Nature Reserve Guide
Park of the Modenese Apennine is a nature reserve situated on the border between Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna, encompassing 15,000 hectares of diverse landscapes. This protected area features majestic mountains, vast summit prairies, glacial lakes, and varied forests, ranging from oak and chestnut groves to extensive beech forests. Its varied terrain, including Monte Cimone, the highest peak in the northern Apennines, provides an ideal setting for several sports like hiking, mountain biking, road cycling, jogging, and more. The park's natural features,…
170
Routes
4.5
(781)
Average rating
5765
People visited

4.8
(19)
184
hikers
6.74km
02:05
210m
210m
Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Mostly accessible paths. Sure-footedness required.

4.6
(38)
181
hikers
7.53km
03:55
650m
650m
Hard hike. Good fitness required. Sure-footedness, sturdy shoes and alpine experience required.

4.3
(23)
201
hikers
6.63km
02:53
420m
410m
Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Mostly accessible paths. Sure-footedness required.

4.8
(17)
78
hikers
12.5km
04:01
470m
460m
Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Mostly accessible paths. Sure-footedness required.
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4.8
(15)
381
riders
45.6km
05:40
1,830m
1,830m
Hard mountain bike ride. Very good fitness required. Advanced riding skills necessary. Some portions of the route may require you to push your bike.

5.0
(10)
99
riders
23.4km
02:50
900m
890m
Moderate mountain bike ride. Good fitness required. Advanced riding skills necessary.

4.4
(7)
78
riders
29.9km
04:15
1,410m
1,410m
Hard mountain bike ride. Very good fitness required. Advanced riding skills necessary. Some portions of the route may require you to push your bike.

4.6
(11)
169
riders
46.5km
05:08
1,460m
1,460m
Hard mountain bike ride. Very good fitness required. Advanced riding skills necessary.
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3.0
(6)
96
riders
54.4km
03:05
1,170m
1,170m
Hard road ride. Very good fitness required. Mostly well-paved surfaces and easy to ride.

4.6
(5)
74
riders
52.7km
03:33
1,440m
1,440m
Hard road ride. Very good fitness required. Mostly well-paved surfaces and easy to ride.

4.5
(2)
52
riders
43.5km
02:45
1,240m
1,240m
Hard road ride. Very good fitness required. Mostly well-paved surfaces and easy to ride.

49
riders
30.6km
02:11
1,050m
1,050m
Hard road ride. Very good fitness required. Mostly well-paved surfaces and easy to ride.
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5.0
(3)
68
riders
57.5km
06:12
1,740m
1,740m
Hard bike ride. Very good fitness required. You may need to push your bike for some segments of this route.

5.0
(1)
69
riders
33.2km
03:41
1,060m
1,060m
Hard bike ride. Very good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.

42
riders
14.3km
01:41
520m
520m
Hard bike ride. Very good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.

5.0
(4)
75
riders
38.1km
03:47
1,410m
1,410m
Hard bike ride. Very good fitness required. You may need to push your bike for some segments of this route.
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58
runners
23.3km
03:13
940m
940m
Hard run. Very good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.

5.0
(1)
35
runners
13.1km
01:43
470m
470m
Hard run. Very good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.

29
runners
15.0km
02:04
570m
570m
Hard run. Very good fitness required. Sure-footedness, sturdy shoes and alpine experience required.

25
runners
16.3km
02:17
720m
720m
Hard run. Very good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.
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5.0
(4)
31
hikers
6.49km
03:30
540m
540m
Hard mountaineering route. Good fitness required. Sure-footedness, sturdy shoes and alpine experience required.

4.3
(3)
15
hikers
9.39km
04:05
570m
570m
Hard mountaineering route. Good fitness required. Sure-footedness, sturdy shoes and alpine experience required.

4.7
(3)
9
hikers
10.6km
04:13
530m
530m
Moderate mountaineering route. Good fitness required. Mostly accessible paths. Sure-footedness required.

6
hikers
12.8km
04:54
740m
750m
Moderate mountaineering route. Good fitness required. Mostly accessible paths. Sure-footedness required.
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10
riders
76.5km
06:54
2,800m
2,800m
Hard gravel ride. Very good fitness required. You may need to push your bike for some segments of this route.

5.0
(1)
6
riders
31.3km
02:43
900m
900m
Hard gravel ride. Very good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.

7
riders
39.4km
03:22
1,140m
1,150m
Hard gravel ride. Very good fitness required. You may need to push your bike for some segments of this route.

3.0
(1)
11
riders
27.7km
02:27
960m
960m
Hard gravel ride. Very good fitness required. You may need to push your bike for some segments of this route.
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The Park of the Modenese Apennine, also known as Parco regionale dell'Alto Appennino Modenese, is a nature reserve spanning 15,000 hectares on the border between Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna. It features diverse landscapes including mountains, glacial lakes, peat bogs, and forests, with 9,000 hectares above 3,280 feet (1,000 meters) elevation.
The park offers a variety of outdoor activities, including Hiking, Mountain biking, Road cycling, Jogging, Touring cycling, Mountaineering, and Gravel biking. Komoot features more than 100 routes across these sports.
Popular hiking trails include the Croce Arcana to Lago Scaffaiolo Ridge Trail, a moderate 4.2-mile (6.7 km) route, and the Lago Santo to Monte Rondinaio (via CAI Trail 523), a moderate 4.1-mile (6.6 km) route. The park offers trails for all levels, from leisurely strolls to challenging treks.
Yes, the park is suitable for mountain biking with a network of trails. Examples include the difficult Taburri Mountain Hut – Tassoni Hut loop from Doganaccia, which is about 28.3 miles (45.6 km), and the Duca degli Abruzzi Refuge – Lake Scaffaiolo loop from Ospitale, a difficult 14.9-mile (23.9 km) route.
Road cycling routes offer diverse terrain, from gentle sections to challenging mountain ascents. A difficult route is the Montecreto Village – Lago di Riolunato loop from Fiumalbo, covering approximately 33.8 miles (54.4 km). Another option is the View of Cutigliano – Pyramids of Passo dell'Abetone loop from Abetone, about 27 miles (43.5 km).
The park offers easy, scenic hikes suitable for families, some even accessible with trekking strollers. These routes wind through historic villages, ancient forests, and past waterfalls. More information can be found in the Easy hikes around Park of the Modenese Apennine guide.
Key natural features include Monte Cimone, the highest peak in the northern Apennines at 7,103 feet (2,165 meters), and several glacial lakes such as Lago Santo and Lago Scaffaiolo. The park also contains peat bogs, waterfalls, and unique geological formations like the Salse di Nirano mud volcanoes.
The Park of the Modenese Apennine features 114 routes on komoot, with an average rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars. More than 3,500 visitors have shared their experiences in the region.
Komoot offers several guides for the park, including Hiking around Park of the Modenese Apennine, MTB Trails around Park of the Modenese Apennine, and Road Cycling Routes around Park of the Modenese Apennine. There are also guides for easy hikes, running, and attractions.
Monte Cimone is the highest peak in the northern Apennines, located within the Park of the Modenese Apennine. It reaches an elevation of 7,103 feet (2,165 meters). On clear days, its summit offers extensive panoramic views.
The official website for the park is parchiemiliacentrale.it. For direct contact, a phone number is +39059209311.
The park's vegetation varies with elevation. Lower altitudes feature oak and chestnut groves, transitioning to expansive beech forests higher up. Coniferous reforestations are also present, and at the highest elevations, bilberry heathlands and meadows extend towards the mountain peaks.

