If you happen to find yourself in El Chaltén and need a low-key hike that falls in between bigger excursions, Huemul Glacier is an excellent alternative. Remotely located in the north part of the town, close to Lago Del Desierto, the trail will bring you to an amazing blue lake surrounded by a glacier and Patagonian peaks. It is an easy and cheap trek that remains off the radar.

I actually went on this hike recently and enjoyed the fact that it wasn’t crowded. While trails like Fitz Roy or Laguna Torre can offer a more exciting experience with how crowded they can get, Huemul Glacier is a more mellow trail that is just as worthwhile.

How to Reach Huemul Glacier

The Huemul Glacier is situated around 35 km north of El Chaltén. You can get there by car or by public transport; it is easier to get there by public transport if you are not driving yourself.

The journey will take you a total of 1.5 hours if you take a car and a total of 2 hours if you take a bus. Most hotels in El Chaltén have a bus that you can use to go to the trailhead. The transportation will pick you up directly from your hotel and will take you to the parking lot. The bus will wait for you and will take you back in the afternoon.

The return bus fare costs about 25,000 pesos per person, and you will have more than enough time to hike and visit the adjacent Laguna Del Desierto.

Entrance Fee

An entrance fee is an

Since the trail to the Huemul Glacier passes through a privately-owned property, a small entrance charge applies. Currently, at 10,000 Pesos per person, effective 2025, one needs to pay in cash or credit.

There are toilets and parking facilities available at the trailhead, and there’s even a small kiosk there that sells snacks and souvenirs. Everything a hiker could need is provided at this point.

What You Can Expect Along The Hike

There will be

“Huemul Glacier Hike”

The hike is relatively short and easy. The only steep climbing is at the end of the hike. First, there will be a walk through the pasture and the fence, where the glacier is visible from a distance.

The best part is that most of the route consists of a quiet, moss-covered forest with a number of small waterfalls that are worth a visit. The route is mostly shaded, making it easy for walkers of all levels to access.

Within less than half an hour, you will reach the lake below the glacier. When the sun is shining, the color of the lake can be simply astonishing, and the glacier will appear particularly striking against the mountains in the background. Even in cloudy conditions, the scenery is very beautiful and calm.

If you are lucky, you may also get a glimpse of a free-ranging huemul deer, after which this place is named. There could be mosquitoes and flies by the lake, and this could be a good reason to carry insect repellent.

Optional Viewpoint Above the Lake

For a really different perspective, there’s a small trail that leads up the ridge on the east side of the lake. This trail adds very little to your overall hike time—maybe 15 minutes—and has great views of the lake and glacier from above. It’s definitely worth the hike.

Final Thoughts: El Huemul Glacier Hike is also a great option if you are interested in something that is very scenic yet does not require the same level of physical effort that other trails in El Chaltén demand. It is quite peaceful and very pretty. It is one of the best options if you want to experience what the lesser-visited part of Patagonia has to offer.