# Écrins National Park

A high-mountain national park between the Isère and the Hautes-Alpes, created in 1973, with more than a hundred summits above 3,000 m and the Barre des Écrins (4,102 m) as its roof.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/france/provence-alpes-cote-dazur/ecrins · Revisado: 2026-11-12

## What is the park like?

A high-mountain massif between Grenoble and Briançon, with glaciers, peaks of over 4,000 m and deep valleys that surround it like the spokes of a wheel. There are no roads that cross it: each valley is a dead end that finishes where the footpaths begin, and to get from one to another by car you have to go out and round. That is why it pays to choose one or two valleys and stay in them.

The park is divided into seven sectors, each with its own character:

Oisans, in the north-west, the Grenoble side: La Grave and La Meije, the Vénéon valley with Saint-Christophe-en-Oisans and Lac de Lauvitel.

Briançonnais, in the north-east, with the fortified city of Briançon as a base.

Vallouise, in the east, with Vallouise-Pelvoux and the road that climbs to the Pré de Madame Carle, at the foot of the Glacier Blanc.

Embrunais, in the south-east, above Lac de Serre-Ponçon.

Champsaur and Valgaudemar, in the south, greener and quieter.

Valbonnais, in the west, the least visited.

## Which route should I do?

The park maintains more than 700 km of trails in its core area, and its Destination Écrins portal publishes sheets with distance, ascent and time. A few to start with:

Alpe de Villar-d'Arêne, in the Oisans: easy, 10.7 km, 425 m of climb and about 4 h 30, through high-mountain meadows at the foot of the glaciers.

Cascade de la Pisse, at Champoléon (Champsaur): medium, 9.3 km, 468 m and about 3 h 30.

Travers des lacs via l'Alpe du Pin, from Saint-Christophe-en-Oisans: medium, 7.4 km, 668 m and about 4 h.

Lac de l'Eychauda, at Vallouise-Pelvoux: medium, 11.7 km, 823 m and about 5 h, to a lake beneath a glacier.

The best-known excursion in the park is the one to the Pré de Madame Carle, at the head of the Vallouise: the road ends on a plain of larches, and from there a path climbs to the Glacier Blanc hut, with the tongue of the glacier in view. For those with more days, the GR 54, the Tour de l'Oisans and des Écrins, goes right round the massif from hut to hut.

## What rules do you need to know?

In the heart of the park the rules are strict, and it is worth knowing them before you arrive:

Dogs are banned, even on a lead. Only working dogs are admitted: rescue, herding and assistance dogs.

You cannot camp. Bivouacking is allowed from 19:00 to 9:00 and more than an hour's walk from the road and from the boundaries of the park's core.

Lighting fires is forbidden, as is collecting plants, animals, minerals or fossils.

Mountain biking is banned except on marked stretches, and so are boats on the lakes.

Motorised overflights are banned below 1,000 m above ground. If you want to fly a drone, ask the park first.

## What do I do, where do I eat and where do I sleep at La Grave?

If it is your first time and you are coming from Lyon or Grenoble, the most convenient side is that of La Grave and Villar-d'Arêne, in the upper Romanche valley, at the foot of La Meije. Everything is less than half an hour away by car:

What to do: the Meije glacier cable car up to 3,200 m, the Jardin du Lautaret at the top of the pass, the easy climb to the Alpe de Villar-d'Arêne hut, the route to the lakes of the Emparis plateau facing La Meije and the Arsine via ferrata with a guide.

Where to eat: La Cabine, at the 3,200 m station; Le Faranchin, in Villar-d'Arêne, open every day in summer, and the dining room of the Sérac, in La Grave.

Where to sleep: the Hôtel Le Castillan, facing the cable car; the Auberge Edelweiss, in the centre of the village, and the Alpe de Villar-d'Arêne hut for a night at altitude.

## How do you get there from Spain?

By car, on the A9 to Nîmes and the Rhône valley. For the Oisans you go up via Valence and Grenoble; for the Vallouise, the Champsaur and the Embrunais, via Aix-en-Provence and Gap, or via Grenoble and the Col du Lautaret towards Briançon. Without a car there are trains to Gap and Briançon, but the valleys are hard to get around by public transport: a car is almost essential for moving between them.

## Dónde está
- Zonas: Alps
- Cerca: Annecy (a 118.3 km), Gran Paradiso (a 119.6 km · Italy)

## Qué hacer
- **Meije glacier cable car, from La Grave to 3,200 m** (4 h · All ages; wrap up even in August · Desde 37 € per adult, round trip to 3,200 m): It is the quickest way to find yourself in the high mountains of the Écrins without being a mountaineer: in a short cabin ride you go from the houses of La Grave to the ice of the Girose glacier, with the north face of the Meije, 3,983 m high, in front of you.
What it is and what you see at the top
The cable car climbs in two stages. The first reaches 2,400 m, the intermediate station, where the company has prepared a short route of viewpoints which it calls "sensations". The second leaves you at 3,200 m, at the edge of the Girose glacier: there are the La Cabine restaurant, with a panoramic terrace, a waymarked path across the glacier and a cave dug into the ice.
Off the waymarked path, the glacier is mountaineers' terrain, with rope and guide: do not leave it on your own. To walk on it safely, the company organises a guided walk with the Bureau des Guides on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.
Summer 2026 hours

6 to 26 June: every day, first ascents at 7:30 and 8:30 and service from 10:30 to 15:30.
27 June to 30 August: every day, first ascents at 7:30 and 8:30 and service from 8:30 to 15:30.
September: 3 to 6 and 10 to 13, Thursday to Sunday.

The last descent from 3,200 m is at 16:15. The cave and La Cabine follow the same calendar. Hours are indicative: the company may change them because of wind.
How much it costs
Round trip to 3,200 m, €37 for adults and €25 up to age 18; the family package, for two parents and their children under 20, €84. Up to 2,400 m only, €25. There are one-way tickets for those who walk up or down. The ice cave costs €7 (€6 for under-18s) and the guided walk on the glacier, €40 (€30 for under-18s). The Experience and Passion packages combine the ascent, cave and path; the Passion adds lunch at La Cabine.
Getting there and parking
The lower station is in the cable car square, in the centre of La Grave, beside the D1091. From Lyon it is about two hours forty-five by Grenoble and the Romanche valley. Beyond the Chambon reservoir, the road follows a narrow emergency stretch, for cars only: motorhomes and cars with trailers must go via Gap or the Fréjus tunnel. Without a car, the LER 35 bus links Grenoble with La Grave with advance booking.
- **Lac Noir and Lac Lérié on the Plateau d'Emparis, from Le Chazelet** (6 h · 16.3 km · Adults and teenagers used to walking · Free): If you do only one long walk at La Grave, make it this one. The Plateau d'Emparis is a balcony of pasture hanging north of the Romanche, and from its lakes you see the whole north face of the Meije, 3,983 m high, with its glaciers, straight in front of you. In still air, Lac Noir reflects all of it.
The route
The park's route sheet starts from Le Chazelet station, at 1,770 m. You go down a little by the car park and, without entering the village, turn towards the foot of the lifts. You cross the Gâ torrent and climb the wide switchbacks of the GR54, which work up the whole east slope of the plateau. You pass some benches at 2,060 m, continue straight on along the GR54 under a ski lift, cross two streams and reach the Col du Souchet.
At the pass you take the second path, which passes a small lake, sometimes dry, and go down to Lac Noir. From its shore you continue east to Lac Lérié, go round it on the left and climb back to the pass. From there you return along the GR54 to Le Chazelet.
In total it is 16.3 km and 845 m of ascent, with the highest point at 2,445 m. The park estimates six hours and rates it as moderate.
What you need to know
The plateau is grazing land, and the park presents it that way on its route sheet. If you meet flocks, pass slowly and go round them without frightening the livestock. The park flags the area as sensitive for the golden eagle during the breeding season, from January to August, so do not leave the path.
Snow can remain on the pass well into June. The usual time to do it is July to September, setting out early to avoid the afternoon storms.
Getting to Le Chazelet
From the Col du Lautaret, go down the D1091 towards La Grave and, before the tunnel entrance, take the D33 on the left towards Le Chazelet. The park recommends the car park above the village. Without a car, the LER 35 bus from Grenoble to Briançon stops at La Grave, with booking on the Zou website; from La Grave you would have to walk up or take a taxi.
- **Jardin du Lautaret, the alpine garden at the pass** (1 h 30 · Families, pushchairs; no dogs · 9 €): The Lautaret is the pass linking the Oisans with Briançon, and high up, at 2,100 m, the University of Grenoble cultivates a garden of flowers from the world's mountains. It is the quiet visit in the valley: the one that suits children, light rain or the day after a long day on the glacier.
What it is
The garden belongs to Université Grenoble Alpes and the CNRS, and is also a research station. Its beds and rock gardens bring together some 2,000 species of mountain flowers from ranges around the world. Behind it the Meije appears with its glaciers, the same mountain you see from La Grave but from the east. There is also a small museum that opens with the garden.
When to go
It opens from the first weekend of June to the first weekend of September, every day from 10:00 to 18:00. Out of season it is closed, and the phone is only answered in those months.
How much it costs
General admission costs €9. €7 is paid by young people aged 12 to 18, students, job seekers, people with disabilities and groups of more than ten. Children under 12 and holders of some regional passes go in free. A season pass, the ambassador card, costs €16.
Guided visits for individuals are free and unbooked, until places run out, at 10:30, 14:30 and 16:00. On Thursday mornings in July and August there are one-hour visits to the laboratories, with booking.
Getting there
It is at the Col du Lautaret itself, in the commune of Villar-d'Arêne, beside the D1091. From La Grave it is a quarter of an hour by car, up the Romanche valley. The garden estimates an hour and a half from Grenoble, half an hour from Briançon and three quarters of an hour from Bourg-d'Oisans.
- **Walk to the Alpe de Villar-d'Arêne refuge from the Pont d'Arsine** (3 h · 8.8 km · Families with children who like walking · Free): This is the easy walk of the upper Romanche valley and a good first hike with children: little ascent and, at the end, a staffed refuge where you can eat something with the glaciers above you.
The route
You set off from the Pont d'Arsine car park, at 1,710 m, above Villar-d'Arêne. The refuge describes it as an easy path, with one steep stretch, that works up the upper Romanche valley to the refuge, at 2,071 m. It is 4.4 km and about 400 m of ascent: an hour and a half to get there and an hour to return the same way. The park portal's route, which loops round by the Alpe, is longer at 10.7 km, 425 m of ascent and about four and a half hours, and is also rated easy.
There are two other approaches. From the Col du Lautaret, in summer only, it is 7 km on a steep, unequipped path, an hour and a half each way. From Le Casset, in Le Monêtier-les-Bains, 10 km and 700 m of ascent, three hours each way.
The refuge
The Alpe de Villar-d'Arêne refuge belongs to the French alpine club federation (FFCAM). In summer 2026 it is staffed from 11 June to 20 September. It serves light food all day and a lunchtime menu from 12:00 to 15:00. It does not take cards: bring cash. If you want to sleep there, see its accommodation page.
Getting to the Pont d'Arsine
By the D1091. From Grenoble, reach Villar-d'Arêne and follow the signs towards Pied du Col. From the Lautaret, go down the D1091 and likewise follow the Pied du Col direction to the Pont des Brebis. Beyond the Chambon reservoir, the Grenoble road follows a narrow emergency stretch, for cars only: motorhomes, trailers and coaches go via Gap or the Fréjus tunnel. Without a car, the Grenoble or Briançon bus stops at Villar-d'Arêne, at the Hôtel les Agneaux stop, with booking at least 24 hours ahead.
- **Arsine via ferrata at Villar-d'Arêne, with a La Grave guide** (3 h · From 1.20 m tall; no experience needed · Desde 62 € per person in a group): If you want to try verticality without being a climber, this is the via ferrata in the upper Romanche valley that the Bureau des Guides de La Grave suggests for beginners. It is short, shaded in summer and has an escape route halfway if someone does not feel comfortable.
What it is like
The route follows a pillar at Villar-d'Arêne and climbs about 200 m through vertical sections and the odd overhanging step, with cable, rungs and wide views over the valley. The company classes it as introductory technically and for beginners physically, but warns that it has some exposed steps. Before you start there is an approach on foot of up to half an hour, with a 5 to 10 kg rucksack and perhaps over steep terrain.
The guide is with you the whole time: a high-mountain guide or an instructor with a state diploma. They teach you to use the energy absorber, to clip the carabiners and to move along the rungs, and decide whether the group continues to the top or leaves by the escape route.
Who it is for
For teenagers and adults with no experience who want something more than a footpath. The website says it is accessible from age 8 or 10 and sets a minimum height of 1.20 m, which is what really counts for reaching the rungs. If you have a strong fear of heights, a walk in the valley or the climb to the Alpe refuge is better.
How much it costs and what is included
In a group, €62 per person, with a minimum of four participants. Privately, €240 for a group of up to six. The price includes the guide, their liability insurance, shared equipment such as the rope, and individual accident insurance. Bring mountain clothing, water and something to eat. Helmet, harness and energy absorber must be brought or hired, and transport to the foot of the route is up to you.
Meeting point
At the guides' office, in the cable car square in La Grave, or directly at the foot of the route, at 9:00 or 14:00. Villar-d'Arêne is a few minutes from La Grave on the D1091, heading up towards the Lautaret.

## Dónde comer
- **La Cabine, the restaurant at 3,200 m on the La Grave cable car** (Restaurant, La Grave, €€). Qué pedir: the warm goat's cheese salad from the Ferme des Molières, in La Grave, or the tartiflette if it is cold
- **Le Faranchin restaurant, in Villar-d'Arêne** (Restaurant, Villar-d'Arêne, €€). Qué pedir: the set menu, or the fresh Châteauroux trout meunière; for dessert, the Ferme des Molières goat's cheese
- **Hôtel Le Sérac restaurant, in La Grave** (Restaurant, La Grave, €€). Qué pedir: one of the three menus, the €25 one if you are coming off a full day's walking

## By car: By car, along the Romanche and the Lautaret
The Écrins valleys cannot be crossed from the inside: each is a dead end, and the car is what lets you switch from one to another. From La Grave you have the cable car, the Lautaret, Le Chazelet and the Pont d'Arsine within half an hour.
Presupuesto orientativo: 90–180 € por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir if you're driving
- **Hôtel Le Castillan** (Hotel): A mountain-pass road hotel, opposite the cable car
Le Castillan is a three-star hotel on the D1091, the great-passes road that climbs from Grenoble to the Lautaret, right opposite the La Grave cable car station. It is the comfortable base for anyone who wants to head up to the glaciers first thing without moving the car, and for those travelling the passes by motorbike or bike: it has free garaging for bikes and motorbikes and charging for e-bikes.
In summer it opens from 29 May to 25 September 2026, and in winter from 18 December 2026 to 2 May 2027.
The rooms
There are 32, among singles, doubles, triples and family rooms, with bath or shower, telephone and television. About half have a south-facing loggia towards the Meije glaciers; the rest look onto the village. Two are adapted for people with reduced mobility. There is internet access.
For spending the afternoon, the hotel has a lounge, a garden, a children's play area, a summer pool facing the Meije and a sauna, which costs €12 per person.
The restaurant
The kitchen holds the Maître Restaurateur title, which requires home-made dishes with fresh produce. There is a daily-changing menu from €26 and a children's menu at €12, plus a summer and a winter à la carte. The chef smokes his own trout and confits the Ventelon lamb shank with lemon. The producers are from the valley: Ventelon lamb, Villar-d'Arêne veal, goat's cheese and honey from La Grave. The bar and terrace face the glacier.
Getting there and parking
By the D1091, from Grenoble through the Romanche valley or from Briançon over the Lautaret. You park free in front of the hotel; inside the closed courtyard there are two electric-car charging points. The LER 35 bus from Grenoble to Briançon stops at La Grave with advance booking.
- **Hôtel Auberge Edelweiss** (Small hotel, desde 150 € / night): An inn centuries old in the centre of La Grave
The Auberge Edelweiss is a former coaching inn, privately owned, on rue de Babiole, in the centre of La Grave. The regional tourist office listing places it about five minutes' walk from the cable car. The team is international and speaks several languages, and the house caters both to La Grave's off-piste skiers and to those who ride the passes by bike.
The rooms
All face the Meije and have a full bathroom with a separate toilet, with duvets on the beds. There are doubles or twins and larger rooms, for up to four people. You can book any number of nights and arrive any day of the week. The whole hotel is smoke-free, including the terrace. There is no lift, and the hotel itself warns that it struggles to accommodate people with reduced mobility.
Dinner on the terrace
The hotel is built around a large terrace. The restaurant opens only in the evening, from 19:30 to 21:30, with a blackboard that changes daily: starters, mains, cheese and dessert, always with a different vegetarian dish, homemade bread every night and a list of more than 400 wines from France and the rest of the world. They do not serve fondue, tartiflette or raclette. In summer you dine outside if the weather allows and, now and then, there is a barbecue on the terrace. Inside, the bar is small and cosy.
Prices and conditions
In summer, the double room with breakfast costs from €150, and on half board, with breakfast and a three-course dinner, from €220. The tourist tax, €1.10 per person per day, is extra. Check-in is from 15:00 and check-out at 10:00; you can leave your luggage afterwards. If you cancel more than four weeks ahead, the deposit is refunded; between four and two weeks, you lose half, and after that, everything.

## Consejos

### Choose one valley per stay
The valleys are not linked by road: between the Oisans and the Vallouise it is more than an hour by car over the Lautaret.

### Set off early in summer
Afternoon storms are frequent in July and August. Start walking early and come down before three.

### Book the huts
In July and August the best-known huts fill up. Phone before going up, especially at weekends.

### Call in at a park house
The park houses, such as the one at Vallouise-Pelvoux, give information on trails, rules and routes in each valley.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### Can I go in with a dog?
Not in the heart of the park, not even on a lead. Only working dogs are admitted, such as herding or assistance dogs.

### Can I camp?
No. Bivouacking is allowed from 19:00 to 9:00, more than an hour's walk from the road and from the boundaries of the park's core.

### Which valley should I choose if it's my first time?
The Vallouise, for the Pré de Madame Carle and Lac de l'Eychauda, or the Oisans, for La Grave and the meadows of Villar-d'Arêne facing the glaciers.

### How many days do I need?
Three at least for one valley and two or three routes. For the GR 54, the complete circuit of the massif, allow more than a week.

### Are there easy routes?
Yes. The Alpe de Villar-d'Arêne one is marked as easy: 10.7 km and 425 m of climb, through meadows.

### Can I mountain bike?
Not inside the heart of the park, except on marked stretches. Outside, in the valleys, yes.