Ecrins National Park visitor guide

Visit Ecrins National Park, France

Ecrins National Park is a mountainous region to the south-east of Grenoble, west of Briancon and north of Gap and Embrun, on the border between the Rhone-Alps and Provence-Alps-Cote d'Azur regions. The park is one of eight regions in France designated as French national parks.

Exploring Ecrins National Park

France This Way review: the Ecrins National Park is a region of soaring mountain peaks, lush meadows, rushing streams, mirror lakes and beautiful scenery in the heart of the French Alps: such a beautiful area has something to offer any visitor, whether you prefer to admire scenery from a car window or from a trail deep in the heart of the mountains.

Ecrins National Park is visited by approximately 850,000 people each year, with many of these pursuing various outdoor activities, in particular hikers and climbers.

It is of course the scenery that is the main attraction, and Ecrins contains more than 100 mountain peaks over 3000 metres in altitude, with the Barre des Ecrins at 4102 metres being the highest point. It is also well known for the extensive number of glaciers it contains.

There are several designated natural reserves within the borders of the park such as Pics du Combeynot, Vallée du Béranger, Vallée de Saint-Pierre, Vallée de la Séveraisse, Vallée du Vénéon, Cirque du Lac des Estaris)

Ecrins National Parc information centres

To help you make the most of your visit there are several 'Maisons du Parc' (local information centres) that provide lots of information that covers all the regions within Ecrins. Even if you are a 'casual visitor' you should visit the one closest to you before exploring if you are to make the most of your visit. Most of the information centres are in the towns around the borders of the park:

Briancon (east, Brianconnais region),
Pont-du-Fossé (south-west, Champsaur region),
Embrun (south, Embrunais region),
Entraigues (north-west, Valbonnais region),
La Chapelle-en-Valgaudemar (west),
L'Argentiere la Bessee (east, vallouise region) and.
Le Bourg d'Oisans (north, Oisans region)

Outdoor activities in Ecrins National Park

There are many stunning hikes and trails that you can follow, at all levels of difficulty (there are said to be more than 700 kilometres of marked trails here). While it is certainly possible to disappear into the mountains for a few days on one of the longer trails, most visitors are happy to follow one of the many shorter walks that are available. More ambitious walks will of course require proper walking equipment and planning, beyond the scope of France This Way!

Some of the best hiking in Ecrins National Park starts in the region beyond Ailefroide and the Pré du Madame Carle (accessible by road - even if you just go for the drive to get there it is worth the trouble), while the Fournel Valley is also very popular with nature lovers.

If you are intrepid and walk quietly you might be lucky to see some of the larger wildlife that lives in Ecrins such as Ibex and Chamois while exploring the more remote mountain areas.

If you prefer to explore by car you could take the road a few kilometres beyond Le Bourg d'Oisans and then take the route to La Berarde - a remote outpost in the mountains some 40km along a tiny lane!

Although less well known as a ski region than some parts of the Alps, the ski stations at Puy-Saint-Vincent and Pelvoux-Vallouise fall within the borders of the Ecrins Parc. On the north-eastern border are the well established resorts around Alpe d'Huez and Deux-Alpes. Cyclists will of course recognise that the Alpe d'Huez is one of the most famous mountain climb routes in the Tour de France.

Attractions nearby

There are no major towns within the borders of the park so many visitors prefer to stay in one of the 'frontier towns' such as Embrun, Grenoble and Briancon.

There are several villages which you will come across as you explore the region such as Les Vigneaux, Vallouise, Ailefroide, Puy Aillaud and La Bérarde. Vallouise and Les Vigneaux are probably the two most worthy of a visit in their own right.The village of La Grave to the north of the park is classified as one of the most beautiful villages in France.

You can find more travel ideas in the Isere guide and the Rhone-Alpes guide.