Il Parco

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<p style=”text-align: justify;”>The Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga National Park is in central Italy, located in the heart of Apennines and covers 3 regions (Abruzzo, Lazio and Marche), 5 provinces (L’Aquila, Teramo, Pescara, Rieti and Ascoli Piceno) and <a href=”http://www.gransassolagapark.it/paesi.php” target=”_blank”> 44 city councils</a>.
It is composed by 3 mountains groups: the Gran Sasso dolomitic limestone mountain range where is, with Corno Grande (Big Horn) at 2,912 meters which is the highest Apennines peak and where you can see the southernmost glacier in Europe, <a href=”http://www.gransassolagapark.it/pagina.php?id=41″ target=”_blank”>Ghiacciaio del Calderone</a>; Monti della Laga (Laga Mountains) which are located in the northern part of the National Park where the highest peak is Monte Gorzano (2,458 meters): they represent the widest and highest arenaceous group in the Apennines; in the north-eastern area of the Park there are the Monti Gemelli (Twin Mounts), two limestone mountains with karst areas.</p>
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<div class=”col-xs-12 col-sm-3 top-buffer”><a href=”http://www.campingceppo.it/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/aquila.png”><img class=”alignnone wp-image-369 size-full” src=”http://www.campingceppo.it/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/aquila.png” alt=”Aquila” width=”400″ height=”250″ /></a></div>
<div class=”col-xs-12 col-sm-3 top-buffer”><a href=”http://www.campingceppo.it/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/cerbiatto.png”><img class=”alignnone wp-image-370 size-full” src=”http://www.campingceppo.it/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/cerbiatto.png” alt=”Cerbiatto” width=”400″ height=”250″ /></a></div>
<div class=”col-xs-12 col-sm-3 top-buffer”><a href=”http://www.campingceppo.it/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/cinghiale.png”><img class=”alignnone wp-image-371 size-full” src=”http://www.campingceppo.it/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/cinghiale.png” alt=”Cinghiale” width=”400″ height=”250″ /></a></div>
<div class=”col-xs-12 col-sm-3 top-buffer”><a href=”http://www.campingceppo.it/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Lupo.png”><img class=”alignnone wp-image-372 size-full” src=”http://www.campingceppo.it/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Lupo.png” alt=”Lupo” width=”400″ height=”250″ /></a></div>
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<strong>Flora</strong>
<p style=”text-align: justify;”>The <a href=”https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flora” target=”_blank”>flora</a> range in Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga NationalPark is extremely wide, depending on the area and altitude: from the south-eastern part of Gran Sasso group on the L’Aquila side to the north-western part on the Teramo side the landscape changes completely.
In fact, in the south-eastern part <a href=”https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wood” target=”_blank”>woods </a>grow only at low altitudes and they are mainly formed by <a href=”https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinus_nigra” target=”_blank”>black pines </a> and oaks (near Castel Del Monte, Santo Stefano di Sessanio, Barisciano and <a href=”https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Pio_delle_Camere” target=”_blank”>San Pio delle Camere </a>). At higher altitudes there are <a href=”https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pasture” target=”_blank”>pastures </a>and only in the Fonte Vetica area we can find a small group of spruces and <a href=”https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birch” target=”_blank”>birches</a>.
Plants that can be typically found at medium altitudes are <a href=”https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quercus_cerris” target=”_blank”>turkey oaks</a>, <a href=”https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple” target=”_blank”>apple trees</a>, <a href=”https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gentiana” target=”_blank”>gentian </a> (abundantly present on the Gran Sasso on the l’Aquila side and which represent a protected species, also gathered by the locals in order to produce the famous spirit), <a href=”https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juniper” target=”_blank”>juniper</a> (protected as well and abundant on the Pizzo Cefalone peak).
In the higher area and the <a href=”https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campo_Imperatore” target=”_blank”>Campo Imperatore</a> plain the terrain is exclusively for pastures.
In the northern area of Gran Sasso, on the Teramo side, we can mostly find wide <a href=”https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beech” target=”_blank”>beech trees</a> woods which makes the landscape really suggestive, especially in near Pietracamela, a small village located at the foot of <a href=”https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corno_Piccolo” target=”_blank”>Corno Piccolo </a>peak and that is reachable exclusively by the road n. 80 if you come from Teramo or from the Capannelle pass. Among the trees that grow in the area we can find <a href=”https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yew” target=”_blank”>yews</a>, hollies, <a href=”https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maple” target=”_blank”>mountain maples</a>, service trees and white spruces. Also, there are peculiar species which deserve to be mentioned: <a href=”https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willow” target=”_blank”>herbaceous willow</a>, <a href=”https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leontopodium_alpinum” target=”_blank”>Apennines edelweisses </a>(quite present on Gran Sasso and extremely protected), Magellan’s <a href=”https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranunculus” target=”_blank”>ranunculi </a>, bear’s ear <a href=”https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primula_vulgaris” target=”_blank”>primrose </a>, adonidus, <a href=”https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papaver_alpinum” target=”_blank”>alpine poppy </a>, <a href=”https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astragalus” target=”_blank”>astragalo </a>, <a href=”https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soldanella” target=”_blank”>soldanella </a>and alpine <a href=”https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anemone” target=”_blank”>anemone</a>.</p>

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<div class=”col-xs-6 col-sm-3″><a href=”http://www.campingceppo.it/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/stambecco.png”><img class=”alignnone size-full wp-image-373″ src=”http://www.campingceppo.it/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/stambecco.png” alt=”Stambecco” width=”400″ height=”250″ /></a></div>
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<strong>Fauna</strong>
<p style=”text-align: justify;”>The protected area is also populated by many <a href=”https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mammal” target=”_blank”>mammals </a>and <a href=”https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bird” target=”_blank”>birds </a>. The most interesting species in the Park is the Abruzzo’s <a href=”https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chamois” target=”_blank”>chamois </a>, an indigenous ungulate of the Apennines that was mainly living on the Gran Sasso until the last century. The persecution by the camozze hunters caused their disappearance. After one hundred years the chamois came back on the Gran Sasso thank to a successful plan to reinstate them in the area (between 1992 and 1999). Currently the population is stable around the 110 specimens.
In the Park territory also live many herbivorous as the noble <a href=”https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deer” target=”_blank”>deers</a>, roe deers and their main predator, the <a href=”https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurasian_wolf” target=”_blank”>Apennine wolf</a>, which is forming small packs again. Lately the <a href=”https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marsican_brown_bear” target=”_blank”>marsican brown bear </a>made sporadic appearances.
Among the other <a href=”https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marsican_brown_bear” target=”_blank”>mammals</a>, there are <a href=”https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fox” target=”_blank”>foxes</a>, <a href=”https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wild_boar” target=”_blank”>wild boars</a>, <a href=”https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marten” target=”_blank”>martens</a>, <a href=”https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wildcat” target=”_blank”>wildcats</a>, <a href=”https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Badger” target=”_blank”>badgers</a>, <a href=”https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marten” target=”_blank”>stone martens</a>, <a href=”https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skunk” target=”_blank”>skunks</a>, <a href=”https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porcupine” target=”_blank”>porcupines</a> and other rodents. There have been some advisory of linx sighting but currently there are no certainties about samples permanently living in the Park.
At the higher altitudes it is possible to see the snow water vole, a small rodent which arrived here with the last ice age and then remained.
Among the birds, there are rare species like the <a href=”https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_eagle” target=”_blank”>golden eagle</a>, <a href=”https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_goshawk” target=”_blank”>goshawk</a>, <a href=”https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marsican_brown_bear” target=”_blank”>peregrine </a>, <a href=”https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lanner_falcon” target=”_blank”>falcon lanario</a>, <a href=”https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kestrel” target=”_blank”>kestrel</a>, <a href=”https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falco_subbuteo” target=”_blank”>lodolaio</a>, <a href=”https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horned_owl” target=”_blank”>eagle owl</a>. The most represantive bird group is the one living at high altitudes, amongst which the more numerous are the alpine <a href=”https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_chaffinch” target=”_blank”>chaffinch</a>, <a href=”https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pipit” target=”_blank”>spioncello</a> and <a href=”https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpine_accentor” target=”_blank”>pispola esordone</a>. It is also possible to see the <a href=”https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_partridge” target=”_blank”>coturnice</a>, <a href=”https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_rock_thrush” target=”_blank”>codirossone</a>, <a href=”https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpine_chough” target=”_blank”>alpine gracchio</a> and <a href=”https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red-billed_chough” target=”_blank”>coral gracchio</a>, all of them with considerable population at European level. Some local people also saw several <a href=”https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marsican_brown_bear” target=”_blank”>Heron</a> in the Campotosto Lake area and near Crognaleto.</p>

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