Cordillera de la Costa Valparaíso Forest Circuit

These forgotten logging roads wind through the coastal mountains between Valparaíso and Casablanca, following routes carved in the 1940s to harvest native forests for Valparaíso’s reconstruction after the 1906 earthquake. The main track climbs from sea level to Cerro La Campana’s foothills, passing abandoned logging camps and crossing creek beds that flash-flood during winter rains. Near Quebrada Alvarado, the road splits — left leads to an overlook above the Pacific, right drops into valleys where Darwin collected specimens in 1834.

Easy to moderate difficulty suitable for stock high-clearance vehicles, though wet clay becomes treacherous. April through October provides the best conditions before summer’s extreme fire danger closes access roads. No permits required on most sections, but check fire restrictions. Camping possible at established sites near Granizo. This circuit offers a rare glimpse of Chile’s disappearing coastal temperate forest, with Pacific views and enough history to justify the dust-caked windshield.