Nahuel Huapi Traverse hiking guide: route map, stages & where to stay

The Nahuel Huapi Traverse, known locally as the Travesía de los 4 Refugios, is the best-known hut-to-hut trek in Argentine Patagonia. It crosses the mountains just south and west of San Carlos de Bariloche, inside Nahuel Huapi National Park, the oldest national park in Argentina. In 4 or 5 days you link four staffed mountain huts: Refugio Frey, Refugio San Martín (Jakob), Refugio Italia (Laguna Negra) and Refugio López. Each sits by a high lake, and all of them sell dinner and breakfast. Local sources give 41 to 47 km; the line on our map measures about 38 km, because mapped paths cut the zigzags short. It feels longer: much of it is scree, boulders and steep rock, and one section is a serious scramble.

The route

The trek starts at Villa Catedral, the base of the Cerro Catedral ski area. A wide path climbs through forest above Lago Gutiérrez and along the Van Titter stream to Refugio Frey (1,700 m) on Laguna Toncek, surrounded by granite spires. The next day you climb past Laguna Schmoll to the "Cancha de Fútbol" on the Catedral ridge, drop into the Rucaco valley, and cross the Brecha Negra ridge to Laguna Jakob and Refugio San Martín (1,564 m).

Day 3, Jakob to Laguna Negra, is the crux. The route climbs from Laguna de los Témpanos to Pico Refugio, follows the Cordón de los Inocentes and passes Cerro Navidad, the highest and hardest point at about 2,100 m, then descends the Navidad valley and climbs the "caracoles" zigzags to Laguna Negra and Refugio Italia (1,609 m). On day 4 you cross scree slopes below Cerro Bailey Willis to the head of the Goye valley, climb to the ridge of Cerro López and descend to Refugio López. Day 5 is a short, steep descent past Refugio Roca Negra to the Arroyo López trailhead on the Circuito Chico road.

This guide follows the OpenStreetMap route to Refugio López and the footpath down to Arroyo López, and splits it into 5 stages of about 7.7 km. The OSM route instead follows a long 4x4 track from Refugio López down to Ruta 79 near Colonia Suiza; that adds about 6 km of dirt road and is not the usual way down. Another common exit leaves the Navidad valley on day 3 and walks straight down to Colonia Suiza, skipping Laguna Negra and López.

Highlights

• Refugio Frey and Laguna Toncek: a 1957 granite hut under the spires of Cerro Catedral, a famous rock-climbing area
• The Cancha de Fútbol: a flat saddle high on the Catedral ridge
• Laguna Jakob and Laguna de los Témpanos: two high lakes, the second with floating ice in early summer
• Cerro Navidad and the Cordón de los Inocentes: the wildest and highest part of the trek
• Laguna Negra: a dark lake under Cerro Negro, with condors overhead
• Cerro López: the last ridge, high above Lago Nahuel Huapi

When to walk the Nahuel Huapi Traverse

The season runs from about December to April. Refugio Laguna Negra is staffed from November to April and reopens on 10 November 2026 for the 2026-27 season. Snow lies on the high ridges until well into summer: Bariloche Trekking advises walking Jakob to Laguna Negra and Laguna Negra to López from February, and says crampons and an ice axe are essential on the crux in December and January. Late February to early April is usually the safest window. January is the busiest month, and beds can sell out within half an hour of a booking window opening. Wind, rain and summer snow are possible at any time. Check the forecast and the park alerts before every stage.

How many days do you need?

Five days is the standard plan: one stage per day and a short last morning to Arroyo López. Fit walkers often join the last two stages and finish in 4 days. Times are slow: allow 4 to 6 hours to Frey, 6 to 10 hours from Frey to Jakob, 8 to 10 hours from Jakob to Laguna Negra, 5 to 6 hours to López and 2 hours down. Keep a spare day in Bariloche for bad weather.

Getting there and logistics

Fly or take a long-distance bus to San Carlos de Bariloche. City buses need a rechargeable SUBE card. Bus 55 goes to Villa Catedral, the end of the line, about every 2 hours. At the finish, bus 10 (or 20 and then 13) stops near the Arroyo López trailhead and in Colonia Suiza.

Before you start, fill in the free and compulsory online trekking registration of Nahuel Huapi National Park, one form per group. Then book every night. Refugio Frey opens online bookings only for the next 7 days. Refugio Jakob books online and takes cash only at the hut. Refugio Laguna Negra releases dates in stages (on 13 November for 1-15 December, and so on); you pay 50% online and the rest in cash. Refugio López is private and books by WhatsApp. Camping beside the huts also needs a booking. There is no park entrance fee on this route.

Huts have bunks with mattresses, toilets and meals, but no showers; bring or rent a sleeping bag. In 2026 a bed costs about ARS 60,000-80,000 and half board about ARS 150,000; prices rise often. Carry enough cash in pesos for the whole trek. There is no mobile signal at the huts and almost none on the route; hut keepers can usually radio the park.

Difficulty

This is a hard mountain trek. After a good path to Frey, the route crosses steep scree and loose rock to Jakob. Jakob to Laguna Negra is graded extreme by Bariloche Trekking. It is unmarked in places, with exposed scrambling and route-finding on a ridge, there is no water and no camping until the Navidad valley, and it must only be walked from Jakob towards Laguna Negra, never in reverse. The 2026 park registration form says this segment is only allowed with a licensed trekking guide, who registers it for you. Older guides describe a signed waiver instead, so check the current rule at the park office. Laguna Negra to López crosses more scree and a short hand-on-rock section near the López ridge.

Safety

Go only in settled weather and start early. Carry a map and GPS track, helmet, poles, a warm and windproof layer, gloves and 2 litres of water. If the weather turns, there are escape routes: from Frey back to Villa Catedral; from Jakob down the Casa de Piedra valley to Tambo Báez; from the Navidad valley or Laguna Negra down the Goye valley to Colonia Suiza. Walkers without a guide often avoid the crux this way: they descend from Jakob, take a bus to Colonia Suiza and walk up to Laguna Negra. In an emergency call 911 or the park's 105, or ask a refugio to radio the park.

History

The Club Andino Bariloche, founded in 1931, built three of the huts: the first Jakob hut in 1952 (rebuilt in 2018), Frey in 1957 and Refugio Italia in 1969. Refugio López is privately owned. The traverse became famous through the club's 4 Refugios race, which links the same four huts.