The Verdon is a managed river: five EDF dams regulate its course, and a peaceful
bed can become a torrent in a matter of minutes. Here is the danger to know about, the numbers that
matter and the Park’s regulations — so you can explore the gorge knowing what the professional
guides already know.
EDF water releases — the risk to know about on the river
The Chaudanne dam, just upstream of Castellane, regulates the flow of the whole
white-water section down to the entrance of Lake Sainte-Croix. When it runs its turbines or releases
water, the flow can rise very fast and with no visible warning — from 1.5 to
40 m³/s in a few minutes. This is a real danger for anyone in the river bed: swimming,
walking on the gravel banks, picnicking, unguided aqua-hiking.
The release schedule varies by season and is never fixed — never rely on what looks like
a calm day. Yellow signs along the banks advise staying on the shore, with red buoys at
sensitive points.
Never enter the bed of the Verdon without checking on the day itself: we gather the official sources
on our Verdon today page. For any guided
descent, choose a qualified professional — they adjust the outing to how the dam is
running.
Rescue & network
112 — the European emergency number, free of charge; it works even without a plan or credit if a SIM card is in the phone. The go-to number in any situation.
114 — SMS, chat or video, for people who are deaf, hard of hearing, deafblind or aphasic. To reach it by SMS, you need an active SIM card and network coverage: where there is no mobile coverage at all, neither 112 nor 114 can get through.
15 ambulance (SAMU) · 18 fire brigade · 17 police (gendarmerie) — alternatives to 112 if you prefer to call the right service directly.
PGHM Jausiers (high-mountain gendarmerie rescue unit, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence) — 04 92 81 07 60. In an emergency, dial 112 first: it will call out the PGHM if needed.
Mobile coverage is almost non-existent at the bottom of the gorge (the Blanc-Martel area) — tell someone your route before setting off and carry a power bank.
Banned in the river by municipal order at Aiguines, Castellane, Rougon and La Palud-sur-Verdon — the risk of a surge from EDF releases makes the bed dangerous even in calm weather.
Allowed on Lake Sainte-Croix (Sainte-Croix-du-Verdon, Bauduen, Les Salles-sur-Verdon, the Galetas) and on Lake Castillon (3 beaches).
Jumping and diving are banned from the cliffs of the gorge and from several bridges, including the Pont du Galetas and the Quinson bridge (inter-prefectural orders of 2017 and 2018). Buoyancy aids: on the Sainte-Croix, Esparron and Quinson lakes, the hire company must provide one that meets the standards; it must be on board, and worn if the craft has no storage. The Verdon Regional Nature Park states that it is compulsory on canoes, kayaks and paddleboards, and on any craft for children under 12.
Each summer (generally late June to mid-September), a prefectural order may ban access to the forest massifs of the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence according to 5 risk levels, up to Black (access and works banned everywhere). The day’s map is published the evening before, around 6pm.
The Var (83), on the left bank of the canyon, has its own system — remember to check both departments before setting off.
Smoking or lighting a fire in a banned area: €135 fine.
Regulations of the Parc naturel régional du Verdon
The Verdon is a protected natural area. These rules, restated by the Park rangers, save you the
fine — and, above all, preserve what makes the site so valuable.
Bivouac
Prohibited as a matter of principle, just like wild camping: the Park states it “in any form whatsoever”. The “more than an hour’s walk from a road” tolerance you read everywhere applies in certain national parks — not in the Verdon, which is a regional nature park. On private land, the owner’s permission is still required. Fine: €135. Some municipalities add their own order: in Villars-Colmars, municipal order no. 2026/42 of 14 September 2026 permanently bans camping, bivouacking and campfires in the open, by day and by night, outside designated sites, across the whole municipality (picnics tolerated as long as wildlife and plants are respected and no litter is left behind).
Wild camping
Banned in any form (a pitched tent, caravanning, a motorhome) on the lakeshores and in the gorge. Fine: €135.
Fire
Banned in all natural areas — cigarettes, campfires, barbecues. Fine: €135.
Foraging
Banned without the owner’s permission; many wild species are protected. The lavender you see is an agricultural crop. Extracting fossils is banned.
Drones
Regulated, not banned everywhere: the Park publishes a dedicated guide. No-fly zones: aerodromes, the surroundings of the 5 dams, the CEA Cadarache site, bird-nesting areas (mid-December to late August); night flying is banned.
Climbing & raptors
The Verdon is home to protected raptors (vultures). Nesting periods, signposted at the start of the routes, close certain climbing sectors — to be respected without exception.
Dogs
On a lead in sensitive areas and near flocks guarded by patous. Banned on the Blanc-Martel trail.
Highline
By permit only, to be requested from the La Palud-sur-Verdon town hall.
Frequently asked questions
Can you swim in the Gorges du Verdon?
No, not in the river: swimming is banned by municipal order at Aiguines, Castellane, Rougon and La Palud-sur-Verdon, because of the risk of a surge linked to EDF water releases. It is, however, allowed on Lake Sainte-Croix (the beaches of Sainte-Croix-du-Verdon, Bauduen, Les Salles-sur-Verdon and the Galetas) and on Lake Castillon.
When do the water releases from the Chaudanne dam take place?
Generally on Tuesdays and Fridays in July and August, but there is no public day-by-day schedule. In spring and September they are more irregular. The flow can go from 1.5 to 40 m³/s in a few minutes: never rely on a fixed day, and ask the rafting operators in Castellane on the day itself.
Where can you check the EDF water-release times live?
Nowhere with open access: on mariviereetmoi.edf.fr, EDF Hydro’s official tool, the flow figures downstream of the Chaudanne dam are reserved for professionals under agreement. Ask the Castellane rafting operators, who receive them and adjust their outings accordingly.
Is bivouacking allowed in the Parc naturel régional du Verdon?
No. The Parc naturel régional du Verdon is explicit: “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 you read everywhere 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 you need the owner’s permission, and municipal orders also apply. Fine: €135. For summer 2026, a prefectural order (no. 2026-093-009) also governed camping and caravanning in the wooded areas of the communes bordering the Verdon and its lakes, from 25 June to 20 September 2026 (source: Parc du Verdon, page published on 3 August 2026). That period is over; the ban in principle recalled by the Park remains in force. Some municipalities also add their own order: in Villars-Colmars, municipal order no. 2026/42 of 14 September 2026 permanently bans camping, bivouacking and campfires in the open, by day and by night, outside designated sites, across the whole municipality. Picnics are still tolerated, provided wildlife and plants are respected and no litter whatsoever is left behind, and the municipality has an equipped campsite (source: Villars-Colmars town hall).
What should you do in an emergency in the Gorges du Verdon?
Dial 112, the European emergency number, which is free: it works even without a plan or credit if a SIM card is in the phone (source: service-public.gouv.fr). 114 is meant for people who are deaf, hard of hearing, deafblind or aphasic (SMS, chat, video): to reach it by SMS, you need an active SIM card and network coverage (source: info.urgence114.fr). Where there is no mobile coverage at all, neither 112 nor 114 can get through. Mobile coverage is almost non-existent at the bottom of the gorge (the Blanc-Martel area): always tell someone your route before setting off.
Can you light a fire or camp wild in the Verdon?
No. Fire and barbecues are banned in all the Park’s natural areas, including cigarettes that are not properly put out — €135 fine. Wild camping (a pitched tent, caravanning, a motorhome) is likewise banned on the lakeshores and in the gorge.
Check for yourself
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.
The area’s managing authority: regulations by environment (land, aquatic, vertical), bivouacking and camping, fire, drones, advice from the Park rangers.
All 5 links responded during our last automated check, on 5 October 2026. A broken link is removed, never left in place.