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

Turquoise water at 2,500 m, total silence, nobody on the trail at 7 AM. Or 200 tents lined up along the shore on an August Saturday. The lakes of the Écrins are both of these things. It all depends on when and how you get there.

As mountain guides based in the Southern Alps, we're not going to pretend we're revealing secret spots. These lakes are well known, well documented, and some are suffering from overcrowding in peak summer. We share them anyway: hiding a place doesn't protect it, but knowing it well does. The real problem is everyone showing up at the same time, unaware of alternatives, sometimes with inappropriate behaviour (fires, wild camping, swimming, disturbing wildlife). Our role on the ground is to dig past the postcard, shift schedules, choose less-traveled routes, and suggest 2-3 day combinations that spread out the pressure.

This selection is inevitably subjective, built on hundreds of outings in all seasons. For each lake, we note crowding levels and, where relevant, the best times or routes to enjoy it in peace, plus a few leads for getting past the clichés and discovering less obvious aspects.

Lac de Lauvitel: the giant of the Écrins

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

The trail starts from the hamlet of La Danchère, near Bourg-d'Oisans. Allow 1h30 of climbing for about 500 m of elevation gain. The path is steep in places but well marked, doable for occasional hikers in good shape. Suitable for families with children from about 7-8 years old.

The lake sits at the entrance to the strict nature reserve of the same name. Due to heavy foot traffic, Park rangers maintain close surveillance. Check with the local tourist office for any regulations currently in effect.

Behind the postcard, Lauvitel is a scientific site. The strict nature reserve, created in 1995 across 689 hectares, holds IUCN Category 1a classification (the most restrictive). The CNRS has been tracking ecosystem evolution here without human intervention for over 30 years. The lake level fluctuates by 20 metres depending on the season, a rare phenomenon in alpine environments. Around 50 bird species have been recorded, micromammals have been monitored since 1992, and alpine meadow diversity increased between 1998 and 2014. This is what makes the restrictions less frustrating once you understand them: you're walking through a space where nature is observed, not simply decorated.

Practical info: 1h30 hike from La Danchère (Bourg-d'Oisans), 500 m elevation gain, moderate difficulty. Accessible June to October. Free parking at the trailhead.

• 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 tougher circuit (about 6-7h) with open views above the lake. You can also combine the two over 2 days with bivouac or a night at the Refuge de la Muzelle.

Lac de la Muzelle

At 2,105 m elevation, Lac de la Muzelle fills a stark corrie beneath the Roche de la Muzelle (3,465 m). It's the stop on the GR54, the Grand Tour des Écrins, that tempts you to take a rest day before wrapping up the circuit. The Refuge de la Muzelle, right at the lake's edge, welcomes hikers 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 trail first passes through larch forest before opening onto alpine pastures, then the lake. It's long and steep in sections, but arriving at the lake makes the effort worth it.

Behind the postcard, Muzelle is a lake under scientific watch. It belongs to the Lacs Sentinelles network, an observatory tracking 34 high-altitude lakes in the Alps to measure the impact of global changes. Between 2021 and 2023, the National Park and the OFB (French Biodiversity Office) conducted an in-depth study. Only two fish species inhabit the lake (Arctic char and brown trout), both reproducing naturally since stocking stopped in 1996, though growth remains slow due to limited food supply. The lake shows warming signals: rising water temperatures, shorter ice-cover periods, and a downward trend in deep-water oxygen. Good news for now: neither pastoralism nor tourism appears to have measurable impact on aquatic communities.

The lake has been in the news in recent years for another reason: summer overcrowding. Up to 200 tents on some August weekends, with the sanitary and ecological problems that come with it. The National Park has since tightened camping regulations in this area. If you're heading up on your own, check the current rules before you go.

The Muzelle-Lauvitel loop via the Col du Vallon is a classic 2-day outing 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 feel is mineral, austere, very different from the other lakes on this list.

The most common approach is from the Chambran parking area (Pelvoux, Vallouise valley): about 2h to 2h30 of climbing for 800 m of elevation gain. You can also reach it from Le Monêtier-les-Bains (Serre Chevalier) via the Col d'Eychauda (2,425 m), a longer route (3h, 900 m gain) over rockier terrain that climbs back from the col to the lake (90 m additional gain).

Practical info: 2h-2h30 from Chambran (Pelvoux), 800 m elevation 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 stays frozen 9 to 10 months per year, and icebergs can persist into August. Unlike most alpine lakes, it's not held back by a moraine but by a granite bedrock sill. Its outlet stream doesn't stay on the surface: the water disappears into a network of faults and scree. Fed by the Séguret-Foran glacier, the waters are loaded with rock flour, low in oxygen through winter, and the lake is classified as oligotrophic (extremely nutrient-poor). A few trout survive here, descendants of stocking from the 1950s-60s, but conditions remain harsh. The biological window is limited to 2-3 months per year.

This is a quieter lake than Lauvitel or Muzelle. You'll mostly encounter experienced hikers 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, loaded with sediment, shifts with light and season. It sits at 2,450 m elevation in a vast mineral cirque ringed by moraines.

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

Practical info: 3h-3h30 from Col du Lautaret, 450 m elevation 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 massive moraine system inherited from the Little Ice Age (1550-1850). By 1985, the lake covered 6 hectares with 800,000 m³ of water, and its level was rising about 50 cm per year. The moraine risked giving way, with the village of Le Casset downstream. In spring 1986, emergency works lowered and stabilized the level. The lake remains under surveillance today.

The Arsine glacier has become a "black glacier": covered 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's a key site for hiking in the Écrins and seeing glacier evolution firsthand.

Lacs de Pétarel

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

The climb is tough: between 850 and 1,500 m of elevation gain depending on your starting point (Andrieux, Les Portes, or l'Ubac). Allow 3 to 5 hours. This is a demanding outing, best saved for days when you're feeling strong.

Behind the postcard, Pétarel has been monitored for about twenty years as part of the Lacs Sentinelles network. In 2009 and 2017, minnows were detected in the lakes, a surprising find at this altitude. Since 2022, a team from Aix-Marseille University and the National Park has been studying where these fish turn up: they appear in two ponds connected to the main lake and in the outflow up to 200-300 m below. The site also supports alpine newts and dragonflies (common hawker). The first hydrobiological study here goes back to 1996, making Pétarel one of the best-documented high-altitude lakes in the massif.

We've 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 trail is well marked and the elevation gain modest (about 450 m as a loop including Lac Bleu). It's one of the most accessible hikes in the Écrins for reaching a high-altitude lake.

Lac Bleu, a bit higher up, naturally completes the loop. The two lakes have little in common: Lauzon is a green, shallow lake that borders on a pond with its aquatic vegetation, while Lac Bleu lives up to its name with water of a deep, clear 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's classified as a "grassland lake": ice-free 4 to 5 months per year, it benefits from relatively mild conditions for the altitude. Aquatic vegetation is abundant, a sign of good biological productivity. Peat bogs bordered by cotton grass surround the lake. Chamois are regularly spotted early in the morning.

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

Lacs de Crupillouse

Less well known than their Valgaudemar neighbours, the Lacs de Crupillouse are well worth the effort. Sitting at roughly 2,630 m in the Champoléon valley, they offer a wild, preserved setting far from the crowds at the popular spots.

The standard start is from the hamlet of Les Baumes (around 1,300 m). The hike takes 4 to 5 hours for close to 1,400 m of elevation gain. It's one of the most physically demanding "lake hikes" in the massif. The trail follows the Crupillouse torrent valley, first through forest, then across alpine pastures before reaching the lakes.

Practical info: 4-5h from Les Baumes (Champoléon), 1,400 m elevation 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 best sites for witnessing glacial erosion in the Écrins. The cirque was freed from its ice fairly recently in geological terms: the rock is still 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 augen gneiss, rocks with large feldspar crystals that give the site its white-pink colour. 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 across almost by surprise. It doesn't feature in many guidebooks and mostly attracts people who know the massif well.

The climb from Villar-Loubière (around 1,000 m) takes 4h to 4h30 for over 1,350 m of elevation gain. The trail passes through larch forests, by the Refuge des Souffles (1,968 m, a good intermediate stop), then continues to the alpine meadow 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's the photo everyone has seen, and the August crowds come with it.

The hike starts from the hamlet of Valfroide, above La Grave. The ascent takes about 1h30 for 570 m of elevation gain. The trail is well marked and accessible to most hikers, including families with children from age 6-7. The Refuge du Goléon, staffed in summer, lets you extend the trip with a night on-site.

Practical info: 1h30 hike from Valfroide (La Grave), 570 m elevation gain, moderate difficulty. Accessible June to October. Staffed refuge in summer (19 places, reservation recommended).

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 about 10 hectares and 2 metres deep. A larger dam project had been studied by EDF but never materialized. 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 formations survive here, 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, trails get widened by people cutting switchbacks, and off-leash dogs disturb wildlife (chamois, black grouse, rock ptarmigan). Every hiker's behaviour matters here.

Plateau d'Emparis: Lac Lérié and Lac Noir

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

The shortest access starts from the Le Chazelet parking area 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 for a solid day of hiking (5-6h, about 15 km). Once on the plateau, the route is mostly a gentle descent. The challenge is more about distance than elevation. The terrain is open, no technical difficulty, but exposed to wind and weather.

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

Hike to these lakes with a guide

All these lakes are accessible as day hikes or over 2-3 days. To explore them with a mountain guide who knows the quiet hours and less-traveled 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 one 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 through the Valgaudemar
• GR54, the Grand Tour des Écrins: the full circuit of the massif, 7 to 13 days, with Lauvitel, Muzelle, and many more

See all our hiking trips 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 banned but is strongly discouraged. High-altitude lakes are fragile environments: the flora and small fauna living in them are sensitive to disturbance, sunscreen degrades water quality, and swimming itself is dangerous (cold water, unsupervised, potentially contaminated by animal remains).

In the Park's buffer zone, several municipalities have passed local by-laws banning 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 municipality

To cool off in summer, there are designated swimming areas in the valleys around 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 hike to the lakes?

Most lakes are accessible on foot from late June to early October. July and August offer the most stable conditions but also the heaviest crowds. September is often the best compromise: fewer people, low-angled light, heather turning red, and larches starting to go gold. The lower lakes (Lauvitel, Lauzon) are accessible from June. For the highest ones (Eychauda, Crupillouse, Emparis), you need the snowfields to melt, usually early July.

Which lakes are family-friendly?

Lac du Lauzon (1h walk, easy trail) and Lac du Goléon (1h30, well-marked trail) are the best suited for families with children. Lac de Lauvitel also works from age 7-8, even though the climb is steep. Lac du Glacier d'Arsine, with its low elevation gain from the Col du Lautaret, is another good pick for kids used 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 links Pétarel, Lauzon, and Lautier over 3 days. The Écrins Traverse in 5 days passes by several of these lakes. The GR54 is the full circuit for seeing (nearly) all of them.

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