The Natural Gran Bosco park of Salbertrand is extending at the right side of the Susa Valley for 3775 hectares on the municipality of Chiomonte, Exilles, Oulx, Salbertrand, Sauze d’Oulx, Pragelato and Usseaux . It has a particular naturalistic value : 700 hectares of mix forest of European Spruce and Silver Fir ( very rare on Occidental Alps ) unique on the landscape of the Piedmont vegetation, there are all the Conifers of the alpine environnement. This park is the natural habitat for a very rich fauna: lots of birds of prey between them the Northern Goshawk, the sparrowhawk, the common buzzard, the kestrel, the eagle oul, the tengmalm’s oul and a couple of golden eagle. Between the mammal you can find some marmots, hare, fox ,squirrels and others little rodents ,chamois, wild boars, deers and roers.
For further information http://www.parcogranboscosalbertrand.it/ https://www.parchialpicozie.it/
At the Park headquarters in Via Fransuà Fontan 1 in Salbertrand it is possible to visit a large exhibition of the fauna present in the park, in particular the avifauna.
In good weather it is possible to visit the Butterfly Garden located behind the headquarters
From Oulx it starts an hiking trail in the National Park Gran Bosco :
The SENTIERO DEI FRANCHI from GAD to SALBERTRAND .
Start : Gad village (1064 m)
Arrive : Salbertrand (1031 m)
Maximum altitude: (1200 m)
Difference in altitude: 140 m
Walking time : 2h
Water points : Gad and Salbertrand
Difficulty: E-excursion
Start from Gad village, the path from Oulx to Salbertrand, locally known as Viò du Sarazin (Saracen Path), follow the same trail of the Via Francigena (that come up from Susa Valley plane to Montgenevre pass following medieval pilgrims path ), crossing the lower part of National Park Gran Bosco of Salbertrand and overlap in part the Ecomuseo Colombano Romean itinerary. Walk for 1,3 km of white road and mule track and then you will find the boundaries of the National Park Gran Bosco of Salbertrand (at 1050 m.) near by the Rio Gran Comba stream. Here the path crosses a military shooting range and sometimes it is stopped for military excercises. Climb and follow the mountain side in the pine forest, looking at your left the Dora Riparia river and the Orfù lake and take the Salbertrand direction,in a place called Les Oure, (whitewash kilns) where you will find many references to the material culture and to the territory resources explotations. In proximity it is possible to visit the ecomuseum of coal bin and icebox dating back of the XIX century ,with the little supply lake The Sentiero dei Franchi continue to Sapè of Exilles and Frais before going out of the National Park Gran Bosco : to come back follow the same path again or take a train from Salbertrand railway station to Oulx
