Emosson Dam to the dinosaur footprints
A five hour loop to see Chamonix's genuine dinosaur footprints
High above the valley you can still find traces of dinosaur footprints from 250 million years ago.
Lac d'Emosson is worth a visit in itself, the dinosaur footprints are just an incredible added bonus. An immense hydroelectric dam perched high above the Franco-Swiss border, the dam forms a large blue lake with walking paths and forests all around. The views are superb and you can't fail to be impressed by the height of the dam walls (180m), which have been used as a launch pad by base jumpers in recent years.
Guided tours of this site are available in July and August each year, with a geologist from the Natural History Museum of Geneva, or you can do the hike of your own free will, you just won't get the explanation about the footprints at the end!
What to bring
Sunscreen, a hat and drinking water are all recommended.
If you wish to take a map, the area is covered by the IGN Map 3630 or the Pays du Mont Blanch hiking map.
What to see
Sights in Chamonix
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VerticAlp funiculars and train, Châtelard
Located 1.9 km away
At the edge of the Franco-Swiss border lies the 'VerticAlp' experience, which is made up of a steep funicular, a panoramic train and a smaller funicular taking you up to the Emosson Dam.
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Maison de Barberine museum
Located 2.0 km away
Situated in an 18th century house, the Barberine museum is dedicated to showing pastoral life of the Vallorcine people in the valley since the 18th century.
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Le Tour and Vallorcine, Chamonix Valley
Located 7.1 km away
Le Tour is a small, quaint little village at the far end of the Chamonix valley in the 'Domaine de la Balme' area with access to some great hiking and mountain bike trails.
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Aiguille Rouge Nature Reserve
Located 9.4 km away
The Aiguilles Rouges Nature Reserve was created in 1974 and is a bio-diverse area of around 16,000 hectares with spectacular views of the Col des Montets. There is an information centre where you can find out about the animals and plants of the area and buy a drink or snack.
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Les Grands Montets, Chamonix - Argentière
Located 9.9 km away
The Plan Joran télécabine takes you up to Grands Montets at an altitude of 1,972 metres.
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La Flégère, Chamonix - Le Praz
Located 14.5 km away
In summer the cable car at Flégère and the Index chairlift operate, taking you up to an altitude of 1,894m and then on to 2,396m at the top of the Index.
Where to lunch
There is a restaurant up at the dam with a sunny (if sometime rather windy) terrace. Otherwise, there are plenty of great picnic spots.
Restaurants in Vallorcine
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Le Café Comptoir Restaurant
Located in Argentiere
Café Comptoir is open winter and summer, this place serves delicious food in a beautiful mountain-side setting.
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La Ferme des Trois Ours Restaurant
Located in Argentiere
Nestled just over the Col des Montets in the beautiful surroundings of Vallorcine, this wonderful restaurant serving traditional dishes from the region.
What to do
Things To Do in Vallorcine
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Snowshoe Guided Walks
Explore the fantastic natural scenery around Vallorcine, Le Tour and Montroc by going off the beaten track on snowshoes!
Directions
This walk takes us over into Switzerland, as you'll need to cross the border into Chatelard before taking a left turn up towards the Emosson Dam.
The walk starts from the Lac d'Emosson dam itself, which you can drive to (easy and only half an hour from Chamonix), cycle to (very hard) or catch the Swiss funicular and train (expensive but a fun experience - check it's open, it was closed recently for refurbishment).
The recommended route is to take the right hand path following the lower lake by the dam and head further up to the old lake, following signposts to the footprints, but you can do it in both directions.
The highest point of the walk takes you to 2,400m and it should take around five hours to complete.
