Managed by the joint union of the Auvergne Volcanoes Regional Nature Park and the National Forestry Office, the Chastreix-Sancy National Nature Reserve (RNNCS) was created on July 13, 2007. Its regulations protect an area of 7,32 sq. miles (1,894 hectares), home to the highest peak in the Massif Central. The reserve is located over the municipalities of Chastreix, Le Mont-Dore, Chambon-sur-Lac, Picherande and Besse-et-Saint-Anastaise. Its summit areas are open to the public and are visited by more than 180,000 people every summer.