In winter, Redes Natural Park is for enjoying low down and respecting up high: before driving to the Tarna pass, check its level on the 112 Asturias road conditions page and the snow line on AEMET, carry chains or winter tyres and choose low walks such as the Ruta del Alba.
Redes Natural Park climbs from the valleys of Caso and Sobrescobio to 2,002 metres at La Rapaína, and in winter that difference in height decides almost everything: down below you can walk, up high the snow is in charge. This is what to check before setting out, with the official sources that publish it every day.
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The Tarna pass today: where to check it
The Tarna pass, at 1,492 metres according to Wikipedia, links Asturias with León and is the valley's natural way south; on the Asturian side the road drops to Bezanes, at 660 metres. 112 Asturias calls it the AS-117, from Riaño to the Tarna pass, and Caso Council calls it the AS-17: it is the same road that climbs from Laviana.
The place to see how it is today is the road conditions page of 112 Asturias. Each mountain pass appears there with its level: closed, chains, open to light vehicles and closed to heavy ones, drive with care and a few in between. The same page links to the DGT traffic map and gives the DGT road information number, 011.
It is worth a look even without snow: on 18 October 2026 it showed a partial closure for roadworks on that road, between kilometre points 4.650 and 5.450, banning vehicles over 3,500 kilos since 1 June. Roadworks change, which is why it pays to check on the day.
Snow: how to tell where it will settle
The AEMET forecast for Caso, at El Campu has a row with the provincial snow line, in metres. That figure makes the day easy to read: if the snow line sits above the villages, the valley is clear and the snow starts higher up. For warnings, AEMET puts the area in its Cordillera and Picos de Europa zone, and 112 Asturias repeats them on its website.
There is a more direct way to see it: Caso Council publishes two webcams, one in Campo de Caso and one at the Brañagallones refuge, at 1,215 metres. There is none on the Tarna pass.
Chains and ice
The DGT magazine puts it simply: if the snowfall does not ease, you cannot drive without chains or winter tyres. Chains go on the wheels that drive the car, the front ones on a front-wheel-drive car, and it is better to have practised at home than on the verge of the pass.
Ice is the other problem, and you do not always see it. According to the DGT, it forms mainly in shady, sheltered, damp or north-facing spots, and you should take extra care below 3 degrees. On a narrow valley road like this one, that means a lot of bends.
Which walks make sense
The Ruta del Alba, from Soto de Agues, is the safe bet: Turismo Asturias describes it as an easy walk without big climbs, suitable for the whole family, and says it is especially beautiful during the thaw, when waterfalls and cascades form. The guide to Redes walks by effort covers the fog and the gorges that lose the light early, and in winter that counts double.
Brañagallones is another matter. The refuge's website warns that in the snow season the 4x4 taxi does not go up and you need proper boots, skis or snowshoes; and Caso Council describes a tongue of snow that forms every winter at the Argayu'l Llobu. It is all in the guide to the Brañagallones walk from Bezanes.
Walks that start from the pass itself, such as the one from Puertu de Tarna down to Tarna, 12 kilometres according to Caso Council, depend on the road being open. If you want to go out on snowshoes, the Turismo Asturias directory lists a company in El Campu offering snowshoe outings, with prices on request.
What opens and what to confirm
The park's Reception and Interpretation Centre, at Prau la Feria in El Campu, is free and, according to Turismo Asturias, opens at weekends from 10:00 to 14:00 and from 15:00 to 18:30. The listing gives no separate winter timetable and warns that hours change with the season, so ring first. It is also the place to ask how a path is.
The Casa del Agua in Rioseco, in Sobrescobio, also free, only has its timetable up to 30 September published on Turismo Asturias; Sobrescobio Council posts its hours on its website. In winter, better to confirm by phone.
We have not found winter festivals in Caso or Sobrescobio in any official source, so we leave them out. What is certain is the light: from 25 October 2026 it gets dark an hour earlier by the clock, as the guide to Redes in autumn explains, and in December the days are the shortest of the year. To choose a village, see the guide to where to stay in Redes.
Checked
Details checked in October 2026 with: 112 Asturias (road conditions and traffic), AEMET (forecast for Caso, El Campu), Caso Council (webcams and walks), Turismo Asturias (Redes Natural Park, Ruta del Alba, the Nature Interpretation Centre, the Casa del Agua de Sobrescobio and its directory of adventure companies), the Brañagallones refuge website (access), the DGT magazine (winter driving, December 2025) and the DGT website (ice and snow), and Wikipedia for the Tarna pass.
Quick questions
Where can I check the Tarna pass today?
On the 112 Asturias road conditions page, which gives each pass its level (closed, chains, drive with care…) and links to the DGT traffic map; the DGT also gives information on 011.
Do I need chains to visit Redes in winter?
If it snows, yes: according to the DGT, you cannot drive without chains or winter tyres. Chains go on the wheels that drive the car.
Which Redes walks can you do in winter?
The Ruta del Alba, an easy walk according to Turismo Asturias, is the most sensible. To Brañagallones, in snow, the 4x4 taxi does not go up and you need proper boots, skis or snowshoes.