a sign warning that the area is protected

emosson dam with mont blanc in background

Emosson Dam to the dinosaur footprints

A five hour loop to see Chamonix's genuine dinosaur footprints

Location: Vallorcine
Imprint: Updated 29 April 2026

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

VerticAlp funiculars and train

Distance from location
1.9 km

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.
Maison de Barberine museum

Distance from location
2.0 km

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.
Le Tour and Vallorcine, Chamonix Valley

Distance from location
7.1 km

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.
Aiguille Rouge nature reserve

Distance from location
9.4 km

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.
Les Grands Montets, Chamonix - Argentière

Distance from location
9.9 km

The Plan Joran télécabine takes you up to Grands Montets at an altitude of 1,972 metres.
La Flégère, Chamonix - Le Praz

Distance from location
14.5 km

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.

Le Café Comptoir Restaurant

Location
Argentiere

Café Comptoir is open winter and summer, this place serves delicious food in a beautiful mountain-side setting.
La Ferme des Trois Ours Restaurant

Location
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

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.

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