Camping Alpes Dauphiné campsite close to Gap !

The Serre Ponçon Lake also called the ‘sea at the mountain’ is the place you have to visit in the Hautes Alpes. At only 15 minutes drive from the campsite an amazing show is waiting for you, when the lake reflects the blue sky surrounded by the majestic mountains it is one of the most beautiful view in the area and a wonderful spot for aquatic leisure.

The Serre Ponçon Lake with its well known earth dam is also the biggest reservoir in Europe.

The Serre Ponçon site was chosen to face the devastating floods of the Durance River, the idea was to regulate and stock the water. The construction started in 1955 and ended in 1961.

The biggest earth dam in Europe

• a 403 feet high dike
• 14 million m3 of material (6 times the volume of the Kheops Great pyramid in Egypt)

The biggest reservoir

• a 6919 acre area
• A water volume of 1 billion 270 million m3
• 9.71 miles of bank

This huge project required the flooding of the Savines and Ubaye villages but also the building of viaducts, roads and bridges as the 3116 feet long Savine Bridge, and the reconstruction of the Savines village. Today as well as its agricultural vocation –it is a reservoir for the Provence irrigation –  and as well as its hydroelectric vocation -1270 million m3 of water supply 15 hydroelectric plants spread along a channel going to the Mediterranean sea - the lake is also a wonderful spot for water sports and leisure.

For more information about the Serre-Ponçon dam history:

• The lake’s Muséoscope - Tél : +33 4 92 54 50 00 - Website : www.museoscope-du-lac.com
• The dam panoramic viewpoint

Various fittings out on the lake banks allowed the establishment of leisure spots, beaches for swimming, ports landing and welcoming pontoons, water clubs and sailing schools.

With its ideal aerologic and climatic conditions and its 740acres of navigable water the Serre Ponçon lake is a perfect area for water sports and leisure.

• Windsurfing and kite surf with various spots well known thanks to the famous thermal winds
• Sailing, catamaran, sailing dinghy, water skiing with 7 sailing schools approved “French sailing schools”
• Tubing, wake board, pedal boat and stand up paddle for a nice moment with your family or friend, lots of fun!
• Sea kayaking and rowing on the morning when the water is calm, the providers will offer you various routes to discover virgin bays

• Renting of electrical boats, sea kayaks, motor boats without driving licence to make you enjoy a nice trip along the wild creeks unreachable by the road
• Trips on the lake, 2 cruise boats will take you for a commented “mini cruise” along the lake passing by the “St Michel” chapel, the Savine bridge, the “Demoiselles Coiffées” until the Serre Ponçon dam. All that in an amazing mountainous environment

• Swimming with equipped beaches for all the family, the closest from the campsite is 15min drive
• The Saint Michel bay with its apple trees beach: An amazing area facing the St Michel chapel which sat on its islet, ideal for kayaking, renting pedal boat, tubing, water skiing or simply for a picnic and sunbathing, choose what you prefer!