The park itself is composed mostly of the Dauphiné Alps, a prominent mountain range that is located just to the south of Grenoble. Écrins National Park covers an area of just over 908 square kilometers of mountains. There are also glacial fields and valleys as well as pastures, woodlands, rivers and lakes.

Écrins National Park in France by Guillaume Baviere

The most prominent mountain peak within the Park is that of the Barre des Ecrins which rises more than 4,102 meters above sea level. However, there are many other mountain peaks that can be found in or around Écrins National Park.

There are many things to see and do in Écrins National Park regardless of the time of year. The glacial fields and valleys are perfect for skiing especially during the wintertime. The rest of the region offers some of the finest summertime recreation available; including hiking, camping as well as canoeing and kayaking. There are number of rivers that can be found throughout the park including the Romanche, Drac as well as the Durance.

Huge waterfall in Écrins National Park, France by Guillaume Baviere

Écrins National Park is important wildlife protection area that has been dedicated to a number of important animal and plant life; some of which is in danger of extinction. Nonetheless, choosing to visit the park is an amazing experience regardless of who you are. The awe-inspiring and picturesque views that are afforded to one who visits Écrins National Park, make the trek worthwhile.

There is a reason why so many people make their way to the Écrins National Park each and every single year. From the natural beauty to the untouched wonders the park has to offer, you could find yourself busy for days on end.

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Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Conor Lawless

Region is very rich in interesting flora and fauna. There are growing olive trees and oaks, rare saxifrage, gentian, rhododendron, pine, spruce, fir and larch. The park is home to chamois, mouflon, red deer, roe deer, boars, wolves, foxes, ermine, eagles, buzzards, rare butterflies and marmots. Geological composition but also appearance of this area is different from other parts of the Alps and rather resemble Carpathians in Central Europe.

Mercantour National Park welcomes yearly about 800,000 tourists who have the opportunity to wander the marked hiking trails in the total length of 600 kilometres. The trails pass through 28 villages with remarkable architecture. It is worth to see one of the most interesting attractions – Vallée des Merveilles (Valley of the Miracles) with its 40,000 prehistoric engravings from the period of about 3000 BC – 1500 BC, showing human figures, animals, weapons, and symbolic figures, that are still exploring.

The Mercantour national park is an ideal destination for hiking, alpinism or ski touring. It is one of the nine national parks of France.

View Mercantour National Park in France in a larger map

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