Allowed or forbidden
Drone, bivouac, fire, dog, swimming, van… The Verdon is a protected natural area and a managed river: some things are unrestricted, others regulated, others flatly banned. Here are the clear answers, rule by rule — so you can enjoy the site without any unpleasant surprises (or fines).
Not banned everywhere, but regulated. The Park publishes a dedicated guide. Firmly closed zones: the surroundings of the 5 dams, aerodromes, the CEA Cadarache site, bird-nesting areas (mid-December to late August). Night flying is banned. Also respect people’s privacy and national regulations (flying over people, altitude limits).
No. The Verdon Regional Nature Park states that “as a matter of principle, wild camping and bivouacking in any form whatsoever (tent, caravanning, motorhome…) are prohibited”, and especially in classified sites, nature reserves, on the lakeshores and in the gorge. The “more than an hour’s walk from a road” tolerance is the rule in certain NATIONAL parks (Écrins, Mercantour): the Verdon is a REGIONAL nature park, and it does not apply here. On private land, the owner’s permission is required, and the municipal by-law applies. Fine: €135. — Parc du Verdon, page published on 3 August 2026.
No. Wild camping in any form (a pitched tent, caravanning, a motorhome) is banned on the lakeshores and in the gorge. Fine: €135. To sleep in a van or motorhome, use the designated areas and campsites — see our guide to the Verdon by motorhome.
No. Fire, campfires and barbecues are banned in all of the Park’s natural areas, including carelessly extinguished cigarettes. Fine: €135. Each summer, a prefectural order can additionally close access to the forest massifs depending on the fire risk.
Yes, on a lead — especially near flocks guarded by patous. Dogs are, however, banned on the Blanc-Martel trail. All the details (which trails allow dogs, heat, swimming) are in our guide The Verdon with a dog.
No. Swimming in the river is banned by municipal by-law at Aiguines, Castellane, Rougon and La Palud-sur-Verdon, because of the flood risk linked to EDF water releases. It is allowed and supervised in summer on Lake Sainte-Croix and Lake Castillon. Cliff jumping is banned (fatal accidents happen regularly).
On the lakes (Sainte-Croix, Castillon, Esparron), yes, in the authorised zones and outside motor-boating lanes. In the gorge, whitewater depends on the dam’s operating regime: never set off without checking the EDF release schedule. A buoyancy aid is compulsory, and for any child under 12.
Foraging is banned without the owner’s permission, and many wild species are protected. The lavender you see is an agricultural crop — it isn’t there to be cut. Extracting fossils is banned.
Overnight parking and “wild motorhome camping” by the roadside are banned on the lakeshores and in the gorge (€135 fine), and often regulated by municipal by-law elsewhere. Use the dedicated areas: see our motorhome guide and the Getting there & transport page.
Climbing is a world-renowned institution in the Verdon, but some routes close during the nesting period of protected raptors (signposted at the foot of the routes) — to be respected without exception. Highlining requires a permit, to be requested from the La Palud-sur-Verdon town hall.
To go further: Safety in the Gorges du Verdon (EDF water releases, emergencies) · State of the Verdon today · The Verdon with a dog · The Verdon by motorhome.
Most breaches of the Park’s regulations (fire, wild camping, smoking in a natural area) are punishable by a €135 fine. Beyond the fine, these rules protect a fragile natural environment and, in the case of fire, prevent the risk of wildfire.
On the website of the Verdon Regional Nature Park (parcduverdon.fr), which publishes regulations by habitat and thematic guides (including a drone guide). Swimming rules are set by municipal by-laws specific to each commune, and water releases by EDF Hydro.
Yes, for some of them: access to the forest massifs can be closed in summer depending on the fire risk, some climbing routes close during the nesting period, and EDF water releases follow a variable schedule. Always check the day’s conditions before you set off.
The external sources this page relies on, one click away.We would rather you be able to contradict us than ask you to take our word for it.
« Le camping sauvage, sous quelque forme que ce soit (tente, caravaning, camping-car…), est interdit sur les berges des lacs et dans les gorges » ; amende encourue de 135 €.
L'autorité de gestion du territoire : réglementation par milieu (terrestre, aquatique, vertical), bivouac et camping, feu, drone, conseils des écogardes.
Référence officielle des règles applicables aux particuliers, dont l'usage des drones de loisir et les démarches associées.
3 of these 3 links responded during our last automated check, on 2026-08-17. A broken link is removed, never left in place.