Parco Naturale Regionale delle Dolomiti d’Ampezzo covers roughly 11,000 hectares of Dolomite peaks, forests and alpine meadows surrounding Cortina d’Ampezzo, reaching from the valley floor up toward the Tofane, Cristallo and Fanes-Sennes-Braies massifs. It draws hikers and climbers who want direct access to UNESCO World Heritage terrain without leaving marked, maintained trails.
Trails fan out from the visitor center toward the Fanes plateau, the Rio Felizon gorge and the Son Forca ridge, passing waterfalls like Fanes and glacial lakes such as Lago di Federa and the Fanes lakes, where turquoise water sits against grey limestone walls. Chamois, golden eagles and marmots are regularly spotted along higher routes, and the park’s rifugi, including Rifugio Fanes and Rifugio Croda da Lago, offer food and overnight beds for multi-day traverses. Interpretive panels along lower-elevation paths explain the area’s geology and Ladin cultural history, and rangers run guided walks through summer focused on botany and wildlife tracking.
Visitor Highlights & Practical Info
Visit between June and September for open rifugi and snow-free high passes; July and August bring the heaviest foot traffic, so early starts help on weekends. The visitor center at Via Mons. P. Frenademez 1 in Cortina stocks trail maps and current trail conditions, a necessary stop since weather shifts fast at altitude. Many routes require sturdy boots and several hours of elevation gain, so check daily bus schedules to trailheads like Fiames or Passo Falzarego before setting out.
