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Mount Navegna and Mount Cervia Nature Reserve: woods and lakes among the mountains of Rieti
Located in the province of Rieti, the Monte Navegna and Monte Cervia Regional Nature Reserve extends over 3,500 hectares between the Salto and Turano river basins, crossing nine municipalities in Sabina. More than 70% of the surface is covered by woodlands: beech forests, mixed oak forests, and chestnut groves containing centuries-old specimens. It is one of the most pristine areas of the Lazio Apennines, characterised by a low level of anthropisation, and thus minimum human impact.
Two massifs, two lakes, an unexpected landscape
To the north rises Mount Navegna, and to the south Mount Cervia, separated by the Obito Stream (Fosso dell'Obito) and carved by the Riancoli Stream Gorges. Between the two massifs, meadows and pastures stretch out, slowly reverting to woodland. In the late 1930s, the construction of the Salto and Turano dams created two artificial lakes that are now an integral part of the reserve's landscape: bodies of water nestled between the mountains.
Trails and fauna
The CAI (Italian Alpine Club) hiking trail network covers both massifs with trails starting from the villages of Ascrea, Castel di Tora, Collegiove, and Paganico Sabino. The reserve is also a protected area for the Apennine yellow-bellied toad (ululone appenninico), an endangered amphibian.
