Schäfler, the sunset ridge above Appenzell

Getting there

Train to Wasserauen, the end of the line behind Appenzell, then the cable car up to Ebenalp at 1,644 metres, the northernmost summit of the Alpstein². From the top station the trail to the Schäfler is signposted and obvious. At a moderate pace you are on the ridge in 50 to 60 minutes. Call it two hours out and back, more if the light is good, and it usually is.

The classic photo is the path running along the crest with the Säntis stacked up behind it¹. You get that view on the last stretch below the summit, so do not put the camera away too early.

It is a normal marked mountain trail, moderate, no scrambling. Bring a warm layer for after sunset, at 1,910 metres the evening gets cold fast.

The light

Sunset is why you come here. The Alpstein ridges light up one after the other, and on good evenings the valleys to the north fill with mist that goes pink. You stand on the crest and it happens on both sides of you.

If you sleep up there, sunrise is equally strong. You step out of the guesthouse and you are already standing on the spot, before the first cable car brings anyone up.

Staying the night

Now the part everyone gets wrong. I had it wrong too, until I asked. Banned by law? No, not yet. As of June 2026 there is no cantonal wild-camping law in force in Appenzell Innerrhoden. What exists is a decision from 2025 to have a legal basis drafted. The planned points are known: a general camping ban on public and private parking areas, and for bivouacs in the Alpstein the explicit permission of the landowner, possibly with a reservation system⁷.

Allowed, then? Also not exactly. The official Alpstein guidance is blunt: "The Alpstein is neither a tent site nor a campsite. Wild camping is not allowed." It points you to the mountain inns, a night on the alp, the official campsites around Appenzell, and the instructions of the alp staff⁸. The meadows up here belong to exactly those people, the Sennen, and on private land asking is what Swiss civil law expects anyway. So ask. With their OK a quiet single night in a simple tent is tolerated for now. What the canton does not want is campsite conditions around Seealpsee.

And since 2026 someone is actually out there checking. Volunteer rangers patrol the Alpstein, organised by the Bergwirteverein Alpstein, two to four of them on weekends and holidays. They have no police powers, they explain the rules and look for the conversation, and they only call the police if someone refuses to listen⁹. I spoke with one of them this June and he was clear: no law in force right now, no fine to fear today, the regulation is coming. That can change, so check the current status before you go.

How the rules work nationally, protected areas and the stricter cantons included, is in wild camping in Switzerland.

What still counts: the area is part of the Säntisgebiet, a listed landscape in the federal BLN inventory⁵. That listing protects the scenery, it does not ban camping. Wildlife rest zones still apply where they are marked, check map.geo.admin.ch before you pick a spot. And the SAC line for a considerate bivouac is still the standard: one night, set up late, leave early, no fire, no trace, 50 metres from water⁴.

If you would rather skip the tent, the comfortable option sits right on the summit.

This is exactly the kind of status I keep up to date in the Swiss Gems Guide for all 141 spots: what the rules currently say, plus the comfortable alternative.

When to go

Late May to mid October is the window that works. And the spot is popular, I rate it 4 out of 5 for busyness. The Ebenalp corner is the famous side of the Alpstein⁶. Go on a weekday if you can. The nice part: most visitors ride down well before evening. Stay for sunset and the crowd problem mostly solves itself.

If the Alpstein grabs you, the Saxer Lücke is the other ridge view I keep going back to, deeper in the massif.

Frequently asked questions

Leon Helg

Swiss filmmaker and software developer. 26 years in Switzerland, spends his free time exploring the Swiss Alps and maps his favorite spots for Hikebeast. Posts as @leon.helg on Instagram and TikTok.

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