Can you hike Los Nevados without a guide?

Not anymore. Since 2026 Parques Nacionales requires a registered guide in every sector of Los Nevados National Natural Park, booked through a registered operator at least five business days ahead, with accident and rescue insurance.

How long is the trek from the Valle de Cocora to Termales del Cañón?

About 22.6 miles (36.4 km) by my GPS over two days: 12.6 miles from Cocora to Finca La Primavera and 10.1 more over the high paramo to the hot springs. I came out the other side to Juntas, 15.2 more miles, for 37.8 in all.

How high does the Los Nevados trek go?

About 14,550 ft (4,435 m) by my GPS, on the paramo below Nevado del Tolima near Campamento Arenales. Termales del Cañón is about 12,960 ft (3,950 m).

Where can you camp in Los Nevados?

Only at Termales del Cañón, Arenales and El Calvito, 35 people each. The farms on the route, like Finca La Primavera, take hikers in beds.

Is Los Nevados open after the 2026 earthquake?

The park's south sector is open with a guide. The August 10, 2026 earthquake damaged houses in Salento, which reopened within days, and set off landslides on the Juntas side, so check with your operator before planning to finish at Juntas.

When is the best time to hike Los Nevados?

The drier seasons are December to February and July to August. Rain and fog are possible any month, and the park closes for five days after Easter, in late September and in late November.

Cordillera Central · 3 days · 37.8 miles · Colombia

Los Nevados Hiking Guide

In March 2021 I hiked alone across Los Nevados National Natural Park in Colombia: from Salento and the wax palms of the Valle de Cocora up through the cloud forest to a mountain farm, over the high paramo below the glacier of Nevado del Tolima to the hot springs at Termales del Cañón, and down to Juntas above Ibagué. It's the trip from my film Hiking Alone in Colombia. Since 2026 the park requires a registered guide, so this guide tells my crossing and how to do the same route now: my GPX files, maps and notes for all three days, the 2026 rules, the guide and the camps, the earthquake's effects, getting to Salento and out from Juntas, costs, weather, altitude and safety, and a trip sheet.

What's inside

Where things stand. Los Nevados in October 2026: the mandatory guide, booking and insurance, the earthquake, closures and the volcanoes, checked on the parks service's own pages.
All three days. Stats, the time I took, my notes, the route, where to turn back, maps with elevation profiles, and links to that day in my film.
My GPX files. My own recordings of all three days, with waypoints for Cocora, Acaime, Estrella de Agua, La Primavera, La Playa, the high point, Termales del Cañón and Juntas, ready for AllTrails, Gaia GPS, Garmin or Organic Maps.
The rules, the guide and the camps. How to book a registered guide, the insurance, who can go, where you can camp, and what the park says to carry.
Getting there. Flying into Pereira or Armenia, the bus to Salento, the jeep to Cocora, and getting out from Juntas and Ibagué.
Altitude, rain and safety. The months that work, altitude sickness, cold rain and fog on the paramo, mud, the river crossing and landslides.
Salento, costs and a trip sheet. Salento and a coffee farm, what a guided trip costs in 2026, one page of checks and a printable summary of the route.

Look inside

At a glance page from the Los Nevados Hiking Guide — At a glance

A day page page from the Los Nevados Hiking Guide — A day page

A day map and elevation profile

The rules, the guide and the camps page from the Los Nevados Hiking Guide — The rules, the guide and the camps

The details

Format: A PDF sized for a phone (A5, prints fine too) and a folder of GPX files, in one zip download.
Edition: 2027 season edition, updated October 2026.
Delivery: Instant. After you pay you get a private download link. Bookmark it to download again on any device.
Payment: Secure checkout through Stripe, in your own currency. Tax is included in the price, except in the US and Canada, where any sales tax is added at checkout.
Refunds: Not useful? Email me within 30 days for a refund: kraig@kraigadams.com.
Questions: Email kraig@kraigadams.com.

Questions

Can you hike Los Nevados without a guide?: Not anymore. Since 2026 Parques Nacionales requires a registered guide in every sector of Los Nevados National Natural Park, booked through a registered operator at least five business days ahead, with accident and rescue insurance.
How long is the trek from the Valle de Cocora to Termales del Cañón?: About 22.6 miles (36.4 km) by my GPS over two days: 12.6 miles from Cocora to Finca La Primavera and 10.1 more over the high paramo to the hot springs. I came out the other side to Juntas, 15.2 more miles, for 37.8 in all.
How high does the Los Nevados trek go?: About 14,550 ft (4,435 m) by my GPS, on the paramo below Nevado del Tolima near Campamento Arenales. Termales del Cañón is about 12,960 ft (3,950 m).
Where can you camp in Los Nevados?: Only at Termales del Cañón, Arenales and El Calvito, 35 people each. The farms on the route, like Finca La Primavera, take hikers in beds.
Is Los Nevados open after the 2026 earthquake?: The park's south sector is open with a guide. The August 10, 2026 earthquake damaged houses in Salento, which reopened within days, and set off landslides on the Juntas side, so check with your operator before planning to finish at Juntas.
When is the best time to hike Los Nevados?: The drier seasons are December to February and July to August. Rain and fog are possible any month, and the park closes for five days after Easter, in late September and in late November.

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