Regulations in Natural Areas
Every site and every natural area has its own unique characteristics.
To preserve and protect them and to balance their various uses, permanent or temporary regulations may apply to certain areas.
Decrees, prefectural orders, and municipal ordinances—here you’ll find information on how to access these documents, which will help you better understand the rules that apply to each area.
Nature Reserves - Camping and Swimming
In the three national nature reserves of the Chamonix Valley (Carlaveyron, Aiguilles Rouges, and Vallon de Bérard), camping is regulated by a prefectural decree to limit its impact on natural habitats and wildlife. Permitted only in certain designated areas, it requires advance booking through the dedicated platform set up by Asters, the nature reserve manager.
Swimming and water sports are also prohibited in certain sensitive lakes, such as Lac Blanc and the Chéserys Lakes, in order to preserve these fragile ecosystems.
See the prefectural decree - Nature Reserves of the Chamonix-Mont-Blanc Valley
Municipal Regulations
Chamonix
By municipal ordinance, camping and caravanning have been prohibited outside designated campsites throughout the municipality of Chamonix since 1992.
Only high-altitude camping is permitted between sunset and sunrise.
In the Aiguilles Rouges massif (map attached), camping has been regulated since 2024 by a prefectural decree from June through September (decree attached). It is mandatory to reserve a spot on the dedicated website before going to bivouac in one of the nature reserves of the Aiguilles Rouges massif (Carlaveyon, Aiguilles Rouges, and the Bérard Valley).
Furthermore, year-round, in certain clearly defined areas, camping is strictly prohibited:
- Lac Blanc
- Blaitière Alpine Pastures
- Col des Posettes area
- In the APHN sector, which regulates access to the summit of Mont Blanc, from the Col du Mont Lachat to the bergschrund of Mont Blanc du Tacul.
- As a reminder, swimming is prohibited in Lac Blanc and the Chéserys Lakes by prefectural decree.
See the Municipal Ordinance - Chamonix
Vallorcine
In addition to the prefectural decree mentioned above, which regulates camping—particularly in the nature reserves of the Vallon de Bérard and the Aiguilles Rouges— camping in the municipality of Vallorcine has been regulated since 2024 by Ordinance No. 34/2024:
- Art. 1: Wild camping and campfires are strictly prohibited both day and night throughout the entire municipal territory.
- Art. 2: Bivouacking outside nature reserves is permitted under the following conditions: setting up a tent or a makeshift campsite with the landowner’s permission for one night, from 7:00 p.m. at the earliest until 9:00 a.m. the following day at the latest. Above an altitude of 1,700 meters, camping is automatically permitted.
See the Municipal Ordinance - Vallorcine
Les Houches
In the absence of a specific ordinance (other than the prefectural ordinance cited above, which also applies to the Carlaveyron Nature Reserve), camping is tolerated from sunset to sunrise, for one night.
Furthermore, year-round, in certain well-defined areas, camping is strictly prohibited:
Montagne de Chailloux (from the mountain pasture to the summit of the Aiguillette des Houches).
Trails - Construction and Safety
Regulations concerning the trails in the Chamonix Valley (construction, safety, rockfalls, etc.) are centralized and regularly updated by La Chamoniarde, which serves as the local authority on mountain safety. There you will find both temporary and permanent regulations.