The park’s territory constitutes a “European monument to bio-variety”. Here lies the highest mountain in the Appennine Chain, where there is the only glacier in Southern Europe. The park houses many faunal and floral species, which are exclusive to this area, and the most representative animals of the Appennino, like the wolf, chamois and golden eagle.

The park’s most interesting species is the Abruzzo chamois which has had its stronghold on the Gran Sasso since the last century.

At the end of the last century the persecution by hunters caused its disappearance. After 100 years the chamois returned to the Gran Sasso, where there is a group of about 50 animals, the result of a successfull reintroduction operation.