Wild camping and bivouacs in Vaud

Last checked: 11 Oct 2026. Unofficial student guide, not EPFL or government advice: confirm on the linked official pages before you act. Unfamiliar abbreviation? See the Glossary.

Where you can and cannot pitch a tent outside a campsite around Lausanne, in the Jura and in the Vaud Alps. Before a trip, read Hiking and mountain safety.

Key facts

• No single cantonal rule: camping outside campsites is set mainly by commune police regulations, plus protected-area rules. To verify: whether Vaud has a general cantonal rule on wild camping.
• Lausanne: camping is forbidden "on the public road and its surroundings, and in forests"; camping more than 4 days outside a campsite, even with the landowner's consent, needs a permit (Lausanne general police regulation, RGP art. 36).
• Ouest lausannois (Ecublens, Chavannes-près-Renens, Saint-Sulpice and neighbours): no camping or sleeping, including in a car, on public roads, in forests or on beaches (Ouest lausannois police regulation, art. 34).
• Federal wildlife sites: in the Noirmont (Jura) federal hunting reserve, camping is forbidden except at signed spots in Bassins; similar rules apply in the other federal sites (vd.ch).
• Fire: no fire in forests or within 10 m of the forest edge, except at fire places set up for it (Vaud forest law, LVLFo art. 33). See Forest fires and barbecues.

1. Lausanne and the lakeshore

Lausanne's general police regulation (Règlement général de police, art. 36):

• "It is forbidden to camp on the public road and its surroundings, and in forests" (Il est interdit de camper sur la voie publique et ses abords ainsi que dans les forêts).
• With the consent of the landowner (or tenant), you may camp outside a site set up for it, but more than four days needs an authorisation from the police directorate. It can be refused if there are no sanitary facilities nearby.
• Parks and lakeshore green spaces in Lausanne: "Le camping et les bivouacs sont strictement interdits" in all public parks, promenades and green spaces, including the lakeside areas such as Vidy-Bourget (Lausanne green-space rules, DREV, art. 9). For being on the water, see Boating and paddle rules on the lake.

2. EPFL-area communes

The intercommunal police regulation of the Ouest lausannois (Bussigny, Chavannes-près-Renens, Crissier, Ecublens, Prilly, Renens, Saint-Sulpice, Villars-Sainte-Croix), art. 34:

• "It is forbidden to camp or sleep, in particular in a car, on the public road and its surroundings, as well as in forests or on beaches."
• Camping more than four days on private land, with the owner's consent, needs a permit from the intercommunal police.
• The regulation approved on 9 May 2011 is the one Police Ouest lausannois lists as current (polouest.ch). To verify: any EPFL campus rule.

3. Forests

• Vaud's forest law forbids fires in forests and within 10 m of the forest edge, except at fire places set up for it (places de pique-nique aménagées, couverts forestiers) (vd.ch).
• Lausanne and the Ouest lausannois communes forbid camping in forests (see above). To verify: rules in other Vaud communes; check the commune where you plan to stay.

4. Nature reserves and federal hunting reserves (Jura and Alps)

Vaud has four federal wildlife protection sites (districts francs fédéraux): Le Noirmont (Jura), Grand Muveran, Les Bimis-Ciernes Picat and Pierreuse-Gummfluh (Alps) (vd.ch).

• Noirmont: "It is forbidden to camp, except at duly signed spots in the commune of Bassins"; dogs on a lead all year, no drones, paragliding or hang-gliding (vd.ch).
• "Similar rules are in force in the other federal wildlife sites of Switzerland" (vd.ch): free camping is forbidden in every federal wildlife site, except at official campsites or with a cantonal exemption (ODF art. 5). The four Vaud sites are listed in the ODF annex. Follow the signs at the edge of each site.
• Nature reserves and wildlife quiet zones (zones de tranquillité) can restrict access. To verify: the camping rule for each cantonal nature reserve.
• Above the tree line: To verify: no official Vaud text found on one-night bivouacs above the forest line.

5. Good practice

• Leave no trace, take all rubbish home.
• Do not pick protected plants; for mushrooms, see Mushroom picking and checks.
• Tell someone your route. Emergencies: 117 (police), 118 (fire), 144 (ambulance), 1414 (Rega): see Emergency contacts.