Wild camping on La Dôle
The top of La Dôle, the 1'677 m Jura summit above Nyon, is the fenced radar compound of Skyguide and MeteoSwiss, so the summit point is out. The open crest 250 m north-north-east is private pasture: one night there works with the owner's yes, off the path, gone at dawn.
What do these mean?
Illegal A specific rule bans it, usually with a fine, and it can be enforced. Sleep somewhere else.
Not allowed No real place to camp here. A gated site, a developed area, or nowhere sensible to lie down, even if no fine is attached.
It depends You can sleep here, but there's a condition first: ask the landowner, book a spot, stay inside a set zone, or use a bivvy instead of a tent. The report says which.
Tolerated No rule clearly allows or bans it, but a single night is accepted in practice and nobody enforces against it. Normal for high bivouacs above the treeline.
Legal Camping one night is fine here. Either a rule allows it, or we checked every law and found nothing against it. Still: pitch late, leave early, no trace.
Wild camping on La Dôle: the summit point is a radar compound
Wild camping on La Dôle starts with which La Dôle. This report covers the 1'677 m summit above Nyon and Gingins, the second highest in the Swiss Jura, with the white sphere visible from far along Lake Geneva, not the Geneva quarter of the same name. Three communes meet at the top. The summit point lies in Chéserex, on a parcel of 61 m². Gingins begins 1.3 m to the west and La Rippe 53 m to the south, and each of the three has its own police regulation.17
Then look at what stands on it. The summit point is the installation compound of the radars: a building of 431 m² from 1948, 23 m to the south, and the sphere, built in 1950, 36 m to the north-east, which according to the federal landscape inventory has held "un radar pour l'aviation et une station météorologique" since the mid-1960s. Around them are fences, a gate, two huts, the top station of the Dappes-Dôle chairlift 66 m north-north-west, the upper end of the service cable car from the Chalet de la Dôle 63 m east, a viewpoint, and the crest path 6 m from the summit point. Nobody sleeps there, and nobody should climb a fence to try: an enclosed compound is also covered by art. 186 of the Criminal Code, the ordinary trespass provision.179
The ground itself is not the problem. La Dôle is not a rock tooth. Its top is a rounded crest of dry pasture, 20 to 40 m wide, running north-north-east to south-south-west, with the limestone cliff on the east and south-east side. The federal inventory calls the summit "dégarni", bare of trees, and the nearest forest begins 272 m from the summit point, so the crest lies above the closed forest. North-north-east of the dome, between 190 and 280 m out, the crest levels off into a few tent-sized patches at 1 to 6 degrees, 15 to 25 m from the path.17
And in summer it is a walk-up summit. No public road reaches the top. The road from Gingins climbs to La Barillette and the Chalet de la Dôle, 1'439 m, 600 m east of the summit and about 240 m below it, and it is closed from November to April; the chairlift runs only in the ski season. What brings people up is the view, at sunset and again at sunrise, and a photo blog describes a night under the stars on the summit on 21 September 2026. That is colour, not permission.108
Three communes meet at the summit, and each has its own camping rule
Canton Vaud has no camping rule of general application, and no federal rule reaches this summit. The rules that decide a night here are communal, and at La Dôle there are three of them within 53 m.67
Chéserex, where the summit point and the crest lie. Its police regulation of 2009 has one article on camping:
"Il est interdit de camper ou de dormir sur le domaine public. a) Le camping occasionnel de plus de 4 jours sur le domaine privé est soumis à autorisation municipale."Chéserex, Règlement de police, art. 18, approved on 2 June 2009.
In English: camping or sleeping on the public domain is forbidden, and occasional camping of more than four days on private land needs a municipal permit. "Camper ou dormir" catches a bivvy bag as surely as a tent, but only on the public domain, land "destiné au commun usage de tous" in the regulation's own words, and there is no public-domain parcel within 500 m of the summit: the crest, the radar parcels and the slopes are all private. Chéserex's zoning even puts the crest in a "zone jurassienne" meant for forestry, grazing and "la détente et aux loisirs de plein air". One night on the Chéserex crest therefore needs no communal permit. It still needs the owner's agreement, because the Civil Code opens pasture to walkers, not to overnight stays.219
Gingins and La Rippe, 1.3 m and 53 m away. Their police regulations, Gingins's of 2022 and La Rippe's of 2020, carry the same camping clause:
"Il est interdit de camper sur la voie publique ou ses abords. Sur le domaine privé, le camping occasionnel n'est permis qu'avec l'accord du propriétaire, du locataire, du fermier ou du possesseur à un autre titre de l'immeuble. L'autorisation de la municipalité ou de l'autorité délégataire est obligatoire pour toute durée excédant quatre jours."Gingins, Règlement général de police, art. 72 al. 1 and 2, in force since 2 May 2022. La Rippe's art. 66, approved on 10 January 2020, has the same words without the delegated authority.
In English: camping on the public way or beside it is forbidden; on private land, occasional camping is allowed only with the agreement of the owner, the tenant, the farmer or another holder of the land, and anything over four days needs a municipal permit. In these two communes the owner's consent is not a courtesy, it is the condition written into the rule. And "voie publique" means far more than a road: both regulations define it as any way open to public traffic, even one limited "à une catégorie d'usagers", "indépendamment du fait qu'elle se trouve sur le domaine public ou le domaine privé". A hiking path across private pasture is a voie publique there, and pitching on it or beside it is banned outright, with or without the owner's yes. Neither regulation says how many metres "abords" covers. Montreux writes the same pattern into the rule behind the Dent de Jaman: consent of the owner or tenant, a permit only beyond four days, no camping on the public road.34
Does "camper" catch a bivvy bag? None of the three regulations defines the word, and no decision on the point has been published. Chéserex names sleeping as well; the shared clause of Gingins and La Rippe names only camping. Treat a bivvy bag like a tent in all three communes: ask first, and keep away from the paths.234
What a breach costs. All three regulations send fines to cantonal law. Gingins and La Rippe keep lists of on-the-spot order fines, and camping is on neither, so nobody writes you a slip up there; a breach runs as an ordinary municipal sentence under art. 25 of the Vaud contraventions act, at most CHF 500, raised to CHF 1'000 for a repeat or a continuing breach. Chéserex publishes a flat tariff for its municipal sentences: CHF 70 plus CHF 30 of costs for a first offence, CHF 140 plus CHF 30 for a repeat. The federal CHF 150 for a tent in a game reserve is not in play: there is no federal game reserve on La Dôle, and the nearest lies 6 km away.521
The dry meadow, the landscape inventory and the massif's land-use plan
Canton. Vaud's nature act of 2023 has no camping provision. Its implementing regulation, in force since 1 July 2024, carries the only cantonal camping fine: CHF 150 for camping, bivouacking or making a fire outside designated places "dans un secteur cantonal de protection" whose rules ban it. That takes a classification decree or a cantonal plan with such a ban, and none covers La Dôle: the nearest classified area, the Roche Verte reserve above Saint-Cergue, is 1.9 km away. Vaud's camping act regulates campsites as facilities, the forest act has no camping clause, and the cantonal inventory of natural monuments and sites governs landowners' works, not visitors.6
Federal. La Dôle is BLN landscape no. 1007 and part of the Parc Jura vaudois, a regional nature park. Neither is a camping rule: the inventory binds authorities in their own decisions, and the park is a label whose charter says nothing about camping. One objective of the inventory still tells you where not to go: "Conserver la tranquillité du versant sud du massif et des forêts", keep the south flank and the forests quiet. The forests are the habitat of the capercaillie, the emblematic bird of the region.7
The layer that decides how you pitch: a dry meadow of national importance. The summit and the whole crest lie in object 6308 "La Dôle" of the federal inventory of dry meadows and pastures, 85 ha across Chéserex, Gingins and La Rippe. The ordinance behind it says "Les objets doivent être conservés intacts", the objects must be preserved intact, and tells the cantons to keep tourism and recreation in line with that goal. Like the BLN, it binds authorities and creates no offence for a walker. It is still the plain reason to treat this grass as what it is: no trenching, no moving stones, no fire, nothing left behind, and the tent struck at dawn so the turf recovers.7
The Gingins side of the summit: a nature zone in the massif's plan. West of the boundary that runs through the summit, the 2006 land-use plan for the La Dôle massif, which also governs the ski area, puts the summit area into a nature protection zone. The plan wants it grazed moderately and not changed "par un piétinement concentré (cheminements le long de la crête et place de pique-nique)", and it puts "tout projet ou activité qui pourrait porter atteinte au site" under the prior agreement of the cantonal nature service. Camping is not named anywhere in the plan, so this is a grey clause, not a ban, and the recommended pitch lies outside it, 43 m east of the line on the Chéserex side. The same plan makes the forests of Les Léseneys and Couvaloup "espaces de tranquillité absolue pour la faune": off-piste leisure is banned there except on foot, and snowshoeing is banned outright.81
How it is possible: the owner's yes, then the crest north of the dome
Who owns the crest. The recommended pitch lies on Chéserex parcel 401, 93 ha of pasture that runs from the crest down the east flank and also carries the Chalet de la Dôle, the alp building, with no separate building right. The regional daily La Côte wrote in 2015: "Sur le territoire de Chéserex, mais propriété de Gingins, le chalet de la Dôle", on Chéserex territory but owned by Gingins. Gingins also granted the lift company its building rights at the summit. The commune of Gingins is therefore very likely the owner of the crest. The land register was not read for this report, so that is an inference from the press and the cadastre, and marked as one.91
Who to ask. The Administration communale de Gingins, Route de Trélex 4, 1276 Gingins, greffe@gingins.ch, +41 22 369 92 22. Say where (the crest north of the radar, on the Chéserex side), which night, how many of you, and that you will be gone at first light. In summer the alp at the Chalet de la Dôle is grazed, and the Gingins and La Rippe rules name the "fermier", the tenant farmer, among those who can say yes: if the shepherds are up there, ask them too. Nobody publishes a fee for a night on this crest, and none is known by word of mouth. On the south flank the ground is La Rippe's: the La Vuillette alpage, which a La Rippe council report of 2021 names as the property of the Parc chevalin de Signy, the body that runs the La Rippe alpages. Ask through the commune of La Rippe, greffe@larippe.ch, 022 367 15 00.
Where to pitch. About 250 m north-north-east of the dome, where the crest levels off: WGS84 46.427304 / 6.101282, LV95 2'497'204 / 1'142'651, 1'660 m, a slope of about 1 degree, 16 m off the crest path. It lies in Chéserex, 43 m east of the Gingins boundary and 186 m from the nearest installation. Other tent-sized patches lie along the same stretch, all 15 to 25 m from the path.1
Where not to. Not inside the radar fence or up against it. Not on the path or right beside it: in Gingins and La Rippe that is banned outright, and at sunrise the path is where everyone walks. Not by the chairlift station, and not in the Gingins meadow just west of the summit, which is the plan's nature zone. Not in the forests, the capercaillie's quiet zones, where the Léseneys forest reserve begins 294 m from the summit point. And not on the south flank without La Rippe's yes.381
One night, no fire. Arrive late and leave at first light; more than four days would need a municipal permit in all three communes. Chéserex bans open fire in all places open to the public, and Gingins and La Rippe ban any fire in dry surroundings, in drought and in strong wind, which on a dry meadow in summer is hard to rule out. The canton's own total ban on open-air fires, decreed on 28 July 2026, was lifted on 26 August 2026; check the current state before you go, and cook on a stove.23410
Winter. The massif's land-use plan allows piste grooming and the lifts from 15 November to Easter Monday. Do not pitch on a piste, where the grooming machines run, and keep snowshoes out of the Léseneys and Couvaloup forests.8
Getting there from La Givrine or Gingins, and sunrise without a tent
From the north, Saint-Cergue comes first. If you walk up from La Givrine or from Saint-Cergue, the whole approach runs through the commune of Saint-Cergue, whose police regulation bans camping on its entire territory outside places the municipality authorises (art. 23); the La Givrine report covers it. Saint-Cergue ends about 1.95 km north-north-east of the summit, so there is no lawful night on the way up before you reach the Dôle's own communes. The Refuge de la Barillette, which the town of Nyon rents out by the day, is no fallback either: "Le refuge ne comprend pas de dortoir et le camping n'est pas autorisé."101
From Gingins, by road in summer. The road from Gingins up to La Barillette leaves you about 240 m below the summit, near the Chalet des Apprentis and the Refuge de Combe Gelée, and from November to April it is closed.10
Sunrise without a tent. If Gingins says no, or does not answer in time, the sunrise still works: sleep at Combe Gelée, at the Chalet des Apprentis if you are a group, or in Saint-Cergue, and walk up in the dark with a headlamp. The general picture for the rest of the country is in wild camping in Switzerland.
Where you can legally sleep
- The crest north of the dome, with the owner's yes. 46.427304 / 6.101282, 1'660 m, in Chéserex, 16 m off the path. Ask the commune of Gingins first: greffe@gingins.ch, +41 22 369 92 22.91
- Refuge de Combe Gelée. Chéserex's communal refuge at 1'515 m below the Barillette transmitter, 30 places, open 1 May to 31 October: on weekdays CHF 10 a person a day with a minimum of CHF 100, a full weekend CHF 600, or CHF 300 for residents of Chéserex and Gingins. Residents of the region have priority, and the booking form goes to the municipal secretariat at least 30 days ahead: greffe@cheserex.ch, 022 369 90 40.10
- Chalet des Apprentis. 1'500 m, for organised groups of up to 30, open all year, CHF 20 a person a night with a minimum of CHF 150 a night, 15 minutes on foot from the Barillette road in summer. ACASE, +41 22 344 19 82, secretariat@acase.ch.10
- Camping des Cheseaux, Saint-Cergue. 1'041 m, open all year, tents accepted: a small tent CHF 10.50 a day plus CHF 9 per adult in high season, +41 22 360 18 98.10
- Do not count on the Chalet de la Dôle. The alp building 600 m east of the summit has run a buvette in past summers; whether it serves or sleeps anyone in 2026 is not confirmed.9
General rules for wild camping
This applies wherever you sleep outside, and on La Dôle the ground is a protected dry meadow and somebody's summer pasture. It is not legal text, it is decency and common sense, and it is what keeps a yes possible for the next person who asks.
- No fire. An open fire has no place in the mountains. A gas stove is enough.
- Pitch late, strike early. Set up towards evening, gone again early. A bivouac is one night, not a base camp.
- Leave no rubbish. Everything you carry up you carry down, organic scraps and toilet paper included.
- At least 50 metres from any water for the big business, so you do not foul what people and livestock drink.
- Stay small and quiet. A small group, no speaker, no drone, dogs on the lead, and the alp staff's word goes.
Disclaimer
This article reflects my research and assessment to the best of my knowledge, as of September 2026. It is based on the publicly accessible and official sources linked below. It does not replace legal advice and is not a binding statement of the current legal situation.
The verdict covers the summit of La Dôle above Nyon and the open crest north-north-east of it, for a single night. It rests on the police regulations of Chéserex, Gingins and La Rippe, on the cantonal contraventions act, and on the federal and cantonal protection layers named above. The owner of the crest is inferred from the press and the cadastre; the land register was not read. Whether a court-backed ban (mise à ban) or a board stands on any of the summit parcels could not be established, and a sign on site takes precedence over this text. Whether the alp at the Chalet de la Dôle is staffed in 2026 is not confirmed. Before every tour, check the current sources yourself and follow instructions on site. A genuine emergency bivouac in distress is a separate question from a planned camp. Anyone who spends the night outside bears responsibility for their own conduct and any consequences themselves. Hikebeast, Leon Helg and Saftladen GmbH accept no liability for decisions made on the basis of this text, and call on no one to break applicable law.
Frequently asked questions
Is wild camping allowed on La Dôle?
Who do I ask, and where exactly do I pitch?
What is the fine?
Why is the verdict "It depends" and not "Legal"?
Where do I sleep if nobody says yes?
Leon Helg
Swiss filmmaker and software developer. Spends his free time in the Swiss Alps and maps his favourite spots for Hikebeast. Posts as @leon.helg on Instagram and TikTok.
Sources
- Official federal geodata and the Vaud property cadastre, consulted on 23 September 2026. Summit of La Dôle (VD): LV95 2'497'073.6 / 1'142'441.1, WGS84 46.425396 / 6.099632, swissALTI3D 1'677.1 m, commune of Chéserex, parcel 416 (61 m², EGRID CH174594008368); the gazetteer also lists a quarter "La Dôle (GE)" in the city of Geneva, a different place. Communal boundaries (swissBOUNDARIES3D, current year): Gingins from 1.3 m west and 2.9 m north, La Rippe from 53 m south; Saint-Cergue begins about 1.95 km north-north-east, the French border about 1.8 km south-south-west. Around the summit point: building 487a (431 m², 1948) 23 m south and building 490, the sphere (268 m², 1950), 36 m north-east, in the federal register of buildings; gazetteer "Radar météorologique de la Dôle"; huts at 61 and 66 m; top station of the Dappes-Dôle chairlift 66 m north-north-west (Gingins, building-right parcel 741); upper end of the service cable car from the Chalet de la Dôle 63 m east; viewpoint 36 m; crest path 6 m. Chalet de la Dôle 1'439 m, 600 m east. Terrain (swissALTI3D): crest 20 to 40 m wide running north-north-east to south-south-west, limestone cliff on the east and south-east flank; nearest forest in the cantonal land-use data 272 m from the summit point and 486 m from the recommended pitch. Recommended pitch: LV95 2'497'204 / 1'142'651, WGS84 46.427304 / 6.101282, 1'659.6 m, slope about 1 degree, 247 m north-north-east of the summit point, 16 m from the crest path, 43 m east of the Gingins boundary, 186 m from the nearest installation building, on Chéserex parcel 401 (93.5 ha, EGRID CH969483450056). No public-domain parcel within 500 m of the summit. Federal layers at the summit point and the pitch: Parc Jura vaudois (regional nature park, object 24), BLN 1007 "La Dôle", dry-meadow object 6308 "La Dôle"; no federal game reserve (nearest, Le Noirmont, 6.0 km), no wildlife rest zone within 8 km, no mire, floodplain, amphibian site, Ramsar or Emerald site, forest reserve or military area; the Léseneys forest reserve begins 294 m from the summit point. map.geo.admin.ch, RDPPF extract, parcel 416, RDPPF extract, parcel 401. ↩
- Commune de Chéserex, Règlement de police, adopted by the Municipalité on 16 February 2009 and the Conseil communal on 19 March 2009, approved by the head of the cantonal department on 2 June 2009, published as a scan. Art. 18 "Camping et caravaning": "Il est interdit de camper ou de dormir sur le domaine public. a) Le camping occasionnel de plus de 4 jours sur le domaine privé est soumis à autorisation municipale." (lit. b to d concern caravans). Art. 67: "Le domaine public est destiné au commun usage de tous. Il en est ainsi en particulier des voies, des parcs et promenades publics." Art. 55: "Il est interdit de faire du feu ouvert sur la voie publique, dans tous les lieux accessibles au public ou aux abords de ceux-ci, à moins de 10 mètres des bâtiments, des dépôts de foin, de paille, de bois ou autres matières combustibles ou facilement inflammables." Art. 8: breaches "sont réprimées conformément à la législation cantonale sur les sentences municipales". Tarif des sentences municipales, in force since 1 August 2020: first offence CHF 70 fine plus CHF 30 procedure costs, CHF 100 in total; repeat CHF 140 plus CHF 30, CHF 170. Zoning regulation (RCAT of 1982 as revised), art. 3.14: "La zone jurassienne (ZJU) recouvre les parties boisées et les pâturages du Jura. Elle est destinée à l'exploitation forestière et pastorale, à la détente et aux loisirs de plein air." Administration communale, Rue du Vieux Collège 38, 1275 Chéserex, 022 369 90 40, greffe@cheserex.ch. Règlement de police (PDF), Tarif des sentences municipales (PDF), RCAT (PDF), cheserex.ch, règlements. ↩
- Commune de Gingins, Règlement général de police, adopted by the Municipalité on 8 November 2021 and the Conseil communal on 7 April 2022, approved by the head of the cantonal department and in force since 2 May 2022; it repeals the regulation of 2 June 2008. Art. 72 "Camping et caravaning", para. 1: "Il est interdit de camper sur la voie publique ou ses abords." Para. 2: "Sur le domaine privé, le camping occasionnel n'est permis qu'avec l'accord du propriétaire, du locataire, du fermier ou du possesseur à un autre titre de l'immeuble. L'autorisation de la municipalité ou de l'autorité délégataire est obligatoire pour toute durée excédant quatre jours. L'autorisation peut être refusée notamment lorsque le campeur ne peut bénéficier d'installations sanitaires à proximité." Para. 3 lets the Municipalité adopt a camping regulation; the commune publishes none. Art. 3 lit. i: "Voie publique : toute voie ouverte à la circulation publique, soit dès qu'elle est mise à la disposition d'un cercle indéterminé de personnes même si son usage est limité par sa nature, par son mode ou par le but de son utilisation ou à une catégorie d'usagers, par exemple des cyclistes, et indépendamment du fait qu'elle se trouve sur le domaine public ou le domaine privé." Art. 11 para. 1: "Toute infraction aux dispositions du présent règlement est passible d'une amende dans les limites fixées par la loi sur les contraventions." Art. 12, the list of order fines under the cantonal act on communal order fines, has no camping entry. Art. 91 para. 1: "Tout feu est interdit : a. dans les environnements secs ; b. pendant les périodes de sécheresse ; c. en cas de vent violent." gingins.ch, règlement de police (scan), text version. ↩
- Commune de La Rippe, Règlement général de police, final version of 26 August 2019, adopted by the Conseil communal on 3 December 2019 and approved by the head of the cantonal department on 10 January 2020; it repeals the regulation of 2 October 2007. Art. 66 "Camping et caravaning", para. 1: "Il est interdit de camper sur la voie publique ou ses abords." Para. 2: "Sur le domaine privé, le camping occasionnel n'est permis qu'avec l'accord du propriétaire, du locataire, du fermier ou du possesseur à un autre titre de l'immeuble. L'autorisation de la municipalité est obligatoire pour toute durée excédant quatre jours." Art. 3 lit. j defines "voie publique" in the same words as Gingins, "indépendamment du fait qu'elle se trouve sur le domaine public ou le domaine privé". Art. 11: fines within the limits of the contraventions act; art. 11bis, the order-fine list, has no camping entry. Art. 84 para. 1: "Tout feu est interdit : a. dans les environnements secs ; b. pendant les périodes de sécheresse ; ou c. en cas de vent violent." Administration communale, Rue des 4 Fontaines 2, 1278 La Rippe, 022 367 15 00, greffe@larippe.ch. larippe.ch, règlement de police, règlements communaux. ↩
- Loi vaudoise sur les contraventions (LContr, RSV 312.11) of 19 May 2009, current version in force since 2 January 2011. Art. 25 "Montant de l'amende", para. 1: "Les contraventions réprimées par l'autorité municipale sont passibles d'une amende de 500 francs au plus, contre chaque contrevenant, sous réserve des cas où la loi prévoit un montant inférieur." Para. 2: "L'amende peut être portée à 1000 francs en cas de récidive ou de contravention continue." Art. 1 applies the act to the communal police regulations. This is the frame for a breach of any of the three communal regulations in sources 2 to 4; none of them lists camping among its order fines, so a breach runs as an ordinary municipal sentence, not an on-the-spot ticket. lexfind.ch. ↩
- Canton Vaud nature and camping law. Loi sur la protection du patrimoine naturel et paysager (LPrPNP, RSV 450.11), in force since 1 January 2023: no provision on camping, tents or bivouacs; contraventions follow the LContr, and order fines are listed in the regulation. Règlement d'application (RLPrPNP, RSV 450.11.1) of 29 May 2024, in force since 1 July 2024, annex 8 no. 4: "Violer l'interdiction de camper, bivouaquer ou faire du feu à l'extérieur des endroits aménagés ou désignés à cet effet dans un secteur cantonal de protection", CHF 150. It applies only where a classification decree or a cantonal plan (PAC) carries such a ban; the nearest classified area and public nature reserve, Roche Verte in Saint-Cergue (decree of 31 March 1971), lies 1.90 km from the summit, and no cantonal plan covers the summit parcels. Loi sur les campings et caravanings résidentiels (LCCR, RSV 935.61): a campsite is "l'emplacement aménagé en vue de recevoir régulièrement des installations mobiles", a facility act. Loi forestière (LVLFo, RSV 921.01): no camping provision. The summit lies in the cantonal inventory of natural monuments and sites (IMNS no. 15, "Massif de la Dôle, Combe du Faoug, La Barillette"), whose effects fall on works by landowners. LPrPNP, RLPrPNP, LCCR. ↩
- Federal inventories and the park. BLN object 1007 "La Dôle", 744 ha, communes of Chéserex, Gingins, La Rippe and Saint-Cergue, object sheet of the 2017 revision: "La Dôle culmine à 1677 m et constitue le deuxième plus haut sommet du Jura suisse"; "sommet dégarni, particulièrement marquant et visible depuis La Côte et les bords du Léman"; "La sphère érigée sur le sommet de La Dôle, devenue emblématique, marque profondément le paysage. Elle contient un radar pour l'aviation et une station météorologique depuis le milieu des années 1960."; the capercaillie (Grand Tétras) is "l'espèce la plus emblématique de la région"; protection objective 3.10: "Conserver la tranquillité du versant sud du massif et des forêts." Federal inventory of dry meadows and pastures of national importance, object 6308 "La Dôle", communes of Chéserex, Gingins and La Rippe, 85.48 ha, listed 2010, revised 2017; the summit point lies in sub-object VD3140138, the recommended pitch in VD3140141. Dry-meadow ordinance (TwwV, SR 451.37), art. 6 para. 1: "Les objets doivent être conservés intacts." Art. 8 para. 3 lit. c: the cantons ensure that uses, "notamment par l'agriculture, la sylviculture et le tourisme ainsi que l'utilisation à des fins de détente", are consistent with the protection goals. Both inventories bind authorities; neither creates a rule of conduct for visitors. Parc Jura vaudois, regional nature park of national importance (object 24): a label, and its charter 2023 to 2032 contains no camping clause. BLN 1007 (PDF), dry meadow 6308 (PDF), fedlex.admin.ch (TwwV), park charter 2023 to 2032. ↩
- Plan partiel d'affectation du massif de la Dôle, communes of Gingins, Saint-Cergue, La Rippe and Chéserex, drawn up in November 2005, in force since 18 December 2006; per the property cadastre it governs the Gingins parcels at the summit (361, 363 and the lift parcel 741), and its perimeter follows the Gingins boundary through the summit. Art. 10 b), protection zone level II, "espaces multifonctionnels", covering "La zone sommitale de la Dôle": "Cette zone doit rester soumise à une pâture modérée pour conserver ses caractéristiques floristiques. Elle ne doit pas être modifiée par un piétinement concentré (cheminements le long de la crête et place de pique-nique), ni par une augmentation de la couverture forestière." And: "Tout projet ou activité qui pourrait porter atteinte au site est soumis à l'accord préalable de la Conservation de la nature." Art. 10 a), level I, "espaces de tranquillité absolue pour la faune", the forests of Les Léseneys and Couvaloup: "Les 'activités de loisirs hors pistes' sont interdites à l'exception des déplacements à pied et dans la mesure où ils respectent les objectifs de protection. La pratique des raquettes à neige est interdite." Art. 12: piste grooming by machine "du 15 novembre au Lundi de Pâques au plus tard". Art. 13: lift operation "limitée à la période hivernale, soit du 15 novembre au Lundi de Pâques". The plan does not mention camping or bivouacking. PPA regulation (PDF), PPA plan (PDF). ↩
- Ownership and consent. La Côte, "La Dôle privée de buvette", 8 September 2015: "Sur le territoire de Chéserex, mais propriété de Gingins, le chalet de la Dôle dispose d'une buvette depuis 2006", with a shepherd couple on the alp for the season, the communes of Chéserex and Gingins and the alp syndicate named, and the syndique of Gingins quoted. The Chalet de la Dôle (federal register of buildings, agricultural, 574 m²) stands on Chéserex parcel 401 without a separate building right, the parcel that carries the recommended pitch. Gingins, préavis no. 12/2021 on the TéléDôle debt: the commune granted the lift company "deux contrats de droit de superficie", running to 2036. La Rippe, préavis no. 6/2021 of 30 August 2021 on the water supply of the communal alpages: the alpages "exploités par le Parc chevalin de Signy" include La Vuillette, and "Seul l'alpage de La Vuillette est une propriété du Parc chevalin"; its map shows La Vuillette reaching the summit. The land register was not read: ownership in the text is an inference from these documents. Contact: Administration communale de Gingins, Route de Trélex 4, 1276 Gingins, greffe@gingins.ch, +41 22 369 92 22. Swiss Civil Code (ZGB, SR 210), art. 699 para. 1: access to forest and pasture within local custom, a right of access, not a right to spend the night. Swiss Criminal Code (StGB, SR 311.0), art. 186: trespass, including an enclosed area belonging to a building. lacote.ch, Gingins, préavis 12/2021, La Rippe, préavis 6/2021, Gingins, secrétariat, fedlex.admin.ch (ZGB). ↩
- Approach, fire and beds, checked on 23 September 2026. Commune de Saint-Cergue, Règlement communal de police, art. 23: "Il est interdit de camper sur le territoire de la Commune, en dehors des endroits autorisés par la municipalité. La municipalité est compétente pour donner les autorisations exceptionnelles." Canton Vaud, official gazette (FAO): total ban on open-air fires decreed on 28 July 2026, lifted by the Conseil d'État on 26 August 2026. Refuge de Combe Gelée (Commune de Chéserex): route de la Dôle below the Barillette transmitter, 1'515 m, 30 places to sleep, 1 May to 31 October, weekdays CHF 10 a person a day (minimum CHF 100 a day), full weekend CHF 600 (CHF 300 for residents of Chéserex and Gingins), "réservé prioritairement aux habitants de la région", request form to the municipal secretariat at least 30 days ahead, greffe@cheserex.ch, 022 369 90 40; the route de la Dôle is closed in winter, from 1 November to 30 April. Chalet des Apprentis (ACASE): 1'500 m, open all year to organised groups of up to 30, "20.- par nuitée, au minimum 150.- par nuit", 15 minutes on foot from the Barillette road, which is closed in winter; +41 22 344 19 82, secretariat@acase.ch. Camping des Cheseaux (Camping Club Vaudois): Route du Télésiège 12, 1264 Saint-Cergue, 1'041 m, open all year, small tent CHF 10.50 a day plus CHF 9.00 per adult in high season, +41 22 360 18 98. Refuge de la Barillette (Ville de Nyon): day rental, "Le refuge ne comprend pas de dortoir et le camping n'est pas autorisé." Colour, not a basis for the verdict: the photo blog "Instants choisis de lumières", post "Fondue et bivouac", a night "à la belle étoile" on the summit of the Dôle on 21 September 2026. Saint-Cergue, règlement de police (PDF), faovd.ch, Combe Gelée, Chalet des Apprentis, Camping des Cheseaux, Refuge de la Barillette, "Fondue et bivouac". ↩