It was designated a provincial reserve in 1975, a national park in 1997, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000.

[1] The park covers an area of 2,150 square kilometres (830 sq mi), at an altitude of 1,500 metres (4,921 ft) above mean sea level.

Its purpose is to protect important archaeological and palaeontological sites found in the area.

The park is in a basin between the Cerro Los Colorados to the west and the Sierra de Sañagasta to the east.

The landscape is the result of erosion by water and wind in a desert climate, with large ranges in temperature - high heat by day and low temperature at night, with torrential rain in summer and strong wind in spring.