Vanoise National Park
Created in 1963, Vanoise National Park covers two-thirds of Pralognan-la-Vanoise, offering a vast expanse of protected mountain wilderness for hikers to explore, and which contains an incredibly wide variety of wild plants and animals.
Located between the upper Maurienne and Tarentaise valleys, high-mountain terrain and too many 3000-meter peaks to count cover almost the entire park. In the center of Vanoise National Park, several major and minor glaciers carve their way down the rugged, rocky terrain, towards more wide open valleys and broad, easy-to-access mountain passes.
The vast mix of rocks (limestone, gypsum, sandstone, quartz, gneiss, schist, and other metamorphic rock) makes up the park’s extremely complex geology. The high altitude, as well as its location at the crossroads between several climates and weather patterns, contributes to the range’s incredibly rich geology, flora, and fauna.
Department : Savoie
Surface area, central zone: 535 km²
400 km of marked trails
Altitudes within the park: high point, 3855m (Grande Casse), low point, 1280m.
Shares a common boundary with Gran Paradiso National Park in Italy.
Sister parks since 1972, Vanoise and Gran Paradiso national parks represent one of the largest protected spaces in Western Europe, covering a total surface area of 1250 km².
For more information, check out Vanoise National Park’s website: http://www.vanoise-parcnational.fr.
Park map
Specific rules & regulations
One of the national park’s roles is to welcome and educate the general public about the environment. Vanoise National Park is accessible and open to everyone. In addition, all local stakeholders and visitors are required follow a certain number of rules to preserve and protect the park’s incredible natural environment.
The park’s central zone is indicated by signs located along the main hiking trails and by colored markings. A specific set of rules and regulations applies to this part of the park. On IGN topographic maps, a wide green line marks the boundaries of the park’s central zone.
Maison de la Vanoise Visitor Center
In the summer and winter, the Maison de la Vanoise Visitor Center includes an information-welcome desk, a boutique, an exhibit area, and a conference room for educational presentations and activities.
To venture out and about in the park itself, rangers also organize a variety of activities for you to learn more about the area’s preserved and protected natural wonders: workshops, games focusing on biodiversity, and naturalist outings to observe the park’s wild flora and fauna.
Display map