Campground · Torres del Paine National Park
Foehn winds can spin little whirlwinds over Lake Nordenskjöld.
Overview
Map
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Torres del Paine Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Torres del Paine National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Torres del Paine audio tourMore stories near here in the app
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
Francés Camp is a managed backcountry campground and refuge sector on the W Trek, with tent platforms and other lodging spread across a wooded hillside. It suits hikers who want a developed overnight stop between trail days. Shared bathrooms and hot-water showers serve the camping area.
The site is spread over a slope, and some tent platforms are a steep, sometimes slippery walk from bathrooms, showers and dining. Check which area your booking uses and where its services are; the distance changes the feel of the stop. A bar and dining room serve the wider camp complex, but confirm the current food offer and what your booking includes.
From camp, views open over Lake Nordenskjöld toward Cerro Paine Grande, Cerro Ferrier, Mount Tenerife, and the Chacabuco and Balmaceda ranges. Foehn winds can spin small whirlwinds on the lake, and avalanches from Francés Glacier may be audible. Both depend on conditions: they are worth watching or listening for, not a show on a schedule.
Wildlife
113 sightingsPumaMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
146 sightingsAndean CondorMost seen around noonSighting map
381 sightingsGuanacoMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
53 sightingsHuemulMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
36 sightingsLesser RheaMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
11 sightingsWild HorseMost seen around 7 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Torres del Paine. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
ChallengingMirador Británico Trail10.8 km · 6 hr · 0.9 km awayA steep climb into a granite amphitheater above the glacier.
EasySalto Grande Waterfall Trail1.4 km · 30 min · 4.8 km awayA short, easy walk ends beside a roaring turquoise waterfall.
ModerateSalto Grande to Mirador Cuernos Trail6.2 km · 2.5 hr · 4.8 km awayA waterfall, black-sand shore, and the Cuernos across the lake.
ChallengingValle del Francés20 km · 8.5 hr · 6.8 km awayLago Skottsberg gives way to a steep climb beneath the French Glacier.
ModeratePaine Grande to Refugio Grey Trail11 km · 3.8 hr · 7 km awayAn 11-kilometer W-route crossing with Grey Glacier in view.
EasyMirador Lago Skottsberg5 km · 1.5 hr · 7 km awayA short lake walk ends with the granite towers of Los Cuernos.
ModeratePaine Grande to Administration Trail17.9 km · 5 hr · 7 km awayA long one-way mountain walk from Paine Grande to park Administration.
ModerateMirador Grey Trail from Paine Grande11.9 km · 4.5 hr · 7 km awayA rocky climb earns a distant Grey Glacier view
Sight · 1.4 km awayMirador FrancésThe glacier view earns the climb, even if you turn around here.
Sight · 2.7 km awayMirador CuernosA two-hour lakeside walk ending face-to-face with the Cuernos.
Campground · 2.9 km awayRefugio y Camping Los CuernosA tent or cabin stop beneath the Cuernos, beside Lake Nordenskjöld.
Sight · 4.5 km awaySköttsberg Lake ViewpointA lakeside pause on the Paine Grande–Italiano hiking route.
Sight · 4.7 km awayPudetoRoadside hub for the Pehoé ferry and Paine Grande hiking access.
Sight · 4.8 km awaySalto Grande WaterfallTake the easy walk to see where two Patagonian lakes meet.
Sight · 5.2 km awayMirador BritánicoA long, demanding climb to the French Valley’s big panorama.
Sight · 5.4 km awayMirador Salto GrandeA roadside panorama of turquoise water, distant falls and mountain peaks.Parkwolf’s Torres del Paine ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
