Dientes de Navarino, Kraig Adams's way

Numbers are from my own GPS (the film says 30 miles). I went alone, in reverse of the official direction, which starts up Cerro Bandera from town. The official plan is 4 to 5 days.

Puerto Williams. The town is the trailhead. It's on the north shore of Navarino Island, across the Beagle Channel from Ushuaia, Argentina, and it can only be reached by air from Punta Arenas or by boat. This was my third time in the area, after hiking the W and the O in Torres del Paine and a group trip with my wife and a bunch of subscribers.

How we got there. Ryan made the plan. We met in New York and flew to Santiago, then all the way down to Punta Arenas. We met Ryan's photographer friends in town at Lito's for sandwiches and stayed that night at the Hotel Cabo de Hornos. The next morning we checked our bags with the front desk, took a taxi to the airport, and took a very short flight to Puerto Williams. I had a window seat, so I had some pretty good views of the mountain ranges with snow caps. The tiny airport there had a wonderful mural. The shuttle left without us, so we had to walk all the way into town, but there were cows and dogs everywhere, just hanging around.

By plane. Aerovías DAP flies Punta Arenas to Puerto Williams. On its schedule page in October 2026: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, leaving Punta Arenas at 12:00 and Puerto Williams at 13:30, on a 90-seat jet (in March 2025 I flew a smaller plane in DAP's Antarctic Airways colors). Summer schedules can change, so check dapairline.com before you book. The baggage allowance on this route is 10 kg (22 lb) in the hold plus 5 kg (11 lb) in the cabin; extra weight is CLP 2,000 a kilo if there's room, paid at the airport. DAP's office in Puerto Williams is at O'Higgins 264. The airfield is about 1.5 km (1 mile) from town.

By ferry. The Yaghan ferry (Transbordadora Austral Broom, TABSA) from Punta Arenas takes about 30 hours through the channels, about once a week. I couldn't read its 2026-27 schedule or fares on TABSA's site; check tabsa.cl.

From Ushuaia. In season (October to March, Monday to Saturday) boats cross from Ushuaia to Puerto Navarino, then a van drives about 55 km to Puerto Williams. One operator lists USD 160 each way (checked October 2026). You go through Chilean immigration at the PDI (police) office in Puerto Williams, so bring your passport. Chile's farm service (SAG) checks food at the border: declare any fruit, meat, dairy, honey or seeds on the SAG form, or buy fresh food in Puerto Williams.

Stove fuel. You can't fly with gas canisters. We got stove fuel at Turismo Shila, O'Higgins 220, which sells gas and rents gear (stoves, GPS units, poles, gaiters). Other shops in town sell gas too.

Food. There's nothing to buy on the circuit. Bring or buy all your food before you start.

What I paid

For your budget (2026). Registration and camping are free. DAP doesn't publish its fares outside its booking page; travel sites showed roughly CLP 100,000 to 120,000 one way from Punta Arenas in 2025-26 (check dapairline.com), plus CLP 2,000 a kilo over the baggage allowance. The Ushuaia boat and van was USD 160 one way with one operator in 2025-26. In March 2025 the notice board at the Hotel Forjadores in my photos listed a single room at CLP 70,000 a night with breakfast. Add a gas canister, and a guide if you want one.

Where I slept, food and water

Where I slept

Both camps had tent spots with low rock walls against the wind. The campsites were great. Until we flew back the next day, we were just in our hiking clothes.

Food

The record doesn't show what I ate on the trail. There's nothing to buy on the circuit: carry all your food from town, and a gas stove, since fires are banned. Back in Puerto Williams I had a nice meal at a restaurant and coffee in the plaza.

Water

Lakes and streams most of the way, and both of my camps were on a lake. Treat or filter it: the official leaflet mentions beaver dams at Laguna Escondida and beaver-damaged forest below Laguna Los Guanacos. There are no toilets on the circuit: go well away from lakes and streams, bury your waste, and carry out all your trash.

What I carried

My 2025 kit, from the gear list in the film's description, the film and my photos. Everything I brought, hiking and filmmaking, is listed there by type.

Hiking

• Shelter: a tent, in stone-walled spots at both camps
• Sleep: a quilt, a sleeping pad and a pillow, plus a little blower that connects to a battery and blows up the pad for you (it came in a care package a gear shop sent me; it solved a very specific problem)
• Pack: my backpack
• Clothes: an Arc'teryx shirt, shell and puffy jacket, a fleece, pants, shorts, socks and trail shoes
• Kitchen: a stove (gas bought in Puerto Williams), a bottle and a cup
• Light: a headlamp

Filmmaking

• Camera: a Sony A7S III with a lens, using its onboard mic, a tripod and head, a strap, spare batteries, and a small DJI Mini 3 drone

What this circuit needs:

• The GPX files on your phone, a backup battery, and a second way to navigate (a GPS unit or a map and compass)
• A satellite messenger, VHF radio or satellite phone: there's no phone signal (the municipality calls it necessary)
• A tent that handles strong wind (the municipality says four-season), and warm, windproof and waterproof layers
• Boots or shoes for mud and bog, gaiters, and trekking poles
• A gas stove (fires are banned) and all your food
• A filter or tablets
• Insurance that covers rescue

All of this was checked on official pages (the municipality of Cabo de Hornos, Chile's tourism board, the regional council and the national lands ministry, Bienes Nacionales) on October 1, 2026, except where it says otherwise.

Registration. Required and free. Go to the Carabineros station (the IV Comisaría) at Piloto Pardo 287 in Puerto Williams before you start, and again when you're back. The official leaflet says to give them your itinerary, a contact and your safety gear. Trip reports say to bring your passport and that the form asks about your experience, camps and insurance. I found no online form.

Fees. None that I found: no entry fee, no permit, no camp fee.

Whose land. The circuit is a Ruta Patrimonial (heritage route) on state land, managed by the municipality of Cabo de Hornos under a free concession from the Ministry of National Property (Bienes Nacionales), inside the Cabo de Hornos Biosphere Reserve. It's not a national park, so there's no CONAF registration. In March 2026 the regional council backed a five-year renewal of the concession, with plans for standard signs, camp areas, dry toilets and boardwalks over the bogs. Those weren't built yet as far as I could find; the trail may be better marked in coming seasons.

The seasonal closure. From about April 1 to October 31 each year (by municipal decree, reported in the regional press; in 2026, April 1 to October 31), the route beyond Cerro Bandera is closed and walking it is strictly prohibited.

Camping. Wild camping by the lakes; there are no huts or shelters. The official leaflet names camps at Laguna del Salto, Laguna Escondida, Laguna Martillo and Laguna Los Guanacos. The two camps I used had low stone walls built against the wind.

Fires. Strictly prohibited. Cook only on a gas stove.

Gear the municipality names. A base layer, a sleeping bag, a four-season tent, trekking poles, high-ankle hiking boots, spare clothes, a stove and gas, and satellite gear to navigate and call for help. It's worded as what you need, not a list anyone checks.

Respect the route. Stay on the trail, follow the signs, and carry out all your trash. I found no official rule on dogs or drones on the route.

Now (November 2026). The 2026 closure ended on October 31, so the circuit is open from November 1 for the November to March season. Registering with the Carabineros in Puerto Williams before and after is still required, and there is no phone signal on the route.

The season. November 1 to the end of March, when the circuit is open. The official leaflet says the best time is December to February. Even in summer, it says, you often have to push through snow on the high passes.

What I got. I started on March 1, 2025. Day 1 was overcast in my photos, and the trail was muddy. My first full day started at 7 a.m. with clear skies, and I set up camp right before a moderate rain shower that continued for a few hours as I fell asleep. Day 3 was another day of sunlight and cinematic clouds. Conditions were so nice for hiking and filming.

Daylight. At this latitude you get about 17 hours of daylight in December and January, about 15 hours 45 minutes on February 1, and about 13 hours 45 minutes on March 1, when I started.

Weather in town. The Chilean weather service's 1991-2020 averages for the Puerto Williams airfield give a January high of about 15 °C (59 °F) and a low of about 5 °C (41 °F), with rain on about 10 days of the month. The passes are 1,800 to 2,800 ft higher, colder and much windier.

Weather and safety

Emergencies. There's no phone signal on the circuit. Carabineros (police): 133, station at Piloto Pardo 287. The hospital is the Hospital Comunitario de Puerto Williams Cristina Calderón, O'Higgins 246, +56 61 245 3635. Rescues on this route are run by the Carabineros, with a helicopter from Punta Arenas. At least 13 people had to be rescued in the 2025-26 season, including an injured hiker found after a three-day search in the Guerrico valley in February 2026. Carry a satellite messenger and register before and after: your registration is how anyone knows you're out there.

Getting lost. This is the main risk. This trail is pretty remote and not that popular, so it's kind of bushwhacking for some parts, and some sections are very muddy and a little difficult to get through. Keep the GPX open, check it often, and don't follow a side path just because it's there. The official leaflet and trip reports point to the forest below Laguna Los Guanacos and the stretch around Laguna Escondida, and my own GPS wandered off the mapped path in the lake country around Laguna Martillo.

Wind and weather. This trail is remote, so the weather can change a lot. The municipality warns of snow, strong wind, low visibility and low temperatures, and the leaflet says snow on the passes is normal even in summer. Paso Virginia and the ridge to Cerro Bandera are wide open. The leaflet says that if it's very windy on the ridge, it can be safer to drop into the forest on the side of the hill. Wait out bad weather rather than cross a pass in fog or a gale.

Steep, loose ground. The slopes on both sides of Paso Virginia and the drop from Paso Australia to Laguna del Salto are steep and loose. Poles help.

Cold and rain. Rain, snow and cold can come in any month. Keep your sleeping bag and a set of clothes dry.

Fire. Fires are banned. Use your stove carefully, on rock, out of the wind.

Leave a plan with someone at home and with the Carabineros: your route, your camps and when you'll be out.

Do I need a permit? No permit and no fee, but you must register. The municipality of Cabo de Hornos says it's mandatory to notify the Carabineros before and after the trek, at their station at Piloto Pardo 287 in Puerto Williams. Give them your route, your dates, an emergency contact and the safety gear you carry, and check back in when you return. See Permits and rules.

Is it open? From November 1 to about the end of March. Every year the section from Cerro Bandera to the end of the route is closed by municipal decree from early April to October 31; in 2026 the closure ran April 1 to October 31, and walking it is strictly prohibited. The day hike up to the flag on Cerro Bandera stays open.

How hard is it to follow? Hard. The official leaflet calls the trail poorly marked and intermittent, with cairns on the passes and paint marks on trees in the last forest. In my words: muddy, hard to follow and a bit of a maze at times, a choose-your-own-adventure trail with difficulty finding the path at most times. I would get lost without AllTrails downloaded. Carry the GPX files on your phone and a backup. See Using the GPX files.

Do I need a guide? No rule requires one. The municipality says to hire a local guide if you don't have the experience for a medium-to-high difficulty trek. I went alone, while my friends did the circuit the other way. The official leaflet says never to split from your companions and to reach each day's destination in daylight; if you go alone, carry a satellite messenger and leave a detailed plan with the Carabineros and someone at home.

How many days? I did it in three days of 9 to 12 miles. The municipality and Chile's tourism board say 4 to 5 days, and the official leaflet plans 5. Add a spare day for weather.

Which direction? The official direction starts in Puerto Williams, climbs Cerro Bandera and ends on the coast road near Bahía Virginia, about 5 miles west of town. I went the other way: the road walk first, Cerro Bandera last. My GPX files work in either direction.

How long is it? It depends on what you count. My loop was 32.1 miles (51.6 km) from the plaza and back, about 24.7 miles (39.8 km) of it on the trail. The official leaflet gives about 41 km of trail, and the Bienes Nacionales website 52.5 km.

Is there water? Mostly: lakes and streams most of the way. The official leaflet warns that some stretches have none, and that you should carry water for the first two hours from town, over Cerro Bandera. Going my way, that's the end: fill up at Laguna del Salto and carry at least a liter (1 quart) for the ridge and the descent. Treat or filter it.

Will I see other people? Not many. Not many hikers go through here, and it shows. I camped up at the lake all alone the first night. The Carabineros registered 1,217 hikers in the whole 2024-25 season. Near town you'll meet day hikers on Cerro Bandera.

Is there phone signal? No. The municipality calls the route isolated, with no phone signal, no shelters and no permanent patrols, and says to carry satellite gear: a GPS messenger like an inReach, a VHF radio or a satellite phone.

The official direction, in four or five days

The official leaflet runs the circuit the other way, in five stages: Puerto Williams over Cerro Bandera to Laguna del Salto (8.7 km); Laguna del Salto over Paso Australia and Paso de los Dientes to Laguna Escondida (8.7 km, the stage it rates difficult); Laguna Escondida over Paso Ventarrón and Paso Guerrico to Laguna Martillo (6.6 km); Laguna Martillo over Paso Virginia to Laguna Los Guanacos (11.5 km); and down through the forest to the coast road (4.6 km), then 7.4 km by road to town. My GPX files work in that direction too: read my days backwards.

Three days, my way

I went the opposite way and did it in three days, with the road walk first and Cerro Bandera last. My days were 8.7, 12.3 and 11.1 miles, and the middle one took 9.3 hours.

Cerro Bandera only

The trail from town to the flag on Cerro Bandera is a day hike, and it stays open when the rest of the circuit is closed. On my GPS it's about 3.9 miles (6.3 km) from the plaza to the flag, with about 1,850 ft of climbing, and the flag looks out over the Beagle Channel.

Before you go, check these

These change every year. Everything else in this guide stays the same.

Rules and status

• That the circuit is open (closed about April 1 to October 31 every year)
• Registration with the Carabineros at Piloto Pardo 287, before you start and when you're back
• Any new rules, signs or camp areas: the municipality of Cabo de Hornos (imcabodehornos.cl, visitacabodehornos.cl)

Getting there

• DAP's schedule, fare and baggage allowance (dapairline.com), or the Yaghan ferry (tabsa.cl), or a boat from Ushuaia (and the SAG food declaration at the border)
• Gas for your stove in Puerto Williams

Conditions

• The forecast for several days, and a spare day
• Snow on the passes early and late in the season

Your stuff

• The GPX files and offline maps on your phone, and a backup
• A satellite messenger, a wind-worthy tent, warm and rain layers, a stove and a filter
• Rescue insurance