History ::

The first inhabitants arrived 12.000 years ago to the Austral Patagonia. Later the Aonikenk known as Tehuelches (“people from the south”, in Mapuche language). They lived in a vast extension of the park. There isn’t too much information about these extinct people, there are only a few visual and written records, some of them collected by Father Alberto de Agostini who came to these lands in 1909 with the purpose of evangelizing. He dedicated a big part of his life to travel and know more about Patagonia and its people.

The first Explorer who came to these lands was the Baquiano Santiago Zamora (1870-1890).  He became an expert of the region.  Later, the government sent to this region  the explorer Tomas Rogers (1879-1890).

The first tourist expedition to Torres del Paine was organized by Lady Florence Dixie (1879). She and a group of friends were the first Europeans in contemplate the Paine range of mountains.  Later, scientists became very interested in this part of the world, so Otto Nordenskjöld (1895) and Carl Skottberg (1908) made some expeditions of recognition.

In the year 1896, the British immigrant Walter Ferrier, obtained the authorization from the government to settle down over a field fraction between rivers Paine, Serrano and Grey in the north western extreme part of Toro Lake. A building for cattle settling was started here. This building would keep doing this activity until 1976; being Count Guido Monzino his last owner. He, later, donated this piece of land to the Chilean government, which was connected to the National Park .

The most extensive stage had started this way; the cattlemen (1910-1960) period, in which the cattle infrastructure consolidated and became small communities known as “estancias”.  Consequently a big amount of cattle were managed in lands which were not adequate for such purposes.

All this process caused significant ecological consequences to the Region, being the Park area the most damaged by forest fires. The most serious fires were caused by clearing up areas which were later used for cattle.

Consequently, the damages caused in these lands, made the community being aware of the significance in the preservation of such regions. As a result, a conservation stage started to develop, allowing the enforcement of this area as National Park.

In 1959 the National Park Lago Grey (Grey Lake) is created, with a surface of 4.332 hectares. In 1961, The Minister of Lands and Settlement at that time, extends the borders so the surface increases to 24.532 hectares and is called Tourism National Park Torres del Paine.  On April 30, 1970 the Ministry of Agriculture added 11.000 hectares and named the whole protected area as National Park Torres del Paine. In March 1975, the Park administration is taken by the National Forest Service (NFS) (CONAF).

Conaf