It contains the snowy cone of the volcano Sajama, the highest mountain in Bolivia at 6,542 m.[1] The park also includes the Payachata volcanic group.

The area was declared a nature reserve in 1939 because of the native Queñoa de Altura trees that grow on the hillsides of this region.

[4] At the time that the area was declared a national park, rampant harvesting of this tree was taking place to create charcoal to supply Bolivian mines.

[1] On 1 July 2003, the park was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List due to its universal cultural and natural significance.

For example, the Aymara recently protested against the Dakar Rally, an off-road race taking place through Bolivia's salt flats for the first time.

While coca cultivation for traditional practices is legal in Bolivia, there has still been strife and conflict between the government and the Aymara people due to this plant.

[10] By targeting the Aymara's use of the coca plant, the Bolivian government could be helping to create an even bigger problem and contributing to unrest.

[13] Therefore, the presence of Sajama National Park and its management committee may help the Aymara people, giving them power to protect their environment and the organisms that inhabit it.

The recovery of ice cores from the summit in 1998 offered a unique look at historic South American climatic and atmospheric conditions, and marked the first time that this information of this kind has been available for a location with a tropical latitude.

Plants and animals must be able to handle high altitudes with less available oxygen, cold nightly temperatures with frosts well into spring, little shade or protection from the elements, and arid, dry conditions.

Indigenous populations in the area still continue a rich cultural tradition of myths, legends, and rituals involving the vicuña.

Ecotourism can significantly aid natural places with weak economies, and help to generate an economical way to promote preservation.

Even when using the most optimistic of scenarios, SERNAP concedes that a fair number of indigenous people will have to leave this region in order to assure a minimum livelihood.

Ecotourism can be defined in a variety of ways, but broadly it is travel that has the object of enjoying features of what is seen as the natural, beautiful, and exotic environment.

Main themes of ecotourism also involve sustainable activities and behavior that results in minimal negative consequences for the environment.

[1] From the beginning, this diverse committee laid out fairly detailed plans to ensure that their economic and conservational goals were met.

The original committee members believed that the success of the park depended upon the incorporation of three things: planning, participation, and projects.

Planning regulations and developing a "horizon" for the park was a long and arduous process, but it brought the diverse group of people closer together.

The planning and discussion helped to eradicate previously held prejudices between the Aymara people and the newly instated park rangers.

From the aspect of planning, municipal, regional, and traditional authorities, as well as community members are required to participate in the management of Bolivia's national parks.

Finally, projects are aimed to generate income while offering alternative livelihoods that employ a more sustainable use of biodiversity resources.