Mercantour National Park

23 Rue d’Italie, BP 1316,
06006 Nice
The French Riviera & Maritime Alps
France
33 04 93 16 78 88

http://www.parc-mercantour.com

Type: National Park

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The Parc National du Mercantour in the Alpes Maritimes, together with its cross-border partner, the Parco Naturale Alpi Marittime, protect an extraordinary Alpine habitat. On the French side alone, 830 square miles of wild, mountainous landscapes are maintained primarily for the benefit of the natural environment – educational and recreational uses being secondary. That’s not to say the park is off-limits. Unlike parts of the wetlands reserve of the Camargue, where thousands of acres are closed to the public, most of the Mercantour can be sensitively explored. The reward, to the careful walker, is the opportunity to see species of flora and fauna that, until recently, were nearly extinct in this region. A core area, covering about 265 square miles, is maintained for the protection of nature. Within this area, all vehicles are banned (including mountain bikes), as are fires, noise, weapons, dogs and camping. Bivouacs (without tents) are allowed between 7 pm and 9 am but only in areas more than an hour’s walk from park boundaries or access roads. You can’t even paraglide over this area lower than 1,000 m/3,280 feet above ground. The peripheral area, covering about 565 square miles, includes 28 mountain resorts and a handful of ski resorts. It is managed to insure a balance between environmental protection, visitors, local development and traditional activities. Information about the Parc Mercantour is available from several Visitors Centers (Maisons du Parc), from tourist offices and from information points scattered throughout the region.