Parco Naturale di Gallipoli Cognato e Delle Piccole Dolomiti Lucane

This is a little known park and this is too bad as it is very beautiful and green. Therefore, I decided to create a day hike trail in the park so more will enjoy it.

The trail is based on several of the short hikes listed on this site:
http://www.parcogallipolicognato.it/ita/web/nav.asp?nav=159
However, these tracks do not seem to be very accurate and are all much shorter.

At the starting point is plenty of parking space for at least eight vehicles, so you should have no problem to park here.

After half a km, you will pass through a gate. This gate is just to keep the cattle in, not to keep you out. You can pass through the gate, but make sure to close it securely afterwards.

From here, the track has a slight slope but is reasonably flat. A regular car could probably drive here without much problems. Later on the road gets worse but you can clearly see that this used to be a more important road with the gutters, a wall and other structure to guide away the rainwater.

After about 2.5 km from the starting point, you will cross a concrete bridge. It' a bit early, but it is a reference point that cannot miss. From here, you need to check for a larger unpaved to the right, which will come around odometer 3 km.

So once you get to crossing, follow the unpaved road. For the next 4 km, you will be climbing 400 meters, so expect it to get tougher than the first part. However, trees will surround you so there will be plenty of shade.

The track is very easy to follow. Just follow the widest track snaking up the hill. At around odometer 4 km, you will pass a small wooden bridge. About 200 meters later, you will come to an intersection. Just continue strait, after which you will soon make a turn to the North. Just continue to wide road.

At odometer 4.5 meter, you will see a steep cliff on your left hand. It seems to be a massive rock in which some trees and plants have managed to get a foothold, but is still quite bare.

The road continues up through the forest. Plenty of shade, but probably also quite sweaty. Around odometer 6.5 km, the track seems to level out. The track merges with another unpaved road. Another 300 meters and you will reach the asphalted road that crosses the forest.

For the next 500 meter, you will follow this asphalted road for two large turns. Just after passing a side street to a picnic place, you will see a small track on the left side of the road. Follow this track that quickly snakes away from the main road.

As you come at a clearing, there are a whole number of beehives (or at least when I was there). If you leave them alone, they will leave you alone as well, so you can continue your way. From here, the track gets a bit less clear so keep an eye out for the red/white marked track and your GPS (which may not always agree). As you climb up the hill, you will pass over/next to some large rocks and you will continue on a ridge. As the ridge get narrower, you will come to the end and you will descend into a part of the forest that is very dark and has tall trees. I found it quite interesting.

I hope that you have good GPS reception, as the marked track is rather hard to find. The marking seems to have placed for going into the other direction. Just look back from time to time to see if you still see the red/white markings.

As you slowly descend, you make it out of the oldest part of the forest and the track gets easier and wide again.

At around odometer 8.8 km, you have reached the lowest part as you get to an intersection. There is a bench next to the sign. Make a left turn, going up again. In the next kilometre, you will climb just over 100 meters elevation.

However, before you get there you will first pass by a bench at around odometer 9 km. Here you can make a quick detour to some old ruins ("Tempa Castello") dating back to around 1200 AD. There are some walls left as well as steps cut out of the rock. It is about 150 meters from the track and worth a quick visit or take a rest at the bench.

As the road levels out, just before reading 10 km on your odometer, you will pass by a trail sign. Leave this road and take a less wide road down the mountain. A bit further down, the trail becomes clearer and turns into an unpaved road like the one you have hiked on before in this mountain.

Around odometer 11 km, you will get to the asphalted road again. Cross the road and follow the small trail next to it. After less than 200 meters running parallel, you make a left turn into the forest once more.

The track will snake down the mountain, but soon you will need to climb once again. However, not that that steep this time.

When you get to odometer 15 km, you need to leave the unpaved road. There is not a clear track to follow, but when you follow the general direction on the track on the GPSr, you will get back on a regular unpaved road in about 400 meters.

As this track is based on the official tracks from the park, I have searched around here for a regular unpaved road like you have been on all day, but there does not seem to be one for this part. Not sure if I simply missed the track, that this is a mistake or simply a shortcut that cannot be avoided. However, as it is not very long or difficult to follow, I decide to keep it.

Back on the trail, you'll cross a river(bed). I guess depending on season, this might be a different experience. However, assuming it is a dry river, you will just follow the river on the other side for a while.

Just before getting to a farm, you will once again cross a gate. Like at the beginning of the track, it is just for the cows. Just open it and close it behind you.

A little further, you will pass by a farm. There seems to be a few dogs, but they appear harmless. The farm is next to the road. Follow the road for 100 meters and you will be back at the starting point of the trail.

Enjoy the track and leave a comment on how your experience was on the trail. Any comments, positive and negative, are welcome.