Boscodon, Coniferous forest in Crots, France

Boscodon is a forest in the French Alps characterized by its abundance of fir trees, which stand out distinctly from the surrounding pine and larch woodlands. The terrain spans various elevations and combines dense woodland with open areas and natural clearings.

The forest lies above Notre-Dame de Boscodon Abbey, founded in the 12th century, and takes its name from the Occitan bòsc, meaning forest. It became a state forest (forêt domaniale) managed by the Office national des forêts, which laid out the 5 km forest road from the abbey to the Fontaine de l'ours at 1,560 m. On 27 November 2018 it received the "forêt d'exception" label from ONF director general Christian Dubreuil.

Boscodon derives from the Occitan bòsc, meaning forest, followed by an undetermined element. The Fontaine de l'Ours recalls a legend: in 605 Bishop Arey of Gap, returning from Rome, ordered a bear to replace an ox in his team; centuries later, bear remains found near a spring during the abbey's foundation were linked to the saint's bear. The spring is enclosed in a vaulted stone structure built without cement, like Provençal bories, and its water feeds a fountain below whose wooden spout is shaped like an animal's head.

The forest is reachable from the Gap-Briançon axis via departmental road 568, with a parking area near the abbey at around 1,150 meters elevation. Marked trails guide visitors through the woodland, and sturdy footwear is essential, especially for longer walks to higher sections or observation points.

A memorable destination within the forest is the Bear Fountain, reached after a walk of approximately 5 kilometers through the woodland. From this vantage point, visitors can survey the town of Embrun and the mountain landscapes stretching across the horizon.