Verdon Regional Natural Park, Regional natural park in Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, France

Verdon Regional Natural Park covers 188,000 hectares across the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and Var departments. Its central feature is the Verdon gorge, cut between limestone walls that rise 250 to 700 metres above a river six to 100 metres wide at the bottom. The park also takes in the Valensole plateau, the Haut-Var hills and the 2,200-hectare Lac de Sainte-Croix.

The park was established in 1997 to protect the natural landscape across 46 municipalities spanning two departments. Its land holds traces of Roman temples and prehistoric settlements that reveal human presence stretching back thousands of years.

Farmers across the region maintain centuries-old ways of working the land, particularly on the Valensole plateau where lavender and wheat grow in rolling fields. Their daily practices shape how the landscape looks and how villages remain connected to the seasons.

The area offers marked hiking trails, camping grounds, and several lakes for swimming and water sports throughout the year. Visitors should wear sturdy shoes and bring layers, as mountain weather can change quickly without warning.

The Verdon gorge cuts up to 700 metres deep between Castellane and the Lac de Sainte-Croix, with walls 200 to 1,500 metres apart. Griffon vultures have been reintroduced there, and boxwood once collected by pickers on ropes now draws climbers. A path laid at the canyon floor in 1905 is still followed today.