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Bivouac & Camping

Camping at lake Presset: everything you need to know for a successful bivouac!

Official and legal information about bivouac at lake Presset in Beaufortain

  • Police decree prohibiting bivouac and camping in the watershed of lake Presset.
  • How to book your bivouac pitche at lake Presset?
  • Mistakes not to make for a bivouac at lake Presset.
  • What equipment for a bivouac night at lake Presset?
  • Why is it forbidden to bivouac on the shores of lake Presset?
  • Where to camp without reservation?

    • Camping prohibited around lake Presset

    Camping and bivouac are prohibited in the lake Presset watershed by municipal decree "Arrêté N°2021-284: prohibiting activities at lake Presset and its surroundings, located at La-Cote-d'Aime in the Commune of La-Plagne-Tarentaise". Failure to comply with a police decree is punishable by a fine of €150, a bit high for a bivouac night, isn't it? In order to set up your tent in complete equality in Presset's basin and not to be fined by the OFB agents (French Office for Biodiversity): let yourself be guided! 10 free pitches are available by reservation with Presset hut's staff.

    bivouac interdit au lac de presset dans le beaufortain
    Camping and bivouac prohibited in lake Presset watershed (in red)

    Book your bivouac site at lake Presset: the procedure to follow


    1. Enquiry

    Find out about pitches availability via the calendar (right column). If your date is not in red (bivouac fully booked): you can contact Presset hut's staff. By phone +33 6 87 54 09 18 (we do not consult text messages), or by email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

    2. Booking

    If one of the 10 slots is available: you will be assigned a numbered slot for a set date. Remember to notify the hut keepers in case of cancellation!

    In case of unavailability

  • Reschedulable stay: book another date.
  • Non-transferable stay: consult the authorized camping areas nearby via the section: Where to camp without reservation?

    • 3. Bivouac charter

  • Consult the Presset hut's bivouac charter.
  • Complete and sign the membership form for the "Presset hut's bivouac charter".
  • Submit the membership form to the hut keepers by email to finalize your reservation : This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

    • 4. Day of arrival

  • Report to the mountain hut to obtain your camping location number.
  • Consult the bivouac information panel located outside the hut to find your place.
  • Check that you are in the right place using the numbered wooden panel.
  • Pitch your tent one hour before sunset (after 7 p.m in summer) in order to limit visual pollution around the lake and to respect the basic rules of mountain bivouac.

    • 5. Next morning

  • Take down your tent before 9 a.m or before coming to have breakfast at the hut.
  • Hang your tent canvas outside your backpack and dry it on the way to save time. Please do not dry your tent inside the refuge or on the solar panels !

    • Where to camp without reservation?

    If you weren't fast enough and all bivouac pitches at lake Presset are already occupied, don't worry: you'll do better next time! In the meantime, here is a non-exhaustive list of the closest places to lake Presset where to pitch your tent for the night. These "camping area" represent a decision-making support of authorized sites without reservation, and are in no way official secure area. The safety of your bivouac in the mountains is your own responsibility in all places, all times and all conditions (rockfall, ground humidity, storms, cold, snow, etc.).


    Le vallon de l'Ormente

    200 m below the hut is a large flat area where you can pitch your tent under the gaze of the Pierra Menta.

  • From the hut: vertical drop = - 150 m
  • Walking time: 5 to 10 min
  • Altitude : 2350 m
  • Number of pitches: indefinite ; many

    • zone bivouac du vallon de Presset
    Authorized bivouac area of "Vallon de Presset" (in red)

    La combe de la Neuva

    Past "Grand Fond" mountain pass, upstream of the hut and lake Presset, you will fall into the "Combe de la Neuva": here, countless bivouac sites await you.

  • From the hut: elevation gain = + 160 m
  • Walking time: 15 to 20 min
  • Altitude : 2100 m to 2600 m
  • Number of pitches: indefinite ; many

    • zone bivouac de la Combe de la Neuva
    Authorized bivouac area of "La Combe de la neuva" (in red)

    Le lac d’Amour

    Accessible from the "Passeur de la Mintaz" or "Bresson" mountain pass, the "Lac d'Amour" is a great alternative to bivouac on the edge of a mountain lake.

  • From the hut: vertical drop = - 400 m ; elevation gain = + 130 m
  • Walking time: 40 min to 1h15
  • Altitude : 2448 m
  • Number of pitches: indefinite ; many

    • zone bivouac du lac d'Amour
    Authorized bivouac area of "Lac d'Amour" (in red)

    "So that bivouac remains a pleasure in unspoiled nature!"

    You want to camp at lake Presset? Contact us using the contact form.

    Tags Refuge de Presset

    Presset hut's bivouac charter

    Good practices charter for the protection of nature and its practitioners!

    Police decree N°2021-284

    Police decree N°2021-284 prohibiting bivouac and camping in lake Presset wathershed.

    availabilities of bivouac pitches (red = fully booked)