The sentier de l’Imbut is one of the most beautiful routes at the bottom of the Gorges du Verdon — and it has been closed since 2022. Before looking for a trail guide or a GPS track, the only fact that matters is this: access is officially forbidden, and the ban still stands in 2026. Here is what we know, and why.
Verified on 5 July 2026 with the Office de tourisme du Lac de Sainte-Croix and Haute-Provence Outdoor, who cite municipal order of Aiguines n°2022-16.
The closure, plainly
A municipal order of Aiguines (n°2022-16) forbids access since 5 July 2022 and until further notice, from the descente des Cavaliers to the end of the sentier Vidal, due to a rockfall risk. No “planned reopening” has been announced: the measure remains in force until the commune decides otherwise. Check with the Aiguines town hall or the tourist office before planning anything in this area.
What the route used to look like
Described by Outdooractive as “a must for hikers in the Gorges du Verdon,” it plunged into the deepest and narrowest part of the canyon down to the chaos de l’Imbut, the funnel where the Verdon river disappears beneath the boulders. Highlights of the route:
- The Styx: a narrow, dark gorge of the Verdon.
- The chaos de l’Imbut: the iconic funnel.
- The passerelle de l’Estellier footbridge.
- The sentier Vidal: a very steep cabled climb (descent forbidden) — the loop was reserved for experts.
Published distances did not agree, depending on the variant taken:
| Variant | Distance | Elevation gain | Duration | Source |
|---|
| One-way to the Imbut | 4.3 km | 579 m D+ | ~3 h | Outdooractive |
| Out-and-back | 8.6 km | doubled | ~6 h | Outdooractive |
| Loop via the sentier Vidal | 9 km | 684 m D+ | ~5 h | blogs |
| Out-and-back (blog variant) | 10 km | — | ~5 h | découvrir-ensemble |
None of these figures is the number that matters: it’s the closure.
Safety (reminder)
Even outside the closure, this area remained demanding: descent via the Vidal forbidden, best avoided in rainy weather, and swimming at risk due to EDF water releases. Today, the guidance comes down to one sentence: do not attempt it.
What is still missing
The number of reviews is not documented; the exact starting point (auberge des Cavaliers vs. “Les Bessons” on Wikiloc) remains to be confirmed; the trail’s history does not appear in the sources audited.
Sources
Data cross-checked and verified on 2026-07-05: OT du Lac de Sainte-Croix (lacs-gorges-verdon.fr, “Fermeture” page), Haute-Provence Outdoor (order n°2022-16), Outdooractive, Wikipedia (Gorges du Verdon), camptocamp, Wikiloc, Routard. No invented data: missing field = flagged as such.