The complex Phanerozoic tectonic evolution of the western margin of South America, including extensional, neutral, and contractional deformation regimes, provides an opportunity to test how sedimentary systems were affected by variable tectonics on a long-lived active margin. Here, we report new geologic mapping, measured stratigraphic sections, paleocurrent measurements, and detrital zircon U-Pb ages from the Fiambalá area, NW Argentina, that together constrain the evolution of sediment routing and basin systems of the northern Sierras Pampeanas during Carboniferous to Miocene time. Carboniferous to Triassic strata of the Paganzo Group include fluvial, lacustrine, and eolian intervals deposited in an extensional setting with SSW-directed paleocurrent orientations. The Mesozoic El Pedernal Formation consists of a lower, basalt interval and an upper, conglomerate and sandstone interval, which has a new detrital zircon maximum depositional age of ca. 88 Ma. Observed strata of the Miocene Tambería Formation include fluvial to eolian sandstones of the lower member of the formation and alluvial conglomerates of the middle member. Whereas lower member Tambería fluvial strata have SSW-oriented paleocurrents, middle member conglomerates indicate broadly E-directed paleoflow.Detrital zircon age distributions of the Paganzo Group, El Pedernal Formation, and Tambería Formation are remarkably consistent, with dominant age peaks ca. 1.3–0.9 Ga and ca. 660-450 Ma. The ages and relative magnitudes of these peaks are consistent with derivation from igneous sources associated with Choiyoi magmatism (330-215 Ma), the Famatinian (490-450 Ma) and Pampean (540-510 Ma) orogens, basement of the MARA block (ca. 1.3–0.9 Ga), and recycling of Neoproterozoic to Cambrian sedimentary successions derived from central Gondwana (ca. 1.3–0.9 Ga, 650-590 Ma, 540-510 Ma).The consistent paleocurrent orientations and detrital zircon U-Pb ages of the Carboniferous Paganzo Group to the Miocene lower member of the Tambería Formation suggest that a S-directed axial drainage network with a consistent sediment source area persisted in the region for ∼300 Myr. This axial drainage network was succeeded by an E-directed transverse drainage network initiated between 15 Ma and 8 Ma due to growth of the Andean thrust wedge, coeval with tectonic compartmentalization and drainage modification of nearby foreland depocenters. These findings highlight the potential for long-term persistence of drainage networks on continental margins under changing tectonic regimes.