Organization
Established in 1993, it spreads over 203.000 hectares on the 
territory of 57 communes divided among the provinces of L'Aquila, Teramo,
Pescara, Ascoli Piceno and Rieti. Inside it the mountainous chains of Gran Sasso and of
the Monti della Laga are completely included. The Group of the Gran Sasso is situated
between the basin of the river Vomano in the north and the river Aterno-Pescara in the
south.
The main structure is constituted by a long ridge line stretching from the
Passo delle Capannelle to Vado di Sole; in the western 
part, past Monte S. Franco, the
chain parts in two sections which rejoin on Monte Aquila. The first stretches towards
South and is constituted by the ranging Monte Ienca, Pizzo di Camarda, Cresta delle
Malecoste, Pizzo Cefalone, Monte Portella; the other one extending eastward is constituted
by the ranging Monte Corvo, Pizzo d'Intermesoli, Corno Piccolo and Corno Grande, which
border the Karst plain of Campo Pericoli and the high grassland of Venacquaro. Moreover
this ramification includes the peaks of the mounts Prena (2561 mts) and Camicia (2570 mts)
-where there is the highest source of the Apennine, Fonte Grotta, with interesting
concretions in the small pools of clear and icy water - and, under the northern side of
the Corno Grande, the Calderone, the only glacier of the Apennine and the most southern of
Europe. South of the massif spreads the endless plain of Campo Imperatore, at 1600 mts of
height.
The chain of the Laga is North-South oriented and pres
ents two sides, which
differ for climate and structure. The eastern side, more humid and cold, goes down towards
the river plains of the Vomano, Tordino, Salinello, Vibrata, the other side in the
territory of L'Aquila, Rieti and Ascoli, throws itself on the Lake of Campotosto, on the
valley of the Tronto and on the gorges hollowed out by the latter in the territory of
Ascoli.
The main ridge, again above two thousand meters, is constituted by the peaks of the Monte
della Laghetta (2369 mts), of the Monte Gorzano (2458 mts) and the Pizzo di Sevo (2421
mts).
Laga offers an extremely valuable patrimony of fauna and vegetation. 
even though more rarely, holly, maples of
different species, mountain and fowler sorbs, cherry trees, wild apple and pear trees, yew
trees. A special mention must be made of the small woods of white fir trees (Selva di
Cortino, Bosco Martese ) remainders of the old mixed gathering of fir trees and beeches of
the Apennine.
and martagons, with
belladonna, raspberry bushes and many species more; the glades are brightened up by the
colours of the different species of wild orchids while the high grasslands are
characterized by the presence of a moorland of black bilberry. On the Laga there are also
large extensions of chestnut woods, quite unusual in our region.
which consists
of dividing the whole territory in zones. The Board has set very severe restraints on full
protection areas and it has established more flexible rules for tourism in the remaining
ones. At present, the Park is divided into 4 zones: Full Reserve, General Reserve,
Protection Zone and Development Zone. Almost every town has been provided with a Tourist
Information Centre and with Zonal Offices. A Centre for the Apennine Ecological Studies
has also been established in order to do research and publish data on the rarest animal
species.
is
inhabited by bears, chamois, wolves, and deer. The symbol of the Park is the Marsican
Brown Bear, which represented, until recently, an endangered species. At present, this
danger seems to have been averted, thanks to the punctual protection activity of the Park
Board. Indeed, there are about 80 examples of bear living both in the Park area and in the
nearby mountains. The Board of the National Park of Abruzzo has also taken several
initiatives about other areas.
Operation
Chamois that has favoured the reappearance of the mountain goat even on the Eastern
Majella and the Gran Sasso.
past
glaciations and karst phenomena have marked the morphology of the mountain environment.
The rock is calcareous.
Beech is the predominant
one. But mingled with beeches there are also examples of Sycamore Maple, Sorb, Laburnum,
Hazel, Wild Apple-tree, Wild Pear and Wild Cherry-tree, and, rarely of Holly. Local
pinewoods of Black Pine can be seen in Villetta Barrea and the Camosciara.
provinces of Pescara, Chieti, and L'Aquila
involving 39 communes. The Majella mountain range is clearly connected with the Morrone
mountain. The rounded massif of the Majella is very characteristic. Similar to a
magnificent, elliptical dome, it dominates the Abruzzo countryside rising up between the
sea and the Apennine range. 
Cima delle Murelle (2,596 mts) and Monte Focalone
(2,676 mts) with almost dolomitic faces.
nted by the wolf, the Marsican brown
bear, chamois, red-deer, roe-deer, and 130 species of birds including the now rare
peregrine, lanner-falcon, golden eagle, goshawk, eagle-owl and the dotterel that in Italy
nests only in this mountain.
f the
different coverings of vegetation. Firstly there are woods formed of oaks, maples,
hornbeams, manna-ash, and holm-oaks. Higher up, towards 900-1,000 mts the forest covering
is made up of beech and mountain maple.
n ancient times it was sacred to
the goddess Maja, and in the Middle Ages it became a place of prayer to numerous hermits,
amongst these was the famous Pietro Angeleri, who then became Pope Celestino V. 
Lazio to the west, on the Plain
of Fucino to the south and on the river Aterno to the north. It includes Monte Velino,
whose 2,468 metres make it the Apennines third highest peak, and the massif of Sirente,
which is formed by a single almost straight ridge of about 20 kms and whose topmost peak,
called Monte Sirente, is 2,348 mts high. 
gical and tectonic
structure. According to Dionysius of Halicarnassous, the name "Velino" comes
from the Greek word Hetos, which means "swamp". Though its present barren aspect
makes it impossible to believe , at the beginning of the Quaternary period the massif
contained a series of high altitude lakes, whose traces give the landscape an enchanting
look. The karst phenomena are especially noticeable here. They produced the Grotte di
Stiffe, in the district of S. Demetrio ne' Vestini. An underground river, lei by the
sink-holes water of the karst plateau of the Rocche, runs across the caves. Inside you can
admire several small lakes and falls up to 20 metres high. In the various sections of the
caves, besides the stalactites and stalagmites, you can enjoy the marvellous visual and
sound-effects produced by the water. Outside you can admire the falls created by the water
flowing out from the caves. Guided tours to the Grotte di Stiffe, by the L'Aquila
Spelaeological Group, are available every day in July and August, but only on Saturday and
Sunday in the rest of the year.