10 High-Altitude Lakes in the Écrins and the Story Behind the Postcard

Turquoise water at 2,500 m, complete silence, not a soul on the path at 7 AM. Or 200 tents pitched along the shore on an August Saturday. The lakes of the Écrins are both of these things. It all comes down to when and how you visit.

As mountain guides based in the Southern Alps, we are not about to claim we are revealing hidden gems. These lakes are well known, well documented, and some suffer from overcrowding in high summer. We share them all the same: concealing a place does not protect it, but understanding it properly does. The real issue is everyone arriving at the same time, unaware of alternatives, sometimes behaving inappropriately (fires, wild camping, swimming, disturbing wildlife). Our role on the ground is to look beyond the postcard, shift the timings, pick less-travelled routes, and suggest 2-3 day combinations that spread the pressure.

This selection is necessarily subjective, drawn from hundreds of outings across every season. For each lake, we note its level of crowding and, where relevant, the best times or routes to enjoy it quietly, along with a few pointers for getting past the clichés and discovering lesser-known facets.

Lac de Lauvitel: the giant of the Écrins

Lauvitel is the largest natural lake in the Écrins massif. At 35 hectares with depths exceeding 60 metres, it occupies a glacial basin above the Vénéon valley at 1,530 m.

The path starts from the hamlet of La Danchère, near Bourg-d'Oisans. Allow 1h30 of ascent for roughly 500 m of height gain. It is steep in places but well marked, manageable for occasional walkers in reasonable fitness. Suitable for families with children aged 7-8 and above.

The lake sits at the entrance to the strict nature reserve bearing the same name. Given the considerable footfall, Park wardens maintain close surveillance. Check with the local tourist office for any regulations in force.

Behind the postcard, Lauvitel is a scientific site. The strict nature reserve, established in 1995 across 689 hectares, holds IUCN Category 1a classification (the most restrictive). The CNRS has tracked ecosystem development here without human intervention for over 30 years. The lake level varies by 20 metres with the seasons, a rare phenomenon in alpine settings. Around 50 bird species have been recorded, micromammals monitored since 1992, and alpine meadow diversity increased between 1998 and 2014. Understanding this is what makes the restrictions feel rather less irksome: you are walking through a space where nature is observed, not merely decorated.

Practical info: 1h30 walk from La Danchère (Bourg-d'Oisans), 500 m height gain, moderate difficulty. Accessible June to October. Free car park at the start.

• Distance :↔ 8.7 km
• Dénivelé positif :↗ 674 m
• Dénivelé négatif :↘ 679 m

To extend the day, a loop taking in both Muzelle and Lauvitel offers a more demanding circuit (roughly 6-7h) with open views above the lake. You can also combine Lauvitel and Muzelle over 2 days with bivouac or with a night at the Refuge de la Muzelle.

Lac de la Muzelle

At 2,105 m, Lac de la Muzelle occupies a stark corrie beneath the Roche de la Muzelle (3,465 m). It is the stop along the GR54, the Grand Tour des Écrins, that tempts hikers to take a rest day before completing the circuit. The Refuge de la Muzelle, set at the lakeside, welcomes walkers from June to September.

From Vénosc (reachable by gondola from Les Deux Alpes), the ascent takes 4 to 5 hours through the Muzelle valley. The path passes first through larch forest before opening onto alpine pastures, then the lake itself. It is long and steep in places, but the arrival at the lake rather makes up for it.

Behind the postcard, Muzelle is a lake under scientific scrutiny. It belongs to the Lacs Sentinelles network, an observatory monitoring 34 high-altitude lakes across the Alps to gauge the impact of global changes. Between 2021 and 2023, the National Park and the OFB (French Biodiversity Office) carried out an in-depth study. Only two fish species inhabit the lake (Arctic char and brown trout), both reproducing naturally since stocking ceased in 1996, though growth remains slow owing to limited food. The lake shows warming signals: rising water temperatures, shorter ice-cover periods, and a downward trend in deep-water oxygen. Encouragingly, neither pastoralism nor tourist activity appears to have measurable impact on the aquatic communities.

The lake has drawn attention in recent years for another reason: summer overcrowding. Up to 200 tents on certain August weekends, with the sanitary and ecological problems that follow. The National Park has since tightened camping rules in this area. If you are heading up independently, do check the current regulations.

The Muzelle-Lauvitel loop via the Col du Vallon is a classic 2-day outing that we offer as part of our weekend refuge trips in the Écrins.

Lac d'Eychauda

Perched at 2,514 m, Lac d'Eychauda sits in a closed glacial cirque between the Montagne des Agneaux and the Dôme de Monêtier. The setting is mineral, austere, quite unlike the other lakes in this selection.

The standard approach is from the Chambran car park (Pelvoux, Vallouise valley): roughly 2h to 2h30 of climbing for 800 m of height gain. An alternative route from Le Monêtier-les-Bains (Serre Chevalier) crosses the Col d'Eychauda (2,425 m), a longer option (3h, 900 m gain) over rockier ground, climbing back up from the col to the lake (90 m additional gain).

Practical info: 2h-2h30 from Chambran (Pelvoux), 800 m height gain, intermediate difficulty. Alternative via Le Monêtier: 3h, 900 m gain. Accessible July to September.

Behind the postcard, Eychauda is a lake with near-polar conditions. It remains frozen 9 to 10 months per year, and icebergs can persist into August. Unlike most alpine lakes, it is retained not by a moraine but by a granite bedrock sill. Its outlet stream does not remain on the surface: the water disappears into a network of faults and scree. Fed by the Séguret-Foran glacier, its waters are charged with rock flour, low in oxygen during winter, and the lake is classified as oligotrophic (extremely nutrient-poor). A handful of trout survive here, descended from stocking in the 1950s-60s, but the environment remains inhospitable. The biological window is limited to 2-3 months per year.

This is a quieter lake than Lauvitel or Muzelle. You will mostly encounter experienced walkers and the occasional mountaineer heading for the glaciers.

Lac du Glacier d'Arsine

Lac du Glacier d'Arsine is a proglacial lake, formed by the retreat of the Arsine glacier over recent decades. Its milky colour, laden with sediment, shifts with light and season. It sits at 2,450 m in a broad mineral cirque enclosed by moraines.

The walk starts from the Col du Lautaret (2,058 m) along the Sentier des Crevasses, a balcony path above the valley. Allow 3h to 3h30 for around 450 m of height gain. The modest gain is deceptive: the distance is considerable (7-8 km one way) and the terrain uneven.

Practical info: 3h-3h30 from Col du Lautaret, 450 m height gain, moderate difficulty but long distance (7-8 km one way). Accessible July to September.

• Distance :↔ 15.9 km
• Dénivelé positif :↗ 374 m
• Dénivelé négatif :↘ 870 m

Behind the postcard, Lac d'Arsine nearly caused a disaster. Formed by glacial retreat, it was held back by a substantial moraine system dating from the Little Ice Age (1550-1850). By 1985, the lake covered 6 hectares containing 800,000 m³ of water, its level rising roughly 50 cm per year. The moraine risked giving way, with the village of Le Casset lying downstream. In spring 1986, emergency works brought the level down and stabilised it. The lake remains under surveillance today.

The Arsine glacier has become a "black glacier": blanketed in rock debris that insulates it and slows the melt. Its moraine system is considered one of the best preserved in the western Alps. It is a notable site for walking in the Écrins and observing glacier evolution firsthand.

Lacs de Pétarel

The Lacs de Pétarel occupy a hanging valley above the Valgaudemar, between 2,080 and 2,100 m. Two main lakes sit at the head of a cliff-walled cirque, with a commanding view over the valley below.

The ascent is demanding: between 850 and 1,500 m of height gain depending on your starting point (Andrieux, Les Portes, or l'Ubac). Allow 3 to 5 hours. This is a serious outing, best kept for days when you are feeling fit.

Behind the postcard, Pétarel has been monitored for some twenty years as part of the Lacs Sentinelles network. In 2009 and again in 2017, minnows were found in the lakes, a notable discovery at this altitude. Since 2022, a team from Aix-Marseille University and the National Park has been studying the distribution of these fish: they appear in two ponds linked to the main lake and in the outflow up to 200-300 m below. The site also hosts alpine newts and dragonflies (common hawker). An initial hydrobiological survey dates to 1996, making Pétarel one of the best-documented high-altitude lakes in the massif.

We have written a full article on this route: Randonnée aux Lacs de Pétarel with GPX track, route alternatives, and practical tips.

Lac du Lauzon and Lac Bleu

From the Chalet-Hôtel du Gioberney, Lac du Lauzon (2,008 m) is reached in 1 hour of walking. The path is well marked and the height gain modest (roughly 450 m as a loop including Lac Bleu). It is one of the most accessible walks in the Écrins for reaching a high-altitude lake.

Lac Bleu, positioned slightly higher, naturally completes the loop. The two lakes have little in common: Lauzon is a green, shallow lake that verges on a pond with its aquatic vegetation, whilst Lac Bleu lives up to its name with water of a frank blue.

Behind the postcard, Lauzon is a glacial over-deepening lake, carved roughly 10,000 years ago into gneiss fractured by a north-south fault. It is classified as a "grassland lake": ice-free 4 to 5 months per year, it enjoys relatively mild conditions for the altitude. Aquatic vegetation is plentiful, indicating good biological productivity. Peat bogs bordered by cotton grass surround the lake. Chamois are regularly seen in the early morning.

The detailed route, GPX track, and alternatives can be found in our dedicated article: Lac Lauzon et Lac Bleu.

Lacs de Crupillouse

Less familiar than their Valgaudemar neighbours, the Lacs de Crupillouse merit the effort. Sitting at roughly 2,630 m in the Champoléon valley, they offer a wild, unspoilt setting well away from the busier classics.

The usual start is from the hamlet of Les Baumes (about 1,300 m). The walk takes 4 to 5 hours for close to 1,400 m of height gain. It is one of the most physically demanding "lake walks" in the massif. The path follows the Crupillouse torrent valley, first through forest, then across alpine pastures before arriving at the lakes.

Practical info: 4-5h from Les Baumes (Champoléon), 1,400 m height gain, sustained difficulty. Accessible July to September.

• Distance :↔ 17 km
• Dénivelé positif :↗ 1358 m
• Dénivelé négatif :↘ 1339 m

Behind the postcard, Crupillouse is one of the finest sites for observing glacial erosion in the Écrins. The cirque was freed from ice comparatively recently in geological terms: the rock is barely weathered, pale, almost lunar. The lakes are over-deepening lakes, separated by rounded humps covered in glacial polish (those smooth surfaces sculpted by the passage of glaciers). The bedrock is composed of augen gneiss, rocks with large feldspar crystals that lend the site its white-pink hue. The area is also a reliable spot for chamois and ibex, and the rock ptarmigan nests in the scree around the lakes.

Lac Lautier

Lac Lautier, at 2,360 m above Villar-Loubière in the Valgaudemar, is one of those lakes you come upon almost by surprise. Less commonly listed in walking guides, it tends to draw regulars of the massif.

The ascent from Villar-Loubière (around 1,000 m) takes 4h to 4h30 for upwards of 1,350 m of height gain. The path passes through larch forests, by the Refuge des Souffles (1,968 m, a useful intermediate halt), then continues to the alpine pasture around the lake.

• Distance :↔ 15.9 km
• Dénivelé positif :↗ 1348 m
• Dénivelé négatif :↘ 1348 m

Lac du Goléon

Lac du Goléon (2,438 m): on a clear day, the Meije (3,983 m) and its glaciers reflect in the lake, with the Aiguilles d'Arves behind. It is the photograph everyone has seen, and the August crowds are part of the package.

The walk starts from the hamlet of Valfroide, above La Grave. The climb takes about 1h30 for 570 m of height gain. The path is well marked and accessible to most walkers, including families with children from age 6-7. The Refuge du Goléon, staffed in summer, allows you to extend the outing with a night on-site.

Practical info: 1h30 walk from Valfroide (La Grave), 570 m height gain, moderate difficulty. Accessible June to October. Staffed refuge in summer (19 places, booking advised).

Behind the postcard, Lac du Goléon is not entirely natural. A dam was built in 1965 on the site of a former glacial lake, creating a body of water of roughly 10 hectares and 2 metres deep. A larger dam project had been studied by EDF but came to nothing. Above the lake, the Glacier Lombard's alluvial plain forms a sandur (glacial outwash plain), one of the best preserved in the French Alps. Pioneer Arctic plant communities are found there, inherited from Quaternary glacial advances, protected under Natura 2000 (site "Plateau d'Emparis - Goléon", 7,476 ha). These habitats are fragile: some visitors carve names and dates into the rock slabs, paths are widened by those who cut the switchbacks, and loose dogs disturb wildlife (chamois, black grouse, rock ptarmigan). This is a site where every walker's conduct matters.

Plateau d'Emparis: Lac Lérié and Lac Noir

The Plateau d'Emparis is a broad alpine grassland perched between 2,000 and 2,500 m, facing the north flank of the Meije. Lac Lérié (2,410 m) and Lac Noir (2,457 m) mark this crossing. In still weather, the Meije's glaciers reflect in their waters.

The shortest approach starts from the Le Chazelet car park above La Grave. Allow 1h30 to 2h to reach Lac Lérié. The full traverse of the plateau to Besse-en-Oisans (1,500 m) makes a satisfying day's walking (5-6h, roughly 15 km). Once on the plateau, the route is largely a gentle descent. The challenge lies more in distance than height gain. The ground is open, without technical difficulty, but exposed to wind and weather.

Practical info: 1h30-2h from Le Chazelet to Lac Lérié, 450 m height gain, moderate difficulty. Full traverse to Besse: 5-6h, 15 km, mostly descending after the lakes. Accessible June to October.

Walk to these lakes with a guide

All these lakes are accessible as day walks or over 2-3 days. To discover them with a mountain guide who knows the quiet hours and less-travelled alternatives, we offer several options:

• Écrins Traverse in 5 days: a hut-to-hut trek passing by several of these lakes
• Weekend Refuge Trip in the Écrins: 2 days with a night in a mountain hut, ideal for combining 2 lakes on the same route
• Weekend in the Écrins: 2 days with bivouac or gîte, programme adapted to your level
• Bivouac in the Valgaudemar: 3 days from lake to lake in the Valgaudemar
• GR54, the Grand Tour des Écrins: the complete circuit of the massif, 7 to 13 days, taking in Lauvitel, Muzelle, and many more

See all our walking holidays in the Écrins.

Frequently asked questions about Écrins lakes

Can you swim in the Écrins lakes?

In the core zone of the National Park, swimming is not formally prohibited but is strongly discouraged. High-altitude lakes are fragile environments: the flora and small fauna inhabiting them are sensitive to disturbance, sun cream degrades water quality, and swimming itself is hazardous (cold water, unsupervised, potentially contaminated by animal remains).

In the Park's buffer zone, several communes have issued local by-laws that ban swimming outright:

• Ornon, Oulles, and Livet-et-Gavet for all lakes on the Taillefer plateau (including Lac Fourchu)
• La Grave, Besse, and Mizoën for all lakes on the Plateau d'Emparis (including Lac Noir and Lac Lérié)
• Le Monêtier-les-Bains for all lakes within the commune

To cool off in summer, there are designated bathing spots in the valleys surrounding the massif: Lac du Casset, Lac de la Roche-de-Rame, plan d'eau d'Embrun, Lac de Serre-Ponçon, the Orcières leisure centre, plan d'eau de Valbonnais, plan d'eau du Champsaur, and Lac de la Buissonnière at Les Deux Alpes.

When is the best time to walk to the lakes?

Most lakes are accessible on foot from late June to early October. July and August provide the most settled conditions but also the heaviest footfall. September is often the best compromise: fewer visitors, low-angled light, heather reddening, and larches starting to turn. The lower lakes (Lauvitel, Lauzon) are accessible from June. For the highest (Eychauda, Crupillouse, Emparis), you must wait for the snow patches to clear, typically early July.

Which lakes are suitable for families?

Lac du Lauzon (1h walk, straightforward path) and Lac du Goléon (1h30, well-marked path) are the most suitable for families with children. Lac de Lauvitel is also feasible from age 7-8, though the climb is steep. Lac du Glacier d'Arsine, with its modest height gain from the Col du Lautaret, is another sound option for children accustomed to walking.

Can you link several lakes on a 2-3 day trek?

Yes. The Muzelle-Lauvitel loop via the Col du Vallon takes 2 days. Our Valgaudemar bivouac trip connects Pétarel, Lauzon, and Lautier over 3 days. The Écrins Traverse in 5 days takes in several of these lakes. The GR54 is the full circuit for seeing (nearly) all of them.

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