National Park: Fuorntal

A varied hike along the Ova dal Fuorn. Especially in the first section between Il Fuorn and parking lot 7, the contrast between a moist alpine mixed forest and a dry mountain pine forest is impressively visible. The second section between the former parking lot 7 and the destination at Buffalora mostly follows the Ofenpass road, whose noise emissions unfortunately impair the natural experience.

Note: Dogs are not allowed in the Swiss National Park, not even on a leash. For further information and all protection regulations, please visit nationalpark.ch/schutzbestimmungen.

The route starts directly at the post bus stop Il Fuorn (P6) (1794 m above sea level), opposite the Parc Naziunal Il Fuorn hotel. This is also where the nature trail begins.
At the end of the parking lot, the path leads into a moist mixed forest consisting of larches, spruces, pines, and Swiss stone pines and follows the Ova dal Fuorn. On the opposite side of the valley stretches the forest fire area of 1951. The path crosses the brook from Val Chavagl and later the Ova dal Fuorn on two bridges.
On the north side of the water, the trail rises up to the Ofenpass road and passes through one of the driest forest areas of the Swiss National Park.
Past parking lot 8 (1887 m above sea level), the path leads towards Val Naira. A few hundred meters east of the former parking lot 9 flows a twin brook from Val Brüna. North of the Ofenpass road extends a gently sloping pasture, the lower meadow of Stabelchod. In the northwest corner, a fence is noticeable, like those seen in other parts of the park.
Scientific studies of plant production inside and outside the fences allow the impact of ungulates on the development of the vegetation cover to be examined. On the bank of the Ova dal Fuorn, remnants of wooden constructions can also be seen. They come from so-called log driving locks, which were used for rafting timber up to the mid-19th century.
The path then leads for about 200 meters onto the Ofenpass road (1932 m above sea level). After that, the route branches off to the east, crosses a small brook originating from a rich spring on the north side of the road, and then reaches the small inn with the post bus stop Buffalora (P10) (1968 m above sea level), the destination of the route.