Lago Parón National Park Camping | Established Campground

May 9th, 2023 by pascal.la.croix

Bel endroit avec une vue magnifique sur le lac. La piste pour y monter apres le poste de controle est tres etroite et assez difficile je preconise un 4x4 meme si les locaux montent avec de petites voitures !! Toilettes pour 1 soles pas d autres services et froid la nuit. Mais ca vaut le cout !

December 8th, 2022 by thelongwayoverland

We wanted to camp here but the ranger was very unfriendly and lots of tourist bus arrive as it was national holiday. Must be great if its not holiday or weekend. The laguna itself is just amazing and worth the ride!

November 22nd, 2022 by robjansenphotography.com

We arrived in the afternoon when it was raining, but the lake was still beautiful light blue without the sun. The next morning it was really misty. So we couldn't see the lake anymore.
The ranger ask 1s for the toilets. Although we already paid two days for the park. They still wanted money which we obviously refused.

If you already visit Huascaran NP, we don't think visiting this lake is worth it.

Enjoy! RobJansenphotography

October 24th, 2022 by @alyvanblake

we came up at noon on a Sunday and the parking lot is full. a few cars were parked on the road to the right to get to the camping spot but timing worked out and they quickly left. the first 16km or so is a pretty good and wide dirt road. the last 16km is very narrow and bumpy. but they have big dually extra long sprinters running up here for tourists so it's not to bad. the main concern for this second section has very few passing lanes so it's smart to come up in the morning when everyone is coming up. due to the altitude we didn't sleep much, so keep that in mind.

September 8th, 2022 by getoutsidebr

Amazing view of the Lake!!! But the road to get here is bad, not the worst, but a lot of pot holes an rocks, but no 4x4 required. We slept for one night alone. No claro 4G signal. Do not get here after 5pm because the control gate closes. 5 soles per person per day. There is a mini market we’re you can find some snacks and drinks and apparently you can have a meal in the Refugio.

August 20th, 2022 by A very long Honeymoon

Amazing place! As others, we paid at the park entrance 10 Soles per person (so paid for 2 days basically). Just before turning into the parking lot of the refugio on the lake there is a road that goes along the right side of the lake until a dead end. We camped there with wonderful views of the lake and completely alone.

July 18th, 2022 by follow_nadle

We stayed for one night, it was very freezing and windy. You pay the entry fee (5 Sol p.P.p.Day) at the entrance/park gate at the beginning of the street. Up here you pay nothing. Also not for the toilet if you say, that you are a camping guest. The ranger is very friendly.

June 3rd, 2022 by instagram.com/lembo.on.the.go

Costs 10s to camp (you pay for two days of entry at 5s/day) and you get to park right in front of the Laguna with a great view. Keep a close eye on your belongings though. I foolishly left my iPad out to take a time lapse and it was snatched up when I wasn't looking. Aside from that it's a beautiful place to camp. Cold at night so bust out your good blankets. Bathrooms for 1s at the Refugio.

December 26th, 2021 by h.g.stubley

please look after your stuff there are thief's about had my motorbike helmet stolen here I turned my back for a minute and it was gone the view is absolutely stunning if you get a good day

December 18th, 2019 by world.nopebone.com

Really nice lake! We had good luck to see the mountains and the laguna for 30mins with sunshine... after this amazing view followed rain and fog. We stayed one night up here. Clean toilets for 1.-s. The road to get up to the laguna is definitely an adventure;-)

October 28th, 2019 by jifman15

was able to go up with my bicycle and camp. As always, dogs will chase you if on a bicycle. You can get food at the top for 10 soles, but I would recommend to get it earlier as I asked for it and was given cold chincharon and still had to pay full price. Yummy, but cold.

August 6th, 2019 by It's not a slow car, it's a fast house

There are at least 4 different areas to park (with lake views). We chose the upper parking lot, but explored the others on foot. Awesome beauty. Great little trails to walk on for various views.

April 8th, 2019 by Run Run Andante

Wonderful place next to the Paron.
It's possible to use the bathroom of refuge for $1 sol every time.

Maravilloso lugar al lado de la laguna Parón. Es posible usar el baño del refugio por $1 sol cada vez.

January 23rd, 2019 by destinovagabun2

After you pay the $5 soles per person at the entrance of the park you can stay here for free. Bathrooms available. You should do yourself a huge favor and come to Laguna el Paron. Long drive but the place itself is majestic. Not enough words to describe this beautiful creation. This is one of those places that no matter what you won’t forget.

December 2nd, 2018 by unbusunefamilleunkiff.com

Magnifique endroit pour passer la nuit et profiter en fin de journée et le matin sans touriste. Juste avec le garde et sa famille. On a rechargé leur téléphones et batterie, ils étaient ravis!

November 6th, 2018 by there.today

Great overlanding spot, spent one night up here and did the hike to the backside of the lake the next day. Current family running the spot was nice and we charged a few of their devices from our van. Didn't charge us for bathrooms. Beautiful hike and one of our favorite places. The road up is a bit rough, doable in any vehicle, but we have a stiff suspension and went slow, took us 2.5 hours up and 2 hours down. Enjoy!

October 10th, 2018 by Youtube.com/DiarioDoPresi

Beautiful place, very very cool, no animals, no many facilities, but there is a house that Live 2 locals mans that work here in park, there are room, hostel, you can sleep into when pay it. No food, no water. Photos and details in my Blog.

October 10th, 2018 by Youtube.com/DiarioDoPresi

Beautiful place, very very cool, no animals, no many facilities, but there is a house that Live 2 locals mans that work here in park, there are room, hostel, you can sleep into when pay it. No food, no water. photos and details in my Blog.

July 30th, 2018 by SlowLaneAdventures

Beautiful spot which we stayed for 1 night. Be aware that the following morning the ranger mentioned that large rocks often roll down the hill onto this path. Camp at your own risk.

April 22nd, 2018 by polarsteps.com

We arrived around 4pm and met the family who is in the refuge. We asked for using the bathrooms which were 1 Sol. Unfortunately they closed (as did the entire building) with sunset. Night was fine and quiet. Lovely surroundings.

March 19th, 2018 by Flip Flop Cowboy

Stayed up here two nights, beautiful and quiet.

Bathrooms were inconsistently open, the ranger seemed to wander around a lot and lock the building anytime he left.

We asked and he said no problem to pack a tent into the upper lake for a nice easy night backpacking.

We were only charged $5 soles each to enter the park once. Nothing for camping.

March 9th, 2018 by andersonrachel

New watchman with his wife and daughter, lovely family, apparently they change every 3 months. otherwise as previously mentioned. plenty of flat space, toilets available when refugio ous open (daylight hours for us as no one was staying) rough but doable road up. we hiked to the mirador and 2nd laguna. lovely views all round.

February 21st, 2018 by 300dayssouth.com

The old ranger was not working here when we visited. There is now 3 teenagers (2 boys 1 girl) running the refugio. We heard a scary story from another overlander that one of the boys had tried to extort him for money to use the toilet (it is free for all visitors) and threatened him with an ax! He reported this to the rangers at the park gate and they were not impressed. We drove up a few days later and the morning we arrived so did a van with the community president and his entourage. They appeared to give the teenagers a good long lecture and we did not have any problems at all during our 2 nights there. Be prepared for very cold nights and acclimatize appropriately for 4200m.

The road up from the gate is very narrow with tight turns that were at the limit for our 6.5m long van. We had no problem with traction in dry conditions with 2WD, although high clearance is recommended. Beware, if you encounter another vehicle on the switchbacks it is very difficult to pass (good luck!).

We also agree that this is probably the most scenic camp spot we have used in 5 months in South America. The mornings were totally clear with more clouds in the afternoon.
The nice hike to the back of the lake took about 1.5 hours one-way. Beware that there are several creek crossings which became noticeably deeper in the afternoon due to the sun melt.

February 18th, 2018 by Wyld Eagle Adventures

I was unfortunate to go up here when the weather was bad and they just had a new (crazy) custodian (Alex) at the Refuge. He wanted to charge money for parking, the bathrooms, too much for using the boat. At 6:30am he woke me up by pounding on my camper door with an axe in his hand that I had to leave now.
The President of the community got involved, apologized and promised he will be replaced the next day. He clarified that once you enter no payments without a ticket, the boat is S5 per 1/2h, bathrooms and parking are included with the entrance fee. If there are any issues talk to the people at the gate at the bottom and ask for “El Presidente”.

November 14th, 2017 by jfmanonadvrider

We showed up at the refuge around 3pm. Chatted with other tourist then around 5 pm we rode our bike down to the shore of the lake. At 6 pm the park "ranger" told us it was not allowed to camp directly on the lake. It was getting dark so I convinced him to let us stay there the night. This was possibly the prettiest place I have ever camped at. Chilly at night so bring a warm bag. Not allowed to pee in vicinity of the lake and the refuge bathroom is locked at night. Had to pee in empty bottle. If the weather is good you cannot forgo this place simply amazing.

September 21st, 2017 by camelotrip

Amazing place to camp.
If you plan to hike to the other side of the lake (2h), you really must go to Laguna Artesoncocha which is an additional 30min walk. It definitely worth it for the colors and the waterfall falling from the mountains.
The ranger at the entrance want us to pay 5 PEN x person x day but we negotiated to only pay 5 PEN x person as it wasn't specified that way in the previous comments.
Mario, the ranger at the refuge, seemed to agree on that price however.

July 29th, 2017 by legoudailleurs.fr

Nous avons bivouaqué sur la rive droite du lac sur le chemin surplombant le lac en face du refuge. Nuit très calme. Montagnes magnifiques au clair de lune. 2 degrés au petit matin et 9 degrés le soir. WC au refuge.

We spend the night on the trail on the right side of tha lake. Bathroom at the refuge

July 26th, 2017 by Overland The Americas

Hands down one of the most scenic places we've stayed at. Beautiful views of lake Paron and the surrounding mountains. 5 soles per per person to enter the park (Gate opens at 9:00 AM) — You can camp next to the refugio or near by down the road. Restrooms close at night. It gets very cold at 4,200 masl. Altitude sickness can occur if you haven't acclimatized previously. The road up is a little rough specially for bigger rigs or low clearance cars. Sharp turns and low clearance may be an issue for Unimog type vehicles but still doable. No 4wd required. It takes about 1.5 to 2.5 hours from Caraz. If you plan to hike to Artesonraju Moraine camp (a 6-8 hour hike) you need to spend a night here and you'd start the hike the following day around 6:00 AM to allow for enough time for you to return before the park gate closes or you'll have to stay for another night.

May 17th, 2017 by fromhomeparacasa.com

Please, go. We went on a Tuesday and got to the gate too late, 3:30 pm. We wouldn't have enough time to go up and down, as they close at 5 pm, we were not prepared to camp. It was raining and we almost didn't go back the next day. I am so glad we did. We showed up a little earlier, but now prepared to spend the night. It was already amazing when we got to the lake, at around 4 pm, but a little cloudy. It started to rain and it was very cold, so we decided to pay 10 soles/person for the bed. Mario, the ranger, was extremely kind, made us a fire while we enjoyed a nice talk. The next morning, OMG. It was totally clear, we could see everything perfectly, including the full reflection of the mountain on the lake (before 9 am, after that, the sun goes too high for any reflection). If our trip ended today, I would be happy.

February 27th, 2017 by cruisingsouth.com

We spent a rather cold and rainy night here. But it was totally worth it for the nice hike and amazing view in the morning. We camped near the building and close to the rock face because the ranger asked us to so that others could park. Don't camp too close!! we were about 20 feet away and sitting on the tailgate having breakfast when a fist sized rock came flying down like a meteorite and sprayed us with dirt. We instantly moved everything another 40 feet away

December 13th, 2016 by BK EXPLORE

Way more beautiful and accessible than Laguna 69! Less tourist up here too, 2hrs from Caraz, road in better condition than driving to Llanganuco, vehicles longer than 7mta might have a problem on the sharp turns going up. The most beautiful place we have camped on our 11 months on the road . We arrived around 5:30 p.m. And could see the snow capped mountains, I woke up at 6:30 a.m. To see the beautiful mountain there , perfect reflection on the lake. We had an amazing sunny day perfectly clear until 2:00 pm. We were very lucky! Walked to the other side of the lake takes about 2 hours, you pass some small waterfalls, absolutely beautiful! Fishing trout in the lake and at the river, 5 per person to enter the park at km16, and 1s for use of restrooms at the lake.

November 28th, 2016 by 20000lieuxsurlaterre.fr

Wonderful !
We went to the campsite with the ranger that we caught at km 16 because he didn't have vehicle. So once here we could use amenities : bathroom, water, cheminey...
We prefered to sleep in our Defender instead the refuge; we had a magnificent view on the laguna and on Paramount mountain....
Really an incredible place.

November 23rd, 2016 by syncrox.de

We drove up at 2 pm, there was no guard, but at 5 pm they really close and even lock the gate - so make sure to return earlier to get out...

November 10th, 2016 by jeffrey.difabrizio

One of the most beautiful campsites on our entire trip. Drove up with a T3 westy and a combi. Road is a little rough but we managed driving slow. Highly recomended. After two nights up here the elevation was really kicking our butts.

October 10th, 2016 by troopytravels.wordpress.com

Beautiful location. Quiet at night, a few carloads of visitors during the day. We stayed here for 2 nights. $5 for entry only. No amenities. You can pay 1sol to use refuge bathroom if they are there.

July 21st, 2016 by ycgfwcge

Beautiful view. Entrance fee 5 Soles per person. Quiet at night. No facilities. Can get crowded, but beautiful surroundings. Nice stars at night.

June 17th, 2016 by Los Panamericanos 2016

Took us 1h40min from Guadalupe camp site to the laguna. Entrance is 5 soles pp to be paid at km 16. Gate closes at 5pm so recommend to start early if you do not want to sleep at the laguna. We first wanted to spend the night but suffered from the altitude so went back down. The road is OK until km 16 but after you need 4x4 and bigger trucks won't be able to pass. The actual laguna walk took us slightly over 3 hours in total but at a certain point close to the end we could not find the path anymore so had to come back. One of the guides we met on the way back told us there is no problem in getting to the beach so we must have missed the actual path. Beautiful place and easy walk so good to get used to altitude!

April 28th, 2016 by Both Roads

Paid 5sol/person. Took us 1.5 from Caraz, taking it easy. The road gets slightly worse after the gate at the 16km worse but overall the 32km to the lake isn't so bad. The lake is stunning! Great camping place. The man who takes care of the lodge left for the night so the lodge was locked. A camper staying the following day said beds are only 10sol/night and meals 7sol. Could have easily camped here days. Huge climbing wall right there. Couldn't make it too far around the north side of the lake, the trail seemed to just end.

November 18th, 2015 by intrepidfor10minutes

1.5 hours from Caraz, did not see Gringo Ricks toll. Gate at 16k locked at 17.00. We could only do 1 hour of the walk by the Lake as stream too big to cross!

November 11th, 2015 by facebook.com/megamacaqueiros

A bealtiful road and a bealtiful view. There is an área to camp and there is a house with bed and toilet.

November 6th, 2015 by cyfrowinomadzi.pl

Good place! We also paid only once, S5 per person.

September 26th, 2015 by ourcoordinates.blogspot.com

Beautiful place to camp! Only charged 5 soles per person for entrance, and were not hustled like GringoRick. Mario who runs the office/shelter is very friendly and let us use the bathrooms.

May 22nd, 2015 by gringorick

There is a new fee setup by the locals, so now there are 2 places to pay on the way up to the lake. We were charged S/.10 at the first (new) gate, which should have been S/.5 according to their sign, but our arguments were fruitless. The second fee is still S/.5 per person. Great easy wolk along the north side of lake. It took us about 3 hrs roundtrip with pur 3 dogs at a liesurly pace. We did not camp.

April 6th, 2015 by jeffrooney8

Lake Paron: View of "the most beautiful mountain in the world" the mountain Paramount pictures uses. Lake is tuorquiose blue. S5 per person to enter park

January 1st, 2012 by abenteuertour.de

Spot with incredible views of the turquoise lagoon and the snow-capped mountains. Basic toilets in the Refugio. From here you can do great day hikes along the lagoon. To reach the lagoon a park admission fee of 5 soles / person is charged.

(We have the Guardian given a can of beer)

January 1st, 2012 by fromatob.org

Beautiful mountain lake. Camping by start of hiking trail. Also possible to park on lake shore down rough track by these co-ordinates. Wind is funnelled down here though so we decided to stay up top. No Facilities. Free.

January 8th, 2011 by info.unurban.no

No facilities, or there were some toilets there, but they were so bad that we did not use them. Road up to the lake is quite narrow and rough a few places. Beautiful view.

Price: we camped for free

January 3rd, 2011 by panamnotes.com

(4200m) 2.5 hours from Caraz / lake view / porta-potty

s/10 per night.