Lake Campliccioli trail
Lake Campliccioli trail is one of the best trekkings in Valle Antrona, a beautiful but not crowded valley in the Italian Alps near Domodossola. It is close to my parents’ Summer house and one of my favorite escapes during hot Summer days when I want to take a break from the daily life. I was there last time at the end of June and since I had my camera with me, even if the day was too hot to get decent clear shots, I have decided it was time for a new post and new pictures on the site.
The trail starts at Lake Antrona where there’s plenty of space for parking on normal days and a nice restaurant which can be an option for a “late” lunch on the way back if not eating along the way (there are a lot of places on the trail, but it is also nice to enjoy a good local dish sometimes). It is well marked and maintained with no particular difficulties, so it is suitable for everybody, but the central part is a constant climb to gain about 500mt in altitude, better be prepared.
The first part of the trail follows the shores of Lake Antrona as it is part of the easy trail going around the lake. If time is not an issue, on the way back it is highly recommended to complete the loop around Lake Antrona and stop by Sajont waterfall, one of the highlights of the valley.
Leaving Lake Antrona, the trail goes deeper in the forest and steadily climbs up until it reaches the dam that is forming Lake Campliccioli. There are plenty of shadows, streams and little waterfall on the way, so it is perfect to escape high temperatures during hot days since it is always cool and pleasant. Unfortunately this also means that there no good views of the lake of the lake below.
At the dam the trail goes on (again it is possible to go around the lake and it is my suggestion of course) until it reaches even Saas valley in Switzerland, among my favorites, but that is best done on a multi day itinerary. Anyway the loop around Lake Campliccioli is probably the best part of the trail since on the west side it follows the tracks and tunnels of an old mine abandoned long ago which make it unique…and there’s plenty of viewpoints on the lake for a couple of nice shots.
During my last visit I reached Lake Campliccioli doing the loop of both lakes and the pictures below are basically what can be seen following the same path. Enjoy!
