Facilities
Live the Park
The sports you can practice within the Park area
The Gola della Rossa e di Frasassi Natural Regional Park extends over 10,026 hectares and it is a natural oasis that offers the opportunity to practice many sports in the open air and much more. Interesting natural phenomena occurring in this area: karst phenomena and presence of sulphur springs originating an underground realm of incomparable beauty, namely the Frasassi Gullies.
The sports you can practice within the Park area are listed below.
Hiking
The Park offers a network of 35 marked hiking trails covering a more-than-170 km long way, which allows us to admire the typical floristic and faunal heritage of the preapennine environment.
For further information on this trail or other ones we suggest you to consult the Quaderno del Parco n.2 "Itinerari escursionistici" or the Park's website www.parcogolarossa.it under the section "escursioni".
Mountain-bike
Hikes by mountain bike are mainly carried out on dirt roads both in the mountains and the valley bottoms. On the Park's hiking map some itineraries are described, which are proposed just for the practice of this activity, while paths are generally dedicated to hikes on foot because they are subject to a quick road surface decay, especially in the steepest stretches.
- Hiking map
Parco Naturale della Gola della Rossa e di Frasassi (Scale 1:25.000) e della Comunità Montana dell'Esino-Frasassi (Scale 1:50.000)
Horse riding
The thick net of mule tracks and dirt roads within the Park is ideal for hiking on horseback, this is why several itineraries of this kind are indicated on the hiking map. Some of the Park's structures offer visitors the opportunity to carry out this activity also with the help of a guide during hikes.
- Hiking map
Parco Naturale della Gola della Rossa e di Frasassi (Scale 1:25.000) e della Comunità Montana dell'Esino-Frasassi (Scale 1:50.000)
Mountaineering and climbing
On the vertical limestone sides of the Gullies and of the main mountain reliefs many rock ways have been opened over the years, both in the style of the classical mountaineering and of the modern sport climbing. Some areas are considered as "gyms" attended for training and exercising purposes.
Notice that in some areas the mountaineering activities are regulated in order to avoid any annoyance to the birds of prey nesting on the rock faces. For further information we suggest you to consult the Park's website www.parcogolarossa.it under the section "normative".
Speleology
The Grande del Vento Cave has been opened to the public since 1974, and it gives the opportunity to be acquainted with the karst hypogeum areas. Speleology, meant as an activity of exploration, documentation, scientific research in particular and ecologically fragile natural environments, goes beyond its exclusively sport dimension. The speleological groups working in the region periodically organize introduction courses that allow people to safely approach this discipline according to a correct eco-friendly way.
Notice that some hypogeum areas are subject to a restricted access regulation.
For further information we suggest you to visit the Park's website www.parcogolarossa.it under the section "normative".
Canoeing and rafting
The rivers Sentino and Esino, respectively crossing the Frasassi and Rossa Gullies, have many stretches ideal to practice these water sports. When planning a descent, as well as for any torrential water course, it is important to take into account the local water conditions because depending on them, also the route's practicability and difficulty level can significantly change.
