Marking: red strip.
Length: 12 km.
The route: Cerna – Valea lui Puiu (Puiu’s Valley) – Echiştea Peak – Crapcea Peak – Crapcea Hill – Balabancea.
Camping site: Pârlita Meadow.
This trail is a sinusoid with gentle ups and downs that crosses peaks on the southern side of the park, which is dotted with rocky steppe glades and clearings giving a broad view over the Taiţa Depression, Niculiţel Heights and the Horia accumulation lake and over the other southern peaks of the Măcin Mountains. The glades with pastures and rocky regions alternate with portions of forest and clearings.
Regarding habitats, on this trail there is an alternation of Moesian-Western Black Sea forests of hornbeam, oak and lime, and steppe habitats – low-density areas of downy oak, flowering ash, silver pear tree and hornbeam, with steppe pastures and saxicolous associations on peaks.
The most important species that one can find on this trail are: plants – a local unique species of bellflower (Campanula romanica), pygmy carnation (Dianthus nardiformis), Pulsatilla balcana; endemic butterflies – Polia cherrug, Chersotis laeta măcini and Chersotis fibriola niculescui; reptiles: Spur-thighed tortoise (Testudo graeca ibera), Balkan green lizard (Lacerta trilineata), European copper skink (Ablepharus kitaibelii), Balkan wall lizard (Podarcis taurica); internationally protected species of birds – Long-legged Buzzard (Buteo ruffinus), Isabelline Wheatear (Oenanthe isabelina), existing on the Western limit of the worldwide habitat, Common Rock Thrush (Monticola saxatilis), Sombre Tit (Parus lugubris); mammals: red deer (Cervus elaphus), beech marten (Martes foina), European pine marten (Martes martes), golden jackal (Canis aureus).
