top of page
List of of all lakes around Chamonix

Lac Emosson

9

Our Rating

Exceptional

BluePOI-Town.png

Nearest Town

Vallorcine

BlueTrail-Verticals.png

Altitude

1785m

BluePOI-Capacity.png

Capacity

BluePOI-Accommodation.png

Accommodation

BluePOI-Telephone.png

Phone

PhoneNumber

BluePOI-Website.png

Website

The Lac d'Emosson is the largest mountain lake in the areas around Chamonix. It lies at an altitude of 1785 meters in the mountains above the village of Le Chatelard right across the border in Switzerland. The Barrage d'Emosson is a hydroelectric dam responsible for creating the very large lake of the same name. The lake is absolutely stunning and definitely worth a visit. 


There are a number of options for visiting the dam. There is a beautiful trail that we outline on our website that takes you from Vallorcine to Lac d'Emosson via the Refuge de Loriaz. This is a beautiful trail and provides a starting point that doesnt require you to cross the border into Switzerland. Another great option is to take the Verticalp furnicular and train from Le Chatelard. The VerticAlp is a funicular which takes you on a steep incline from the valley floor to the lake. Lastly you can also drive up to the lake via the village of Finhaut. It is quite a long and winding road though and it is only open in the summer months.

Lac Emosson Photos

Below are all the photos we have in our Chamonix Photos collection for this point of interest. All our photos are tagged with the GPS coordinates and linked to the trails that you can take to find the location where the photo was taken. So if  you want to see the full details for a specific photo then just click on it.

Hiking & Running Trails to Lac Emosson

All the trails and points of interest around Chamonix on our website are linked to each other so you can easily pick trails that cover the things you would like to see or visit sights that are nearby and can easily be combined with your target destination. These are the hiking and trail running trails and points of interest linked to Lac Emosson

Lac Emosson and Lac Vieux Emosson Loop

Length

9.6km

Elevation +

+486m / -507m

Difficulty

Moderate

8

Very Good

Dogs

Dogs Allowed

Children

7+ Years old

When to Go

Start Jul - End Sep

A beautiful loop walk from the Emosson Dam to the Vieux Emosson Dam above Finhaut in Switzerland. Great views, fantastic scenery and two amazing lakes.

Vallorcine to Loriaz and Lac Emosson

Length

13.25km

Elevation +

+1022m / -1022m

Difficulty

Moderate

9

Exceptional

Dogs

Dogs Allowed

Children

12+ Years old

When to Go

Start Jun - Start Oct

A beautiful loop in the Montagne de Loriaz and the Montagne de Barberine taking you from Vallorcine to the Refuge de Loriaz and then traversing to the big Lac d'Emosson lake.

Points of Interests near Lac Emosson

Restaurant du Barrage Emosson

Restaurant

8

Very Good

Large panoramic restaurant located next to the Emosson Dam and Lake

Nearest Town

Finhaut

Altitude

1970m

View on Map
Chapelle Notre Dame de la Neige

Chapel

9

Exceptional

Small Chapel on an elevated position near the Emosson Dam and lake

Nearest Town

Finhaut

Altitude

1975m

View on Map
Lac du Vieux Emosson

Lake

7

Good

Large lake formed by the Vieux Emosson Dam flowing into the larger Emosson Lake below

Nearest Town

Vallorcine

Altitude

2225m

View on Map
Cabane du Vieux Emosson

Refuge

8

Very Good

Refuge and restaurant located at the foot of the Vieux Emosson Dam

Nearest Town

Finhaut

Altitude

2172m

View on Map
Finhaut

Town

7

Good

Picturesque little village perched on the mountain side near Lac Emosson in Switzerland

Nearest Town

Finhaut

Altitude

1245m

View on Map
Refuge de Loriaz

Refuge

8

Very Good

Beautifully situation Refuge in the Montagne de Loriaz above Vallorcine

Nearest Town

Vallorcine

Altitude

2020m

View on Map
Barberine

Hamlet

8

Very Good

Tiny Hamet with a charming little Museum near the border with Switzerland

Nearest Town

Vallorcine

Altitude

1163m

View on Map

Where is Lac Emosson?

Longitude:

6.9253

Latitude:

46.0696

​Below you will find the location of Lac Emosson on the map. You can also click the button to show the nearby trails and points of interests that are listed above on the same map. Another option is to visit our interactive map that shows Lac Emosson and everything else that is listed on our website.

Show nearby Trails & Points of Interest

Looking for more Lakes?

Lac Emosson is only one of many lakes around Chamonix. We got many more we would love to show you and many more you should visit! To view all the other lakes we cover on our website, you can visit our Lakes around Chamonix page or view all the lakes around Chamonix on our interactive map

Looking for other sights, attractions and points of interest around Chamonix? 

Summits & Cols

Summits and Mountain Passes offering amazing views

Refuges

Refuges offer mountain accommodation, often at altitude

Churches & Chapels

Beautiful Churches & Chapels with incredible histories

Waterfalls

Beautiful Waterfalls, or Cascades, as they are called in French

Mountain Restaurants

Snack Bars and Mountain Restaurants serving Food and Drinks

Oratories & Crosses

Small Religious Sites often placed on cross roads

Glaciers

Glaciers are some of the most iconic natural features of Chamonix

Towns & Hamlets

Lovely Towns, Villages and Hamlets around Chamonix

The content on this page has been made with the help of the following contributors:

bottom of page