The National Park of Gran Sasso-Laga.
Established in 1993, it spreads on 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 presents 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).