Chile de Finde
View towards the Andes from Río Clarillo National Park, with slopes covered in native forest.

41 km from Santiago · straight line

Río Clarillo

Native forest and clear water in the foothills above Pirque.

  • Guide published
  • A day
  • Possible with connections

Photograph: Gabriel.nolopez · CC BY-SA 4.0

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Cartography: OpenStreetMap

How to get there

Recommended option

Car via Pirque, or a bus to Pirque plus local transport for the last stretch.

Possible with connections

Departure point
Santiago, southeast through Puente Alto and Pirque
Arrival point
National park gate
Final leg
The stretch from Pirque to the gate is not covered by regular public transport.
Booking
Access may require booking in advance and has limited capacity.
Limitations
Weekend demand is high in summer and capacity runs out.

Schedules, fares and conditions may change. Check the latest information before travelling.

Pases Parques (CONAF)Directions from SantiagoOpen in Google MapsView on OpenStreetMap

Reviewed: 2026-08-04 · Official source

Why it's worth the trip

Because it's the slow one on the route. There is no summit to conquer: you go to walk among trees, put your feet in the water and talk.

Landscape

It went from reserve to national park in 2021, and the care shows in the forest: it is one of the best places near Santiago to see Chilean sclerophyll woodland working as a system rather than as a fragment. The river runs clear over stones and the trail follows it for much of the way.

  • Forest
  • Water
Trail among native trees in Río Clarillo National Park.
Trail among native trees in Río Clarillo National Park. Photograph: Nicolás valdés Ortega · CC BY-SA 4.0

What the trip could look like

A Saturday with no agenda: an easy walk, a long picnic by the river and an early return.

An idea of how the day would go.

A good fit if

  • Anyone who prefers walking without pressure
  • Groups with mixed fitness levels
  • Summer in Santiago

Maybe not if

  • Anyone looking for climbing and effort

Worth knowing

  • A national park managed by CONAF: access, capacity and hours are regulated.
  • Weekend demand rises sharply in summer.

Sources

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