Villavicencio Tourist Information Parking Lot | Informal Campsite

Passamos a noite muito tranquilo e seguro mas não fornece Wi-Fi nem luz não tem sinal de celular avistam-se zorros

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Some more information from a cyclist:

I arrived late (7pm) after a tough ride from Uspallata. The entrance was closed but I climbed over the fence (it's easy) and knocked the door of the ranger house. The were happy to let me camp and very helpful - I pitched next to the picnic spot. But important to remember that officially camping is not offered, so you must make sure to pack up before tour groups start arriving (9am).

Information on the route:

There are four parts to the route between Uspallata and Mendoza
1. Uspallata to the start of the Reserve: mostly good, some bad sections
2. The Reserve to the crosses at the summit: either corrugations or soft gravel or both
3. From the summit to the hotel: steep, very winding, often rocky, space for one vehicle only
4. The Hotel to Mendoza: smooth, fast tarmac.

If you're cycling I think doing it from Uspallata is better because the ascent is more gradual. Either way, and whatever vehicle you are using, be aware of the risk of bad weather. I ended up descending on rocky road in thick cloud with the temperature below freezing. There are spots on the descent where you can camp and I almost did - most of the best ones are marked on Overlander. There was no water anywhere at this time of year so if you want to wild camp make sure you are carrying enough.

Stunning scenery, so it's worth it if you can tough it out.

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Very nice lady at the entrance says: It's absolutely no problem at all to stay at the parking lot with a motorhome. Thanks, nice lady!

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I was able to camp. Read below.

I am also a cyclist, and also wanted to cycle this on the way to Uspallata.
Reading the previous comment and the reserve website that says camping is forbidden made me almost abandon the idea,
BUT
I sent an email (in Spanish) to the reserve ([email protected]) explaining I am a touring cyclist and I really want to cycle this but I'd need 2 days for the whole route on a loaded bike, and I'd really like to camp by the information centre. They said yes and charged me 200 ARS (3.60 USD as of 30/3/2019).
The Park rangers are very friendly and there are bathrooms, water and electricity. They told me it's not normally allowed to camp, but for adventurers they make exceptions.

In summary. Ask, explain your situation and you will probably get.

In the end, it was TOTALLY WORTH IT! This is an amazing route, the ripio is in excellent condition for the way up, the gradient is gentle and constant and it was a lot easier than I thought. The views and landscapes are sublime. One of the best routes of my entire trip so far.

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We wanted to spend the night at "Above Thermas", but counted numerous signs saying "camping forbidden". As we descended, the sun set. We asked here if anyone knew a place for us and we were told that we could stay right here.

It's not the quietest, nor the most scenic place, but it helped us out.

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NOTE FOR CYCLISTS!
I scouted the route 52 for my forthcoming ride Mendoza to Uspallata. The road is steep and rough (mostly ripio) but doable. The problem is camping. If, like me, you'd need 2 days to do this stretch, then you have a problem. The 'hotel' Villaviciencio is just a historical facade and has no rooms. I asked about camping, and was told it was definitely forbidden. They won't let you camp because of the Pumas in the park. Whilst I was happy to take the risk, it would clearly upset people. I was told it might be possible to camp at the tourist info site, but they were pretty sceptical about this being allowed either, if using a tent as opposed to a car/van/rig. I've decided to take a cab from Mendoza to the 'hotel' and then cycle from there, reducing it to a day's ride. For what it's worth, the views are spectacular though!

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You can stay here over night, but some km more up the mountain there are a lot of parking options with better view. As the facilities are only accessible after paying 130 peso and are closed at night anyway I would not recommend this spot.

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Very nice place between the mountains. We asked the woman at the entrance if we could stay for the night, she said 'yes, but don't stay out the camper after dark, there are pumas in the zone'. We didn't see any. Very quiet, no cars passed during the night

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