The Nevado de Tres Cruces National Park was officially formed on 2 December 1996 and is located in the Atacama Region to the east of Copiapó. The park covers 51,082 hectares and is divided into two main sectors: the larger northern sector includes the the Salar de Maricunga (the most southerly salt flat in Chile) and Laguna Santa Rosa; the southern sector the Laguna del Negro Francisco. The Pantanillo-Cienaga Redonda Biological Corridor, which includes the road, river valley and bofedales that connect the 2 sectors is also part of the Park, all of which is a designated Ramsar Wetland Site. Most of the park is at an altitude of 3700 - 4500m and includes high altitude volcanic deserts and dry Andean puna as well as saline lakes and salt flats. The park is named after the nearby Nevado Tres Cruces volcano (6748m / 22,140ft, the 6th highest peak in South America) which dominates the views of the Maricunga / Laguna Santa Rosa sector of Park. The Park and surrounding peaks are often visited for acclimatisation by climbers planning to climb the volcanic peaks nearby, notably Nevado Ojos del Salado (6893m / 22,615 ft, the highest volcano in the world and 2nd highest peak in the Andes).