Écrins National Park (, ; ) is a French national park located in the southeastern part of

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

in the

Dauphiné Alps The Dauphiné Alps () are a group of mountain ranges in Southeastern France, west of the main chain of the Alps. Mountain ranges within the Dauphiné Alps include the Massif des Écrins in Écrins National Park, Belledonne, Le Taillefer range ...

south of

Grenoble Grenoble ( ; ; or ; or ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of the Isère Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region ...

and north of Gap, shared between the

departments Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military * Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...

Isère Isère ( , ; ; , ) is a landlocked Departments of France, department in the southeastern French Regions of France, region of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. Named after the river Isère (river), Isère, it had a population of 1,271,166 in 2019.

and

Hautes-Alpes Hautes-Alpes (; ; ) is a Departments of France, department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region of Southeastern France. It is located in the heart of the French Alps, after which it is named. Hautes-Alpes had a population ...

. The park is one of eight regions in France designated as French national parks.

Geography

It rises up to 4,102 m (13,458 ft) at the

Barre des Écrins The Barre des Écrins () is a mountain in the French Alps with a peak elevation of . It is the highest peak of the Massif des Écrins and the Dauphiné Alps and the most southerly alpine peak in Europe that is higher than 4,000 metres. It is the ...

and covers of high mountain areas, with high peaks,

glacier A glacier (; or ) is a persistent body of dense ice, a form of rock, that is constantly moving downhill under its own weight. A glacier forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. It acquires ...

fields, glacier valleys,

alpine Alpine may refer to any mountainous region. It may also refer to: Places Europe * Alps, a European mountain range ** Alpine states, which overlap with the European range Australia * Alpine, New South Wales, a Northern Village * Alpine National P ...

pastures,

subalpine Montane ecosystems are found on the slopes of mountains. The alpine climate in these regions strongly affects the ecosystem because temperatures fall as elevation increases, causing the ecosystem to stratify. This stratification is a crucial f ...

woodlands and lakes. It attracts up to 800,000 tourists annually, in particular hikers and climbers. The park has been awarded the European Diploma of Protected Areas. Its borders mostly correspond to these of the

Massif des Écrins Massif des Écrins (; Écrins Massif) are a massif in the French Alps. They form the core of Écrins National Park in Hautes-Alpes and Isère.Drac,

Romanche The Romanche () is a mountain river in southeastern France. It is a right tributary of the Drac, itself a tributary of the Isère. Its drainage basin is .Durance The Durance (; ''Durença'' in the Occitan classical norm or ''Durènço'' in the Mistralian norm) is a major river in Southeastern France. A left tributary of the Rhône, it is long. Its drainage basin is .Guisane The Guisane is a river in the Hautes-Alpes department, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of France, a subtributary of the Rhône and tributary of the Durance (in Briançon). It takes its source in Le Monêtier-les-Bains at the Col du Lautaret. I ...

dependency). Écrins National Park covers the territory of the following

communes A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to: Administrative-territorial entities * Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township ** Communes of ...

Ancelle Ancelle (; ) is a commune in the Hautes-Alpes department in southeastern France. The village is a tourist destination for both the summer and winter seasons, offering a range of sporting activities such as hiking, cross country skiing and campi ...

Aspres-lès-Corps Aspres-lès-Corps (, literally ''Aspres near Corps''; ) is a commune of the Hautes-Alpes department in southeastern France. Population See also *Communes of the Hautes-Alpes department The following is a list of the 162 communes of the ...

Bénévent-et-Charbillac Bénévent-et-Charbillac (Vivaro-Alpine dialect, Vivaro-Alpine: ''Benevent e Charbilhac'') is a former Communes of France, commune in the Hautes-Alpes Departments of France, department in southeastern France. Since 2013, it is part of the commune ...

, Besse-en-Oisans,

Buissard Buissard (; ) is a commune in the Hautes-Alpes department in southeastern France. Population See also *Communes of the Hautes-Alpes department The following is a list of the 162 communes of the Hautes-Alpes department of France ...

Chabottes Chabottes (; ) is a commune in the Hautes-Alpes department in southeastern France. Population See also *Communes of the Hautes-Alpes department The following is a list of the 162 communes of the Hautes-Alpes department of France ...

Champcella Champcella (; ) is a commune in the Hautes-Alpes department in southeastern France. Population See also *Communes of the Hautes-Alpes department The following is a list of the 162 communes of the Hautes-Alpes department of France ...

Champoléon Champoléon () is a commune in the Hautes-Alpes department in southeastern France. Population See also *Communes of the Hautes-Alpes department The following is a list of the 162 communes of the Hautes-Alpes department of France ...

Chantelouve Chantelouve () is a former commune in the Isère department in southeastern France. On 1 January 2019, it was merged into the new commune Chantepérier.

Châteauroux-les-Alpes Châteauroux-les-Alpes (; , before 1996: ''Châteauroux'')Décr ...

, Chauffayer, Clavans-en-Haut-Oisans, Crots, Embrun, Entraigues,

Freissinières Freissinières (; ) is a commune in the Hautes-Alpes department in southeastern France. Geography Freissinières lies in a valley which is the watershed of the Biaysse, which flows into the Durance in front of La Roche-de-Rame. From east to ...

L'Argentière-la-Bessée L'Argentière-la-Bessée (; ) is a Communes of France, commune of the Hautes-Alpes Departments of France, department in the Alps in southeastern France. The town lies on the River Durance, which is used for kayaking, white-water rafting and oth ...

, La Chapelle-en-Valgaudémar,

La Grave La Grave (; ) is a commune in the Hautes-Alpes department in southeastern France. It is a member of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France (The Most Beautiful Villages of France) Association. It is a small ski resort in the French Alps, dominat ...

, La Motte-en-Champsaur, Lavaldens,

Le Bourg-d'Oisans Le Bourg-d'Oisans () is a commune in the Isère department in southeastern France. It is located in the Oisans region of the French Alps. Le Bourg-d'Oisans is located in the valley of the Romanche River, on the road from Grenoble to Brianço ...

Le Monêtier-les-Bains Le Monêtier-les-Bains (; ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Hautes-Alpes Departments of France, department in southeastern France. Geography Le Monêtier-les-Bains is the highest village of the French ski resort of Serre Chevalier at 1, ...

, Le Périer, Les Costes,

Les Infournas Les Infournas ( Vivaro-Alpine: ''Infornats'') is a former commune in the Hautes-Alpes department in southeastern France. Since 2013 it is part of the commune Saint-Bonnet-en-Champsaur. Population See also *Communes of the Hautes-Alpes depart ...

, Les Vigneaux, Mizoën, Mont-de-Lans,

Orcières Orcières (; ) is a commune in the Hautes-Alpes department, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, southeastern France. Population See also *Communes of the Hautes-Alpes department The following is a list of the 162 communes of the Hautes-Alpes ...

, Oris-en-Rattier,

Ornon Ornon () is a commune in the Isère department in southeastern France. Population See also *Communes of the Isère department The following is a list of the 512 communes in the French department of Isère. The communes cooperate in t ...

, Oulles,

Pelvoux Pelvoux (; Vivaro-Alpine: ''Pelvós'') is a former commune in the Hautes-Alpes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France. On 1 January 2017, it was merged into the new commune Vallouise-Pelvoux. Pelvoux bid ...

, Prunières,

Puy-Saint-Vincent Puy-Saint-Vincent (; ) is a commune in the Hautes-Alpes department in southeastern France. Population See also *Communes of the Hautes-Alpes department The following is a list of the 162 communes of the Hautes-Alpes department of Fran ...

Puy-Saint-Eusèbe Puy-Saint-Eusèbe (; Vivaro-Alpine: ''Puei Sant Eusebi'') is a commune in the Hautes-Alpes department in southeastern France. Population See also *Communes of the Hautes-Alpes department The following is a list of the 162 communes of th ...

, Puy-Sanières, Réallon,

Réotier Réotier (; ) is a commune in the Hautes-Alpes department in southeastern France. Population See also *Communes of the Hautes-Alpes department The following is a list of the 162 communes of the Hautes-Alpes department of France ...

, Saint-Apollinaire,

Saint-Bonnet-en-Champsaur Saint-Bonnet-en-Champsaur (; named for Bonitus (bishop), Saint Bonitus, before 1988: ''Saint-Bonnet'')Saint-Christophe-en-Oisans, Saint-Clément-sur-Durance,

Saint-Eusèbe-en-Champsaur Saint-Eusèbe-en-Champsaur (Vivaro-Alpine: ''Sant Esèbe de Champsaur'') is a former commune in the Hautes-Alpes department in southeastern France. On 1 January 2018, it was merged into the new commune of Aubessagne.Saint-Firmin, Saint-Jacques-en-Valgodemard, Saint-Jean-Saint-Nicolas,

Saint-Julien-en-Champsaur Saint-Julien-en-Champsaur ( Vivaro-Alpine: ''Sant Julian de Champsaur'') is a commune in the Hautes-Alpes department in southeastern France. Population Notable residents Vivian Maier Street photographer Vivian Maier lived and photographed ...

Saint-Léger-les-Mélèzes Saint-Léger-les-Mélèzes (; Vivaro-Alpine: ''Sant Lagier'') is a commune in the Hautes-Alpes department in southeastern France. Population See also *Communes of the Hautes-Alpes department The following is a list of the 162 communes ...

, Saint-Maurice-en-Valgodemard,

Saint-Michel-de-Chaillol Saint-Michel-de-Chaillol (; Occitan: Sant Michèl de Chalhòl), commonly known as Chaillol, is a commune in the French department of Hautes-Alpes, region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, southeastern France. Population See also *Communes of t ...

Savines-le-Lac Savines-le-Lac (; Vivaro-Alpine: ''Savina lo Lac'') is a commune in the Hautes-Alpes department in southeastern France. Population Twin towns — sister cities Savines-le-Lac is twinned with: * Luserna San Giovanni, Italy See also *Co ...

, Valbonnais, Valjouffrey, Vallouise, Vénosc,

Villar-d'Arêne Villar-d'Arêne (; ) is a commune in the Hautes-Alpes department in southeastern France, between Grenoble and Briançon. It is in the French Alps, in Massif des Écrins. Near this village located in the Romanche valley, there is La Grave a ...

Villard-Notre-Dame Villard-Notre-Dame () is a commune in the Isère department in southeastern France. Population See also *Communes of the Isère department The following is a list of the 512 communes in the French department of Isère. The communes c ...

, Villard-Reymond and Villar-Loubière.