Ruta Provincial 26 – Bosques Petrificados Circuit

The dirt track to Bosques Petrificados cuts through some of Argentina’s most alien terrain, where Jurassic-era tree trunks turned to stone lie scattered across rainbow-colored badlands. Ruta Provincial 26 branches off RN3 near Jaramillo and winds 50 kilometers through rolling steppe before dropping into the protected reserve where massive petrified logs—some over 30 meters long—create an otherworldly forest frozen in time. The Cerro Madre e Hija lookout offers sweeping views across this prehistoric graveyard.

This moderate route handles well with any high-clearance vehicle, though washboard sections shake fillings loose and river rock stretches demand attention. Best tackled April through October when temps are manageable—summer heat here approaches blast-furnace levels. No fuel or water available past Jaramillo, so tank up and carry extras. The payoff is having one of Argentina’s most surreal landscapes mostly to yourself, camping under stars so bright they’ll ruin city lights forever.