 8km of the road in are gravel.
Top tip
From June to September snow can build up on the upper trail, so check conditions before you set off. Summer is the most reliable time to go.
La Junta, Cochamó valley
Length: about 26km (16 miles) return
Time: 2 days (10 to 12 hours of walking)
Difficulty: Moderate to hard
Often called the Yosemite of South America, the Cochamó valley is a wild, roadless valley of giant granite domes and walls, waterfalls and rainforest, south-east of Puerto Montt in the Los Lagos region. The classic hike follows an old cattle trail about 13km up the valley to La Junta, a meadow ringed by cliffs where most people camp for a night or two.
The trail is famously muddy, with deep, rutted channels worn by horses and cattle, so expect to scramble over roots and boulders and get your boots dirty. Local arrieros (muleteers) can carry your gear, or you, to La Junta on horseback.
You have to book before you go, as entry to the valley is only by reservation, and access from the trailhead is only between 7am and 9am. High season is December to March, when more than 16,000 people visit, so book your campsite at La Junta as early as you can.
Top tip
Pack insect repellent for the summer horseflies, and camp only in the designated campsites at La Junta, which you book along with your entry.
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