Self-guided Nature Trail
- Trail Conditions: On foot
- Departure: Rocchetta Tanaro
- Duration: 1 hour/s
- Difference in height: 100m
- Road access: reach the parking area by taking SC road Rocchetta T.-S. Emiliano Mombercelli.
- Maps: 1:25.000 sheet 691 SE
- Parking area-Casa Parco-Rio Ronsinaggio-Val du Gee-Strada comunale Rocchetta Tanaro/Mombercelli-Parking area
After leaving the car in the large parking area, the tour starts by taking the non-asphalt road, where no vehicles are allowed. The itinerary follows the ridge, running along an oak woodland on the left, mainly consisting of sessile oaks. When you reach the building of "Casa Parco", you will enjoy a wonderful view of the surrounding hills, with the tidy rows of the vineyards, the thickness of the chestnut tree tops, and the roofs of the houses of Gatti country hamlet. After the stop, go ahead along the flat trail. The trail turns right and goes down across the uncultivated land to enter again the woodland and reach the valley bottom. If you turn left, you will find yourself near the eastern border of the Park, marked by rio Ronsinaggio; when you reach another trail marker, turn left again, and enter the woodland. At about 50 meters from the last turn on the left, you will be surprised by the large and characteristic foliage of the "great beech tree", a centuries-old specimen growing at about 140 meters above sea-level, its minimum altitude in Piedmont. Climbing, the woodland changes and the hygrophile vegetation gradually disappears to give way to sessile oaks, Turkey oaks, downy oaks. The several tufts of the Common Bracken forming in summer a thick stratum and the elegant flowers of the orchids will accompany the visitors along the way, in the stretch of the coppice chestnut tree woodland ending at the wooden bar. Here, turning left opposite to the farmstead of loc. Monfalcone, you will go back to the departure point by following the asphalt road for about 400m.
