Parking
Use the public Estacionamiento Salto Grande lot, reached by the Y-158 spur from Ruta Y-150. It also serves the longer Cuernos walk. Capacity and fee details were not found.
Overview
About Salto Grande Waterfall Trail
Why go
- A powerful waterfall view for very little walking.
Heads up
- Strong, changeable wind can make the exposed viewpoint uncomfortable.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Torres del Paine map
Full mapElevation58–78 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
2 active Torres del Paine alerts
- ClosureInternal Y-150 road closedThe internal Y-150 road between Sarmiento and Laguna Los Cisnes is closed. - This is the internal road segment; CONAF lists the separate Y-150 access road to Sarmiento as open.Official details
- CautionOne-way and guide-only trail restrictionsPlan around CONAF’s current one-way and guide-only trail restrictions.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Torres del Paine Tour Guide
Your drive to Salto Grande Waterfall Trail, narrated.
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 tourRecorded for this trailhead
Salto Grande and the Cuernos0:00 / 0:35
“Salto Grande is coming up, with turquoise water squeezing through dark rock on its way from Lago Nordenskjöld toward Lago Pehoé.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Torres del Paine Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Mirador Salto Grande: The Roadside Panorama
- Pudeto: Across Pehoé to Paine Grande
- Finding South with the Cross
- The Rhea Dad on Duty
- 81 audio storiesacross Torres del Paine’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Puma, Andean Condor, Guanaco, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 35 trails, 56 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“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!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Salto Grande Waterfall Trail
A short walk to the fallsSalto Grande Waterfall Trail is an easy 0.9-mile (1.
Salto Grande Waterfall Trail is an easy 0.9-mile (1.4 km) out-and-back from the public Salto Grande parking area. The wide, direct, well-marked unpaved path takes about 25 minutes of walking; allow extra time at the viewing area. This is the short waterfall walk, separate from the much longer Salto Grande to Mirador Los Cuernos outing.
Where the water goesSalto Grande is the 15-meter drop where Lake Nordenskjöld empties into the Paine River on its…
Salto Grande is the 15-meter drop where Lake Nordenskjöld empties into the Paine River on its way to Lake Pehoé. The turquoise upper pool, white spray and rocky gorge make the short walk worthwhile. For a photo, include both the water above the lip and the plunge below it; when the light hits the spray, a rainbow can appear.
Easy walking, strong windThe path is short and clear, with little climbing, but the waterfall area is exposed to strong,…
The path is short and clear, with little climbing, but the waterfall area is exposed to strong, changeable gusts. Secure a hat or camera strap and stay on the marked path near the fast water. The wind can make a quick stop feel rough even when the walk itself is easy.
Start and park rulesStart at the public Salto Grande parking lot, also used for the separate Cuernos walk.
Start at the public Salto Grande parking lot, also used for the separate Cuernos walk. If you only want the waterfall, turn back after the viewpoint rather than following the longer route. Pets and swimming in the park's water bodies are prohibited. Toilets and treated drinking water are listed at Pudeto on the vehicle road; treat that as a separate stop, not a facility at the falls.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Torres del Paine
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.
