The St. Calogero Mountain Range is a massif consisting of limestone, dolomite and siliceous layers, and Numidian Flysch sediments.
The ridges fractures which have formed over centuries created a landscape contrast between the rugged and wild peaks walls and the gentle valleys foothills.
The limestrone rocks erosion and the runoff phenomena led to deep gorges and canyon formation like the “Valloni Pernice” and “Tre Pietre”.
Very interesting is the Poggio Balate where hydrothermal fluids rich in fluorite and barite flow from rock fissures, forming crystallized mineral concretions.
Flora
The region presents different landscapes: rocky, bushes, scrubland and grassland.
In the rocky area you can find cabbage, euphorbia, “stellina di Sicilia”, gromwell, carnation, chamomile of Cupane, snapdragon and candytuft.
In the undergrowth there are cork oaks and holm oaks, Aletto pines and broadleaf trees.
There are also shrubs such as flowering ash, the carob tree, broom, and butcher’s broom.
On grassland and grazed areas can be found tough and thorny plants, as the purple milk thistle, wild artichoke and cottonthistle.
In some parts of the limestone walls there are sea buckthorn, mastic and gorse. In spring are also visible several orchids species such as yellow ophrys, bee orchid, milky orchid, moth orchid and three-toothed orchid.
Fauna
In the park cliffs you can find eagles, buzzards and peregrine falcons.
In spring and autumn there are various bird species like the golden oriole, the black-headed bunting and the hoopoe.
There are also hedgehogs and foxes, and almost all the reptiles that normally can be found in Sicily.
Trails: