PN Cajas Visitor Center Campground | Established Campground
Ecuador
Details
- Verified:
- 29 days ago
- GPS:
- -2.78350, -79.22233
- Altitude:
- 3930.0 masl
- Website:
- None
- Phone:
- None
- Contributor:
-
panamnotes.com
Amenities
- Electricity:
- No
- Wifi:
- No
- Kitchen:
- No
- Restaurant:
- Yes
- Showers:
- No
- Water:
- Potable
- Toilets:
- Running Water
- Big Rig Friendly:
- Yes
- Tent Friendly:
- Yes
- Pet Friendly:
- Yes
- Sanitation Dump Station:
- Unknown
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Description
$4 pp/p night for sleeping in the park. Gate closes at 4:30pm but a security guard is present all night. 13,000 feet/3,880metres. Bathrooms / near hiking and climbing. There are other camping areas at lower entrance into park.
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Latest Check-Ins
We tried to stay here, still 4usd pp to stay in the camper. Toilets close when the people at the restaurant leave, then it is up to your agreement with the security person. For us, he said no, but recommended going to the entrance to stay.
In terms of the hikes, pretty much as everyone has said in the other marker, it's really cool and worth it.
We are on a bicycle. We have sleep on the front desk parking lot, next to the shelter, because by the places to sleep around the lake its forbidden to the bike and are not accessible by bike. They can not drop their velo inside safe to visit the lakes. We paid $4 per person per night (for no service). The guard left us access to the toilet.
I don't recommend this place for travellers on bicycles (take a hostel and come by bus to visit the lakes, it will be easier).
The refugio is now closed for public (tourists), only the night guard/staff uses it. So bye-bye equipped kitchen, shower and toilet. You can still sleep in your car at the parking lot, but be sure to ask the night guard to leave the bathroom in the visitor’s center open for you (it normally closes at 17.30), otherwise there will be no toilet available. We stayed 2nights, because it a great base for hiking. The first night, the guard was really nice and had no problem leaving the visitors center open for us, but on the second night, the other guard was drunk and sleeping by 7pm, while forgetting not to lock the toilets-we had to pound on the refugio s door for half an hour to wake him up. No Wi-Fi now. It’s still 4$ per person per night but I would say that the quality of service, described below, declined badly.
Also the path down to the lake, with the camping sites, is now barred with a “zona en restauración” sign, so I would check twice if there s some camping option available.
Awesome spot to basecamp for the incredible hiking here. Cold and windy. 4 degrees C when we went to sleep, Zero when we woke up. There is no campground, if sleeping in your vehicle it is in the small parking lot. Bright lights and armed security all night. Some road noise. If sleeping in a tent you can go down near the lakes. $4 pp, excellent deal for being in a National Park.
Report Check-Innice place to camp in front of the lake, it cost 4 usd, the restroom are far from the camping zone (that is wherever you want) so keep in mind that, at night is very cold so be prepared for that
Report Check-InVery nice place to spend the night before hiking the next morning. Price is 4USD per person for foreigners, 2USD for locals. Price is the same if you stay in your van or use the bunk beds in refugio.
There is well equipped kitchen, bathroom with toilet and shower in the refugio.
Nicer bathrooms are in the visitor center, only open during the day.
They charged us 2$ pp per night, there was a night guard. The parking lot was full on a sunday and people had to park on the side of the road. However, during the hike (ruta 1, app 3 hours walking), there was no one. We wanted to leave early at 6 the next morning, but the guard told us he would open the gate by 8. Since we were planning to do a long hike the next day, we asked him if it was possible to open it sooner and he opened it at 6, very kind guy. Beautiful spot to hike!
Report Check-In$4 pp to park for the night, make sure you get a ticket to place in the windshield. Bathrooms open, didn't see any showers. Open wifi, but weak. Great place to sleep for hiking in the park!
Report Check-InThe $4pp is totally worth it to have a kitchen and inside space in this weather. it's so cold up here! Stayed one night and did some wonderful hiking!
Report Check-InWe only have space to sleep in our truck so we were more than happy to pay the $4p.p. to have the space in the refugio kitchen to cook in an hangout in at night. Tent camping available but it looks like most backpackers setup near the lake (about a 15min walk from parking lot).
Report Check-InReally nice facilities and tons (seriously TONS) of great hiking in Cajas NP. "Camping" in your rig though, is basically just in the main parking lot. It's pretty close to the highway and when we were there we didn't have access to the bathrooms overnight. Would be OK for free, but probably not worth the money except for the convenience of being so close to the hiking. There are probably better camping options.
Report Check-InNot really worth the 4us/pp charge for overnight parking. Better to drive a bit west and sleep at the free spot marked here as quarry. Hike nr. 1 will get you two times trough one of the highest forests in the world. Hike will be prox 6 kilometers and 2 hours. All the maps in information centre has it down as 4km hike but it’s definitely a bit longer but definitely a time well spent
Report Check-InCamped at the parking lot for $4 per person. Restaurant, interpretive center, good info about hikes. Restrooms, kitchen and power can be use in the refugio. We did the trail No. 3 combined with No. 2 to loop back to the visitor center. Weather wasn't on our side but it was still a nice 5 hour hike.
Report Check-InThe gate apparently closes at 16.30, after that cars can't get in or out until the next morning. They were not very friendly when i arrived at 16.20 and just wanted to take a picture of the lake - told me to leave if i don't want to camp since they wanted to go home. Unless you want to go hiking there is no reason to stay here, the landscape around is nice, but from the parking itself you won't see much of it.
Report Check-InWe found this more beautiful and with better hiking and facilities than the other entrance to the east. Sure it was cold and it rained a lot, but it's amazing to have such awesome nature right on the doorstep of Cuenca. Still $4pppn. The ruta 1 hike is an easy 5km walk that we did over a few hours. It's pretty flat.
Camped on the parking lot of the visitor center for $4/person. There is a toilet and a small kitchen which can be used. Nice hiking trails!
Report Check-InDefinitely cold at night :) foggy and overcast when we arrived but we could tell it would be an amazing place on sunny days. The ranger here was super friendly, we parked in the lot and slept in the van and also used the bathrooms and kitchen in the hospedaje. Perfect place for us to overnight between Guayaquil and starting the downhill towards Cuenca. No wifi and restaurant was closed when we arrived - maybe lunch only?
Report Check-InGreat hike in the Paramo around a little lake. Got pretty cold at night.
Report Check-InOvernight parking is free. We were alone during the night. Just a night-guard. Cold at night, -2 C.
Report Check-In4 usd per person per night. Kitchen, hot water, no wifi. Very nice place. 8 trekking tracks.
Report Check-InBeautiful area with hiking trails, visitor center, and a restaurant right on the lake. We wanted to camp here and asked (4$ per person), but the weather was miserable. There looks to be a few spots for tent campers but it's not very level.
Report Check-In- 4 USD per person, regardless if you sleep in the car or in the refugio (bunk beds)
- kitchen with a stove and microwave available
- bathroom (not sure if the shower worked)
- fireplace in the ranger's station
The park guards may let you stay there for free. Altitude very high so be aware of altitude sickness.
Price:free
Report Check-In13,000 feet. Bathrooms / near hiking and climbing. There are other camping areas at lower entrance into park.
$10/night.
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