# Laguna Negra and Picos de Urbión

How to get to the Laguna Negra from Soria, the Paso de la Serrá car park and the shuttle on regulated days, the climb to Urbión and where to stay in Vinuesa.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/castile-and-leon/laguna-negra-and-urbion · Revisado: 2026-11-12

The Laguna Negra is a glacial lake at the bottom of a rock cirque, surrounded by pine forest, in the Sierra de Urbión, in the north of the province of Soria. It is the heart of the Laguna Negra y Circos Glaciares de Urbión Natural Park, shared between Vinuesa, Covaleda and Duruelo de la Sierra, and the setting of Antonio Machado's «La tierra de Alvargonzález». You reach the shore almost without walking, from the upper car park; above it, a mountain route climbs to other glacial lakes and to the Pico de Urbión, on whose slopes the Duero rises. It is the classic Sunday outing from Soria and one of the great ones from Logroño.

## How do you get there from Soria?

Take the N-234 towards Burgos and the turn-off for Vinuesa, and from Vinuesa the mountain road that climbs to the lake: about 50 km and around an hour and a quarter to the Paso de la Serrá. From Logroño, about 90 km and an hour and three quarters; from Burgos, a little over two hours. The road from Vinuesa to the lake is 18 km, with bends, and snow or ice in winter.

## Where to park: access rules

Outside the busiest days you can drive up to the upper car park, about 200 metres from the shore. At Easter, long weekends and in summer, the regional government regulates access: the upper car park is closed to private cars, you leave the car at the Paso de la Serrá car park, about 2 km from the lake, and go up on the shuttle bus or on foot along the Senda del Arroyo. In the last published regulation, parking cost €4 per car, €2 per motorbike, €6 per motorhome and €10 per coach, the shuttle €1.20 per passenger, and it ran from 9:00 to 14:30 and from 16:00 to 18:30; the ticket gave entry to the Casa del Parque for five people. When the car park is full, they close the road up. Dates and fares are announced each season: confirm them with the Casa del Parque, on 975 18 22 68.

## What to do

The basics: a walk along the shore of the Laguna Negra, an hour at an easy pace. If you like walking, go up on foot from the Paso de la Serrá along the Senda del Arroyo (SO9): 1.7 km and 218 metres of climb among pines, ferns and wooden bridges. For a mountain day, the Senda de las Lagunas Glaciares (SO6) leaves from the lake and climbs the Pico de Urbión via the Laguna Helada, returning by the Laguna Larga: 13 km, 480 metres of climb and four hours, of high difficulty. From Covaleda, the GR 86.1 climbs to Urbión in 16.2 km. With children or in the rain, the Casa del Parque, near Vinuesa, and the short 2.9 km walk between the village and the Casa.

## How much time do you need?

Half a day for the lake and the Senda del Arroyo; the whole day if you climb Urbión. With a night in Vinuesa, go up early, before the crowds arrive, and add a stroll around the village and the Casa del Parque. The Cañón del Río Lobos is a little over an hour away for the following day.

## When to go

May, June, September and October are the best months: fewer people, the pine forest green or in autumn colours and good temperatures for walking. In July and August the weather in the sierra is fine, but access is regulated and the lake gets crowded. In winter there may be snow and ice on the road and the paths, and the Casa del Parque closes in January; in November it opens from Friday to Sunday.

## Where to stay and eat

In Vinuesa, the main village of the park. The Hotel Rural Villa de Vinuesa has 23 rooms, a restaurant, a garage and accepts dogs; the Hotel Rural Santa Inés, 20 rooms on the road to the lake. For eating, Los Ranchales, on the road, and the restaurant at the Villa de Vinuesa. Neither publishes opening hours: book by phone, especially on Sundays outside summer.

## Dónde está
- Cerca: Río Lobos Canyon (a 33.0 km), San Millán de la Cogolla (a 36.4 km), Covarrubias and Santo Domingo de Silos (a 56.0 km), Haro (a 64.3 km)

## Qué hacer
- **The Laguna Negra de Urbión** (1 h · Everyone): The Laguna Negra is a glacial lake at the bottom of a cirque in the Sierra de Urbión, with a rock wall that drops onto the dark water and gives it its name. Antonio Machado took it into "La tierra de Alvargonzález", and it is the best-known visit in the Laguna Negra y Circos Glaciares de Urbión Natural Park, in the municipality of Vinuesa (Soria). From the upper car park it is about 200 metres on foot to the shore, so anyone can see it, small children included.
Three ways to reach the shore

By car all the way up. Outside the regulated days, the road from Vinuesa climbs to the upper car park, and from there it is about 200 metres.
On the shuttle. At Easter, on long weekends and in summer, the Junta closes the upper car park to private cars. You leave the car in the Paso de la Serrá car park, paid on those days, and take the shuttle bus for the last kilometres. In recent seasons the car paid €4, the motorbike €2 and the motorhome €5, and the ticket gave free entry to the Casa del Parque for five people.
On foot by the Senda del Arroyo. From the same Paso de la Serrá, 1.7 km through the pine forest and over wooden bridges, about 45 minutes uphill.

The regulated dates and rates change every year: confirm them first at the Casa del Parque.
The Casa del Parque, open depending on the month
The Casa del Parque, on the Vinuesa road, explains the park's glacial geology and gives the state of the access roads. Its 2026 hours vary a lot: in July and August it is open every day from 10:00 to 19:00; in November, Fridays and Saturdays from 10:00 to 17:00 and Sunday mornings; in December, only from the 1st to the 8th; in January, closed. Phone numbers: 975 18 22 68 and 975 37 74 90.
Further up: Urbión
The lake is the starting point of the Glacial Lakes Trail, a 13 km circular route of about four hours, of high difficulty, which climbs by the Laguna Helada to the Pico de Urbión and returns by the Laguna Larga. If you only want the lake, allow an hour to go up, look and come down.
When to go and when not to
You can go all year, but in winter the track and the last stretch can have snow or ice. In autumn the beeches along the way change colour. By the lake it is cool even if it is hot below.
For eating in the area, Los Ranchales is on the road to the lake, in Vinuesa.
- **Senda del Arroyo (SO9), from the Paso de la Serrá to the Laguna Negra** (45 min · 1.7 km · Families with children who like walking; mountain footwear): The SO9 is the walking alternative to the tarmac track: it leaves the Paso de la Serrá car park and climbs 1.7 km, with 218 metres of ascent, among pines, ferns and beeches, crossing the streams on rustic bridges, to the upper car park, 200 metres from the lake. It is waymarked and has information panels. The Junta rates it as medium difficulty: it is short but steep and calls for mountain footwear. It is the way to go up when the upper car park is closed to cars.
What you will see
The path follows the stream that comes down from the Laguna Negra, within the park's great Scots pine forest, which according to Turismo de Castilla y León is part of the largest forested area in the Peninsula. The panels explain the forest and the water. At the end you reach the Laguna Negra, at about 1,800 metres, set beneath the cliffs of the glacial cirque, with a walkway and an improved path to go round it.
Deer, roe deer, wild boar and rock partridges live in the park; in silence and early in the morning, you may see one in the pine forest.
When and how
Allow about 45 minutes up and a little less down. It can be done all year except with snow or ice, when the slopes and the wooden bridges are slippery. In autumn, the beeches along the way change colour.
The starting point is the Paso de la Serrá car park. At Easter, on long weekends and in summer the Junta usually regulates access: cars stay at this car park, which is paid on those days, and you go up to the lake on the shuttle or on foot by this path. Outside those dates you can drive up to the upper car park and use the path only to come down, or the other way round. Confirm the year's dates and rates at the Casa del Parque.
With children
For children who already walk well, it is a short and entertaining climb, with bridges and water. With small children or a pushchair, the shuttle is more comfortable: you can go up on it and walk down, which is easier. Take a warm layer, because by the lake it is cool even if it is hot below.
To continue
From the lake leaves the Glacial Lakes Trail, the 13 km route to the Pico de Urbión. To understand the glacial landscape and ask about the paths, call in at the Casa del Parque, on the Vinuesa road. And for eating or sleeping nearby, see Los Ranchales or the Santa Inés rural hotel.
- **Glacial Lakes Trail (SO6): From the Laguna Negra to the Pico de Urbión** (4 h · 13 km · Experienced walkers; fit teenagers): The SO6 is the park's great route: 13 km in a circuit and 480 metres of ascent, about four hours, of high difficulty. It links the Laguna Negra, at about 1,800 metres among pine forests, with the Pico de Urbión, at 2,228 metres, on whose slopes the River Duero rises. On the way you see the other lakes that the glaciers left in the cirques of the sierra.
The route
It begins by skirting the Laguna Negra on the left, along the walkway and the improved path, passes the rocky cliffs that enclose it and comes out onto open ground, with no more trees. From there you climb to the Pico de Urbión passing the Laguna Helada and return by the Laguna Larga, closing the circle again at the Laguna Negra.
The Covaleda municipal sheet describes the same descent from the peak: by the GR 86 towards the Laguna Larga, then to the Zurraquín pass and the Laguna Helada, and from there to the Laguna Negra viewpoint, which it considers the best view over the lake.
Difficulty and when to go
The Junta rates it as high difficulty: it is a good four hours and a serious climb over open terrain. There is no shade or reliable water at the top: take drink, warm clothing and a map. The good season runs from June to October, without snow; in fog, landmarks disappear on the open ground. At the Casa del Parque they give you the details and the state of the path; in July and August it is open every day from 10:00 to 19:00.
Reaching the starting point
The start is at the Laguna Negra itself. On the busiest days, such as Easter, long weekends and summer, car access stops at the Paso de la Serrá car park, and from there you go up on the shuttle or on foot by the Senda del Arroyo, 1.7 km more with 218 metres of ascent. Count it in your timings: it is the difference between coming down in daylight or not.
Other options
Anyone who wants Urbión from the other side has the climb from Covaleda on the GR 86.1, longer and through pine forests. For a gentler day, the walk round the Laguna Negra on the walkway and a visit to the Casa del Parque are enough, and are suitable for children. If you do the SO6, it is worth sleeping nearby to start early: in Vinuesa is the Villa de Vinuesa rural hotel.
- **Laguna Negra Park House and the Urbión Glacial Cirques** (45 min · Families · Free): The Casa del Parque (Park House), on the Laguna Negra road, at kilometre 3 from Vinuesa, explains how glaciers carved the Urbión cirques, the Pinares pine forest and the life of the district. It is also where to ask about access, snow on the track and routes. The visit takes about 45 minutes and admission is free.
What is inside
Turismo de Castilla y León describes two parts. One devoted to the customs and trades of the area: the carretería (cart-driving), which made these villages prosperous, the transhumance of the merino flocks and the popular festivals. The other, to the Laguna Negra and the Urbión glacial cirques, with a tour through the valley, the mid-mountain and the high mountain. There is an audio guide and an accessible audio guide.
The park protects the Laguna Negra, at about 1,800 metres, the Pico de Urbión, at 2,228, where the Duero rises, and a Scots pine forest that is part of the largest forested area in the Peninsula. Its fauna includes deer, roe deer, wild boar, rock partridge, European mink and the Rosalia longicorn, a protected beetle.
2026 opening hours
The Patrimonio Natural hours change almost every month:

In November: Fridays and Saturdays from 10:00 to 17:00; Sundays and the 2nd, from 10:00 to 14:00; the 1st, from 10:00 to 19:00. All other days, closed.
From 1 to 8 December: on the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 8th, from 10:00 to 14:00; from the 4th to the 7th, from 10:00 to 17:00.
In January it is closed.
In July and August it is open every day from 10:00 to 19:00.
In spring and autumn it is open mainly Thursday to Sunday, with extended hours at Easter and long weekends.

Patrimonio Natural warns that these are approximate. For guided visits, call 975 18 22 68 or 975 37 74 90, or write to cp.lagunanegra@patrimonionatural.org.
How to fit it in
It is on the road from Vinuesa to the lagoon, so the natural thing is to stop on the way there: they tell you whether access to the upper car park is open or whether you have to leave the car at the Paso de la Serrá car park and go up by shuttle or by the Senda del Arroyo. If you are going to do the Glacial Lakes Trail, ask here about the condition of the path and the forecast.
With children it works well as a complement to the Laguna Negra, especially on a foggy or rainy day. From Vinuesa you can also walk to it by the PRC-SO 43 walk, an easy 2.9 km circuit that passes the Casa del Parque itself.
- **Walk from Vinuesa to the Casa del Parque (PRC-SO 43)** (1 h · 2.9 km · Everyone): The PRC-SO 43 leaves Vinuesa and returns in a 2.9 km circuit of low difficulty, passing the Casa del Parque. It is good for stretching your legs on arrival or as an afternoon plan when the lake is in fog. Vinuesa is the park's main village, of stone manor houses, and from it the road to the lake begins.
The village
The town council calls Vinuesa the "Corte de los Pinares" (court of the pine forests): it is surrounded by one of the largest forests in the Peninsula, on the shore of the Cuerda del Pozo reservoir. It grew with the Cabaña Real de Carreteros (royal cart-drivers' guild) and the merino flocks, and that shows in its manor houses with coats of arms, balconies and large conical Pinares chimneys.
Before or after the walk, stroll round the elongated Plaza Mayor, with the town hall, the church and the seminary, and with arched doorways the size of a cart. From it rises Calle Luenga, with manor houses and palaces: the Casa de los Leones is there. The palace of the Marquises of Vilueña is a rectangular ashlar building commissioned in 1764. In the Plazuela there is a rollo (justice pillar) declared a Bien de Interés Cultural, and the washing place, from 1872, was paid for with money from villagers who emigrated to Veracruz, as its inscription recalls. The Portalejo, with its stone steps, links the upper and lower parts of the village.
The walk
The circuit is short and of low difficulty, suitable for children and for any time of year without snow. The Junta lists it as low difficulty; allow an hour at an easy pace plus the visit to the Casa del Parque, which is on the Laguna Negra road, at kilometre 3.
The Casa del Parque explains how glaciers carved the Urbión cirques and the traditional life of the district, and there they tell you the state of access to the lake. Check its hours first, because outside summer it is open few days a week and in January it is closed.
How to combine it
If you arrive at midday, this walk and the Casa del Parque fill the afternoon, and the next day you go up early to the Laguna Negra, by road or on foot by the Senda del Arroyo from the Paso de la Serrá car park. To eat in the village, see the Villa de Vinuesa restaurant; to sleep, the Villa de Vinuesa rural hotel. In summer, the Cuerda del Pozo reservoir, next to the village, rounds off the day.
- **From Covaleda to the Pico de Urbión on the GR 86.1** (5 h · 16.2 km · Experienced walkers): The GR 86.1 climbs from Covaleda to the Pico de Urbión in 16.2 km and about five hours, of high difficulty according to the Junta. It is the route for anyone who wants Urbión without going via the Laguna Negra, through Scots pine forests and high meadows. On the slopes of Urbión, at 2,228 metres, the River Duero rises. Arrange a car for the return or allow the whole day.
The route
Covaleda town council publishes its own, fuller version, as the "Ruta Pico de Urbión". It leaves the Plaza Mayor in the direction of Soria along the road, passes the hermitage of Nuestra Señora del Campo and, about a hundred metres later, at the bend, takes a tarmac track with a signpost marked "Bocalprado" to join the GR 86. Continue to the Becedo refuge, along a track, a sheepfold and the Mancerías meadows, and then, following the red and white GR waymarks, to the Muchachón refuge. From there it joins a track, which leads to the so-called Cruce de las Lagunas, and along it to the Pico de Urbión, where it joins the GR again just before the summit.
For the return, the council suggests coming down the north slope, the one carved by the glacier: from the base of the peak, along the GR 86 towards the Laguna Larga; then towards the Zurraquín pass and the Laguna Helada; and from there, by the track, to the Laguna Negra viewpoint, which according to the municipal sheet gives the best view of the lake. You return to Covaleda by the Muchachón refuge. In this circular version it is 23.9 km, about five hours of walking, of moderate-to-hard difficulty. The track can be downloaded from the council's website.
Doing part of it by car
The same sheet explains that you can shorten it a lot: by car, from the Plaza Mayor towards Burgos and along the track from the industrial estate, to the Becedo refuge, and start walking there. You can also continue by track from the Bocalprado refuge towards the Laguna Helada and the Laguna Negra viewpoint, as far as a car park.
Before you set out
It is a real mountain route: from June to October, without snow, with a good forecast and setting out early. There is no shade at the top and the weather changes quickly. Take water for the whole day, warm clothing, a map or the downloaded track and mountain footwear. Ask at the Casa del Parque, near Vinuesa, about the condition of the paths.
If you prefer to start at the lake, the Glacial Lakes Trail climbs Urbión in a 13 km circuit from the Laguna Negra. To stay in the area, the Santa Inés rural hotel is on the road from Vinuesa to the Laguna Negra.

## Dónde comer
- **Los Ranchales** (Restaurant, Vinuesa, €€). Qué pedir: ask about the mushroom dishes in season; book at weekends.
- **Hotel Villa de Vinuesa Restaurant** (Restaurant, Vinuesa, €€). Qué pedir: ask about the menu of the day and the seasonal dishes.

## By car: Driving to the Laguna Negra
You can reach the Laguna Negra by car, and on regulated days, with the shuttle from the Paso de la Serrá. From Soria you go up the N-234 towards Burgos and the Vinuesa turn-off; from Vinuesa, an 18 km mountain road leads to the Paso de la Serrá car park and, if it is open, to the upper one.
Presupuesto orientativo: 60–110 € por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir if you're driving
- **Villa de Vinuesa Rural Hotel** (Small hotel): In Vinuesa
The Villa de Vinuesa is a rural hotel with the Junta's tourist trust seal, on Calle Carretera, in the centre of the village and on the way out to the Laguna Negra. It has 23 rooms for 47 people: 2 singles, 18 doubles and 3 triples. According to its official listing, the rooms have air conditioning, telephone, smart TV and hairdryer, and there is wifi.
In the building there is a restaurant and bar, a garden and waterside terrace, a meeting room, garage or parking and bicycle hire. It accepts dogs and credit cards. The hotel has no website of its own with prices, check-in and check-out times or conditions for pets, so confirm them when you book on 680 35 29 30.
Eating at the hotel
The hotel restaurant, two forks in the official classification, has 68 table seats and 37 at the bar, a waterside terrace and buffet service, and is open to non-guests too; its booking number is 661 32 76 05. It does not publish a menu or hours. Having a dining room in the same building is practical when you come back tired from the mountain.
For the lake
The Laguna Negra is about 18 kilometres from Vinuesa on the road leaving the village. At Easter, on long weekends and in summer the Junta usually regulates access: the upper car park is closed to private cars, you leave the car in the paid Paso de la Serrá car park and go up by shuttle bus or on foot by the Senda del Arroyo, 1.7 kilometres with 218 metres of ascent. Each year's dates and rates are confirmed at the Casa del Parque (975 18 22 68). From the hotel, the Casa del Parque is a walk away: the PRC-SO 43 leaves the village and returns in 2.9 kilometres passing it. In November 2026 it is open Friday and Saturday from 10:00 to 17:00 and Sunday from 10:00 to 14:00, and in July and August every day from 10:00 to 19:00.
Who it suits
For its size and services it works well for families, with its three triples, for those travelling with a dog and for anyone who wants to cycle round the pine forests without bringing their own bike. Being in the centre, you have the rest of the village to hand.
- **Santa Inés Rural Hotel** (Small hotel): On the way out of Vinuesa
Santa Inés is a rural hotel in the La Rambla area, on the way out of Vinuesa towards the Laguna Negra. According to its entry in the Turismo de Castilla y León register, it has 20 rooms for 40 people: 2 singles, 16 doubles and 2 triples, plus three extra beds, useful if you are travelling with children. It holds the Castilla y León tourist trust seal.
The hotel has no website of its own with information on rooms, services or prices. The web address given by the official register leads to the page of another hotel in the village, so the safe thing is to ask directly: phone 667 25 26 87 and email hotelrsantaines@gmail.com. Ask about breakfast, parking, whether pets are accepted and check-in and check-out times, because they are not published in official sources.
For the lake
Its location is its main argument: it is on the way to the lake, so you set out early and arrive before the upper car park fills. The Laguna Negra is about 18 kilometres from Vinuesa on the road leaving the village. At Easter, on long weekends and in summer the Junta usually regulates access: the upper car park is closed to private cars, you leave the car in the paid Paso de la Serrá car park and go up by shuttle bus or on foot by the Senda del Arroyo, 1.7 kilometres with 218 metres of ascent. Each year's dates and rates are confirmed at the Casa del Parque (975 18 22 68).
For foggy or rainy days, the Casa del Parque, on the same road, explains the formation of the Urbión glacial cirques and is where to ask about the state of the routes. In November 2026 it is open on Friday and Saturday from 10:00 to 17:00 and on Sunday from 10:00 to 14:00; in July and August, every day from 10:00 to 19:00. From the village there is also the PRC-SO 43, a 2.9-kilometre circular walk of low difficulty.
Who it suits
It suits those who want to sleep near the lake to make an early start and families who need a triple or an extra bed. For dinner, the centre of Vinuesa is a short drive away.

## As a family: A Glacial Lake Two Hundred Metres from the Car

The Laguna Negra is one of the few mountain lakes you can reach with small children without effort: from the upper car park it is 200 metres. If it is closed to cars, the shuttle or the Senda del Arroyo turn it into a small outing.

### What works best
The lake shore, with the rock wall and Machado's legend

The Senda del Arroyo, with wooden bridges and streams, from age 6 or 7

The Casa del Parque, for a spell under cover

The short walk in Vinuesa, 2.9 km with no difficulty

### Where to stay
Villa de Vinuesa, with triple rooms and a garden

Santa Inés, with triples and extra beds

### Eating
In Vinuesa, by booking: the restaurants do not publish their hours

### Worth knowing
The climb to Urbión is not for small children: 13 km and four hours

Away from the shore, the cliffs have no protection

On regulated days, arrive early: the car park fills up

### Qué hacer as a family
- The Laguna Negra de Urbión
- Senda del Arroyo (SO9), from the Paso de la Serrá to the Laguna Negra
- Laguna Negra Park House and the Urbión Glacial Cirques
- Walk from Vinuesa to the Casa del Parque (PRC-SO 43)

## Consejos

### Arrive early
On regulated days, the Paso de la Serrá car park fills up and the road up is closed: arrive first thing.

### Keep your ticket
The car park ticket lets you into the Casa del Parque, for up to five people.

### Mountain footwear
Even for the Senda del Arroyo: it is short, but steep, with roots and stones.

### Call the Casa del Parque in winter
They will tell you whether there is snow or ice on the track before you leave Soria.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### Can you drive up to the Laguna Negra?
Yes, except on regulated-access days (Easter, long weekends and summer), when you park at the Paso de la Serrá and go up by shuttle or on foot.

### How much does parking at the Laguna Negra cost?
In the last published regulation, €4 per car at the Paso de la Serrá on regulated days, and €1.20 for the shuttle. Confirm the fares for the year.

### How long does it take from Soria?
Around an hour and a quarter, about 50 km via Vinuesa.

### How far do you walk to the lake?
200 metres from the upper car park, or 1.7 km along the Senda del Arroyo from the Paso de la Serrá.

### Can you climb the Pico de Urbión from the Laguna Negra?
Yes, by the SO6: a 13 km circular route, 480 metres of climb and about four hours.

### What are the Casa del Parque's opening hours?
In November 2026, Friday and Saturday from 10:00 to 17:00 and Sunday from 10:00 to 14:00; in January it closes, and in July and August it opens every day.