In 1908, Percy Fawcett first explored the area that is now the national park. It was not until almost 70 years later that the area was looked at again. In the 1970s geologists were sent to the area to survey the rock formations of the Precambrian Shield region in Bolivia. They published on the geology and landforms and produced the first maps. This expedition attracted the attention of conservation biologist Noel Kempff Mercado. Mercado recognized the global significance of the area enough to propose a campaign to preserve it. Mercado was murdered by drug traffickers in 1986, before the campaign achieved its aims. The government declared a 750,000 hectare area of undisturbed land as a national park in 1988, and named it in his honour.

When someday comes you'll need to get in.

When someday comes you'll need to be able to get around.