Parque Nacional Los Cardones

The Calchaquí Valley (Spanish: Valles Calchaquíes) is an area in the northwestern region of Argentina which crosses the provinces of Catamarca, Tucumán and Salta. It is best known for its contrast of colours and its unique geography that ranges from the mountain desert to the subtropical forest.

There are a number of valleys and rivers within the Calchaquí Valley that have their own name, such as the Quebrada del Toro (Gorge of the Bull), Valle de Lerma (Lerma Valley) near Salta city, the Quebrada de Escoipe formed by the Escoipe River, the Valle Encantado at the feet of the Cuesta del Obispo, the Quebrada de las Conchas of the Conchas River near Cafayate, the valley of the Santa María River, and the Calchaquí River itself.

These valleys were once inhabited by a number of tribes. Ruins of the Quilmes can be found in Tucumán. Other tribes of the area included the Calchaquíes, Tafí, and the Yokavil (Santa María). Decades before facing the invasion of the Spanish colonization, the natives of these lands suffered the invasion of the Inca Empire.

The Los Cardones National Park is a national park of Argentina, located in the center-west of the province of Salta, within the San Carlos and Cachi Departments, in the Argentine Northwest.

The park has an area of 650 square kilometres, with hills and ravines at the height levels between 2,700 m and 5,000 m. It gets its name from the prevalence of cardones bush formations. It features fossil remains of extinct animals, as well as dinosaur tracks.

The protected area was created in 1996, when the National Parks Administration acquired the land from private owners.