Huerquehue National Park, Chile: Rainy Hike to Salto Nido de Águila | 4K

A hike in Huerquehue National Park (Parque Nacional Huerquehue) near Pucón, Chile, filmed on October 4, 2026. It starts at the park entrance by Lago Tinquilco, follows Sendero Ñirrico along the lake and a gravel road past the farms at the far end of it, then climbs through the forest past the Nido de Águila checkpoint to Salto Nido de Águila, the first waterfall on the Los Lagos trail. On the map that's about 3.6 km (2.2 mi) from the entrance, and it rained the whole way. On-screen notes explain what you're looking at, small maps mark where you are, and faces and license plates are blurred. I went into this thinking it would be an easy walk through the forest on a clear, laid-out path to some waterfalls, like the path at the Petrohué Falls (video of those coming in November). This was not that. The trail is full of roots, mud and inclines, and it's rated medium, which I only realized while editing (lol). The rain and the wet ground made it harder still. It was one of the hardest physical things I've ever done, so you'll hear a lot of huffing and puffing, plus commentary, jokes and me talking to myself to get through it. Was the waterfall worth it? Absolutely. The views were amazing, and I'd do it again, but in the summer, when the ground isn't so slippery. I got there on the morning bus around 9:30, and to the falls and back took me about four or five hours. I did it in a pair of Skechers, and they did me well. I didn't slip until the way back down, which this video doesn't cover. My camera battery died about ten minutes short of the falls, so I charged it a little there to get the clip of the falls as the end. The small waterfall in the middle of the video is from the way back. For a long stretch I didn't see anyone at all, and being alone in the forest felt surreal and calming. It wasn't scary, except for the times I thought I was lost lol. The rangers at the entrance were really nice. The one thing I'd ask the park to improve is the signage. Sometimes I couldn't tell which way to go, and I found out later I'd walked right past one or two things worth seeing because nothing pointed them out. They don't need big signs, just a few more of them. I couldn't find a video of anyone doing this whole trail, so I hope this one helps if you're deciding whether to go. I stopped at the first waterfall, and I think there are two more further up. This is the longest video I've uploaded, and it makes me want to do more hikes like this, maybe with better shoes. If you do it, tag me, I'd love to see how yours went. If you're planning to go: Buy your park ticket online at pasesparques.cl before you go. The ticket machines at the entrance weren't on, so I wouldn't count on buying one there. Foreign adults are listed at around 10,400 pesos (4,700 for Chileans), so check the site for the current price. The park is open Tuesday to Sunday, 8:30 to 5:30, with the last entry at 2:00. The bus from Pucón leaves at 8:30, 12:00 and 4:00, and the bus back leaves the park at 9:30, 1:20 and 5:10. The timetable at the start of the video has it at 3,900 pesos one way or 6,800 round trip, and the ride up is pretty nice. I got back to the entrance around 2:00, just after the 1:20 bus had gone, so I waited for the 5:10. A ranger told me there's a restaurant about a kilometer in from the entrance, open the day I went, so if you land between buses, that's a place to grab a bite and wait, as long as it's open when you go. Bring your own food and water either way, and take your trash back out. Bring rain gear too. Even when it isn't raining, it gets wet by the falls. Start early if you can. I saw people still going in as I was coming out, but they were probably faster than me. There are bathrooms by the ranger station at the entrance, and more near an information desk a little way along the trail. I had cell signal at the entrance and the start of the trail, and my phone still buzzed now and then after that, so there's some signal out there, patchy in the forest. If you don't have trekking poles, look for sticks near the start of the trail, because other hikers leave theirs for the next person. Grab two, not one. You can always leave one if you don't need it, and they make it a lot easier. Chapters: 0:00 Park entrance and trail map 0:16 Sendero Ñirrico along Lago Tinquilco 11:51 The trekking shoes question 23:38 Gravel road past the farms 31:56 Into the forest after the river 35:42 Roots and mud 38:26 The fork I got wrong on the way down 50:34 Looking for the trail 52:59 A small waterfall, filmed on the way back 54:27 Continuing to the falls 1:01:59 The muddy climb 1:05:26 Other hikers 1:05:46 Old forest 1:20:37 Nido de Águila checkpoint 1:27:31 Checkpoint hut and trail map 1:30:27 Last stretch to the falls 1:32:36 Salto Nido de Águila