Site naturel classé des Alpes Mancelles

The Alpes Mancelles is a natural region located between the Sarthe, Orne and Mayenne departments, with large, varied relief reminiscent of mountain landscapes.

The site was classified as a "natural site" by ministerial decree on 10 January 1995 and covers an area of almost 1,025 hectares, stretching over three départements (Mayenne, Orne and Sarthe) and two regions (Normandy and Pays de la Loire). The five communes covered by this listed site are : Saint-Léonard-des-Bois and Moulins-le-Carbonnel in Sarthe; Saint-Pierre-des-Nids and Gesvres in Mayenne; Saint-Céneri-le-Gérei in Orne.

The Alpes Mancelles were formed around 1.5 million years ago as a result of the combined uplift of a plateau and the digging in of the river Sarthe. Erosion of the rocks by wind, water and frost also contributed to the formation of the current site.

The landscapes of the Alpes Mancelles are made up of steep hillsides, deep valleys, forests, rocky outcrops and scree slopes known as "pierriers", which are unique in the Pays de la Loire region and conceal a rare and varied flora and fauna.