BIVOUAC
CAMPING OR BIVOUACKING IN THE CHAMONIX VALLEY AND MONT BLANC MASSIF
Camping and Bivouacking
CHAMONIX - Under a municipal bylaw in force since 1992, camping, caravanning, and bivouacking are prohibited outside designated camping areas throughout the municipality of Chamonix.An exception is made for high-altitude “bivouacs", which are allowed for one night from sunset to sunrise.
Bivouacking is prohibited in the following specific areas:
• Lac Blanc
• Lacs Jovet
• Montagne de Chailloux (from the mountain pasture to the top of the aiguillette des Houches)
• Blaitière mountain pastures
• Col des Posettes area
• Within the boundaries of the “APHN” (an area around the summit of Mont Blanc from the col du Mont Lachat to the Mont Blanc du Tacul rimaye). Read the flyer
VALLORCINE – In addition to the prefectural order regulating bivouacking in the Vallon de Bérard Nature Reserve, bivouacking within the municipality of Vallorcine has also been regulated since 2024 under bylaw No. 34/2024:
• Art. 1: Wild camping and campfires are strictly prohibited, both day and night, throughout the entire municipality.
• Art. 2: Bivouacking outside nature reserves is permitted under the following conditions: setting up a tent or temporary camp for one night only, after obtaining the landowner’s permission, from 7:00 p.m. at the earliest until 9:00 a.m. the following morning at the latest. Above 1700 m altitude, bivouacking is automatically permitted.
LES HOUCHES - In the absence of a specific municipal bylaw (apart from the above-mentioned prefectural order also applying to the Carlaveyron Nature Reserve), bivouacking is tolerated from sunset to sunrise for one night only.
Refuges
Bivouacking next to refuges is not generally tolerated. The guardians will usually ask you to move away from the hut. Find out more/introduce yourself!Whether in the high or “moyenne" mountains, we all live in a fragile natural environment. To limit the impact of our visits and continue to enjoy this freedom, let's take some simple steps:
• Be discreet
• No fires allowed
• Take down all your rubbish and leave no trace of your presence (including toilet paper).
BIVOUACKING IN THE AIGUILLES ROUGES NATURE RESERVE
In the Aiguilles Rouges massif, bivouacking has been regulated since 2024 by a prefectural order from June to September. It is mandatory to reserve a bivouac spot on the dedicated website before spending the night in one of the massif’s nature reserves: Carlaveyron, Aiguilles Rouges, and Vallon de Bérard.This registration system helps visitors identify the areas where bivouacking is tolerated from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 a.m., and provides information on appropriate behaviour to help preserve the natural environment.
This measure is not intended to be coercive. Its main purpose is to monitor visitor numbers and help maintain a balance between human activity and nature preservation, in order to ensure that bivouacking remains sustainable in the long term.
Bivouacking for hikers is tolerated in the following areas:
- The Arlevé ruins
- Lacs des Cheserys
- Bellachat
- Lac du Brévent
- Lac Cornu
- Lacs Noirs
Please note: swimming is prohibited by prefectural order in mountain lakes, including Lac Blanc and the Cheserys Lakes.