Swiss rules about wild camping
Palle Dam from Denmark is planning a summer hiking trip in Switzerland and is looking for advice on wild camping. They want to know if camping is allowed in alpine meadows or rocky terrain, even if not above the treeline, and are searching for a hiking route of about 100 km that allows wild camping without frequent valley crossings.
- Wild camping is generally permitted in Switzerland above the treeline, on pastures, and rocky terrains.
- Check out the Via Alpina route for sections where wild camping is allowed.
- Use the Swiss Mobility website for planning your hikes efficiently.
- Consult specific maps to identify wildlife reserves and areas where camping is restricted.
- Consider looking for routes that maintain elevation to minimize time spent on valley traverses.
AI-generated summary-
Hi
I have started planning my summer holiday 2023, where I will be hiking i Switzerland. I am used to hike i Norway and Sweden where it is allowed to camp almost everywhere in the mountains. Unfortunately that is not how it works i Switzerland.
I have tried to read about the rules (including http://www.myswissalps.com/campsites/wildcamping) and understand that wild camping in general is allowed above the treeline except in certain protected areas. But I have read the SAC folder about wild camping: http://www.sac-cas.ch/fileadmin/Umwelt/Bergsport_und_Umwelt/Campieren___Biwakieren/SAC_Umwelt_Camping_Bivouacking.pdf
This folder says that it is ALSO allowed to camp “in alpine meadows or in rocky terrain” (Page 2 by the green triangle). Should I understand it in the way that it is allowed to camp “in alpine meadows or in rocky terrain” EVEN if it is not above the treeline?
Can anyone point me to the actual law that allows camping above the treeline (and maybe alpine meadows and rocky terrain) ?
Next thing to consider is the protected areas. As far as I understand it includes the following areas:
Swiss National Park (There is only one)
Wildlife reserves
Fens, raised bogs and floodplains (Not good places to camp anyway)
Designated wildlife areas
I have found this map: map.geo.admin.ch/ , where it is possible to show many different kind of data about Switzerland. But I don’t know which map-layers that shows the “wildlife reserveres” and “designated wildlife areas”. There are several layers called something with “wildlife”. Which ones are related to the wild camping ban?
I am trying to find a hiking route where I can wild camp all the way if possible. To me, indoor accommodation is kind of cheating. Does anyone have a suggestion for a “wild-camp-based” route about 100 km? The problem with many routes is that they crosses the valleys too often – that takes a lot of time to walk up and down. I am hoping to find at route that stays in the height most of the time.
Palle Dam, Denmark
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Hi Palle Dam,
Welcome to MySwissAlps.
That’s right. In Switzerland wild camping is generally allowed above the tree line on the mountains, on pastures and rocky terrains. I think wild camping is possible on some sections of the Via Alpina route. You can use the Schwez Mobility website to plan your hikes. You can find more practical camping tips here: http://www.myswissalps.com/campsites/practical
Regards,
Anna
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