In the Ardèche gorges nature reserve there is no accommodation: you can only spend the night at the two bivouac areas of Gaud and Gournier, owned by the Ardèche department and open to hikers and canoeists. Booking is compulsory. When booking, you agree not to bring alcohol, to keep quiet from 10 pm, to favour cold meals and to take your rubbish home. From 1 July to 30 September, stoves are banned by prefectural order.
Key facts
- Only two areas: Gaud and Gournier; camping and bivouacking banned everywhere else, including in a vehicle at the viewpoints.
- Booking compulsory with the operator (individuals and school groups).
- Stoves banned from 1 July to 30 September, strongly discouraged the rest of the year.
- No alcohol, quiet from 10 pm, take your rubbish home.
Bivouac rules
| When booking, I agree to | Why |
|---|---|
| bring and drink no alcohol | alcohol is regulated on the river and at the bivouacs |
| make no noise after 10 pm | peace for the wildlife |
| favour cold meals | stoves banned from 1 July to 30 September (fire risk) |
| limit packaging and take my rubbish home | no collection in the reserve |
Source: Ardèche Gorges joint authority, checked on 9 November 2026.
Two areas, and that’s all
The nature reserve has no accommodation, so as not to disturb the animals. The Gaud and Gournier bivouacs, owned by the department, are the only places to spend the night, reached on foot by the trails or by canoe. Camping or bivouacking is banned everywhere else, including in a vehicle at the gorges road viewpoints.
Booking
Individuals: bivouacs@gorges-ardeche-pontdarc.fr, +33 4 75 88 00 41. School groups have a separate contact with the Ardèche Gorges joint authority. Book early for July and August, and plan the two-day descent with your hire company: see the canoe trip.
Reserve rules
Fires, drones and noise (speakers, radios) are banned, dogs must be on a lead and never in canoes, collecting fossils is banned, motor vehicles are banned. See when to go for flood and fire-risk periods.
Book a trip
Paddle down the gorges
Vallon-Pont-d'Arc: Canoe/kayak descent of the Ardèche★ 4.5 (7 reviews)from €45Check availability
Vallon-Pont-d'Arc: Canoeing/kayaking down the Ardèche : 7 km route★ 4.6 (16 reviews)from €38Check availability
Mini-descent of the Ardèche with a passage under the Pont d'Arc in your free time!2 hours★ 4.9 (21 reviews)from €28Check availability
"From" prices checked on 9 November 2026 and may have changed.
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Frequently asked questions
How do you book a bivouac in the Ardèche gorges?
With the operator, whose details are published by the Ardèche Gorges joint authority: bivouacs@gorges-ardeche-pontdarc.fr or +33 4 75 88 00 41 for individuals.
Can you light a fire or use a stove at the bivouac?
Fires are banned in the reserve. Stoves are banned from 1 July to 30 September by prefectural order and strongly discouraged out of season: favour cold meals.
Is there a campsite at the bottom of the gorges?
According to Wikipedia, besides the Gaud and Gournier bivouacs, there is the Plage des Templiers naturist campsite, the only one of the four campsites authorised in 1980 still operating at the bottom of the gorges.
Sources
Information checked against the sources below. Prices and opening times change: confirm before you go.
- Ardèche Gorges joint authority, bivouac areas (in French), accessed 9 November 2026
- Ardèche Gorges joint authority, regulations (in French), accessed 9 November 2026
- Wikipedia, Ardèche gorges national nature reserve (in French), accessed 9 November 2026
