As of: 29 September 2026

Wild camping at Unteres Schwärziseeli

The Unteres Schwärziseeli, 2'620 m, lies about 2 km up a marked path from the Furka Pass. It is in Realp, which bans camping across the whole commune, so a tent here is forbidden. The nearest lawful ground on the way is back at the pass, on its Valais side.

Leon Helg
Leon Helg · Legal situation checked in September 2026
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.

What "wild camping" means here: one night. A small tent or a bivvy bag, up towards evening, gone in the morning. Not a base camp, not a camper van. Most Swiss bans are written against camping; whether a single night also falls under them depends on the exact wording, so this article checks that wording. The full difference: wild camping vs bivouacking.

Wild camping at Unteres Schwärziseeli: three lakes, all in Realp

Wild camping at the Unteres Schwärziseeli means a night by the lowest of three small lakes below the Stotzigen Firsten, east-south-east of the Furka Pass. The national map puts it at 2'620 m, at 46.56492 / 8.43461 (LV95 2'676'363 / 1'157'555). The middle lake lies 290 m south-west at 2'641 m, the upper one 500 m west-south-west at 2'649 m, and Uri's fishing map lists the three together as Schwärziseeli / Stotzig Firsten Seen.58

The way in is from the Furka. A marked path leaves the top of the pass and reaches the lower lake after about 2 km and 200 m of ascent, passing some 50 m from its centre. It runs on between the lower and middle lakes and then east towards the Rotondohütte. All three lakes and the ground around them lie in the commune of Realp, canton Uri. The border with Obergoms in Valais follows the ridge about 1 km west-south-west of the lower lake, some 220 m higher.5

The ground would take a tent. West and south-west of the lower lake, scree and thin turf flatten out to 1 to 3 degrees. The lake and its western shore lie in a local landscape protection zone, and Uri's inventory describes the basin as a glacier forefield, a Talkessel mit drei grösseren Seen, a hollow with three larger lakes. Realp's BZO, Art. 20, allows changes to landforms and streams in that zone only with the council's consent, so leave the stones where they lie. No federal protected area or military area covers the lakes.615

The rule: Realp bans camping across the whole commune

Realp keeps its camping rule in its building and zoning ordinance, the Bau- und Zonenordnung (BZO), at Art. 50, the same place the neighbouring commune of Andermatt keeps its own:1

"Auf dem gesamten Gemeindegebiet ist das Campieren nur auf bewilligten Campingplätzen zulässig. Das wilde Campieren ist verboten. Als Campieren wird die Benützung von Zelten, Wohnwagen, Mobilheime und dergleichen definiert."Bau- und Zonenordnung der Gemeinde Realp, approved text of 20 July 2020, Art. 50 "Campieren". In English: on the entire communal territory camping is permitted only on approved campsites; wild camping is prohibited; camping is defined as the use of tents, caravans, mobile homes and the like.

A small hiking tent is plainly within that definition. The article has no exception for one night, for altitude or for the hours between dusk and dawn, and calling the stay a bivouac does not remove a tent from the wording. The nearby shore is firmly within Realp, and the middle and upper lakes fall under the same Art. 50. Moving uphill or farther from the water within this basin leaves the same municipal rule in place.15

There is no permit route. In the approved text of 20 July 2020, which the cantonal cadastre of public-law restrictions lists as in force, Art. 50 is a single paragraph. The copy on realp.ch shows a second paragraph about sites the council may approve: it carries the approval number, but it is the text of 23 December 2019, and the approved version does not contain that paragraph.1

The landowner cannot lift the ban either. The lakes and their shores lie on a single parcel, Realp 760, 46.8 km² from the Furka to the Witenwasserental, which the land register lists as owned by the Korporation Ursern. The corporation publishes no camping rule for hikers; its road regulation keeps camper vans off corporation roads. Art. 50 is public law and applies whoever owns the ground, so the corporation's consent would not change the answer. The Korporation Uri's page that allows wild camping in principle is about its own land, not the Urserntal.71

Without a tent, the wording arguably does not reach you. Art. 50 defines camping by devices: tents, caravans, mobile homes and the like. A mat and a sleeping bag under the open sky use none of them, so on a plain reading a night without a tent sits outside the definition. Andermatt's BZO has the same sentence word for word, and wild camping at the Lutersee reads it the same way. No court has tested this, and Realp could read "und dergleichen", and the like, more widely. If you want certainty, ask the commune before you go: gemeinde@realp.ch, 041 887 18 68. How Swiss law treats the night without a tent: when is a bivouac a bivouac.1

The fine: up to CHF 50'000, set case by case

Realp enacted its BZO under Uri's planning and building act, the Planungs- und Baugesetz (PBG, RB 40.1111). Its Art. 120 fines anyone who breaches the act or a rule based on it up to CHF 50'000, and the building authority imposes the fine at first instance; in Realp that is the municipal council (BZO Art. 4). There is no tariff for a tent night: the council sets the amount case by case.21

The canton itself calls this route cumbersome. In its answer of 4 November 2025 to a motion for a cantonwide ban, the Uri government named Andermatt, Hospental and Realp as the communes with a ban in their BZO and confirmed that their fines run through Art. 120 PBG. For "kurzfristige und punktuelle Übertretungen", brief one-off offences, such as "einmaliges Übernachten", a single night out, it called the procedure "schwerfällig", cumbersome. What such a ban does give a commune, the government wrote, is a clear basis for signs and for sending campers away.3

The cantonal CHF 150 does not apply here. Uri's fixed-penalty regulation (OBR, RB 3.9223, no. 2.1) prices camping at CHF 150 only in protection zones, "in Verbindung mit dem jeweiligen Reglement", in connection with the zone's own rules. The lake lies in a local landscape protection zone, but Realp's article for that zone, BZO Art. 20, contains no camping rule. How communal, cantonal and federal rules fit together: wild camping in Switzerland.41

Where to sleep instead

On the Valais side of the Furka Pass. The nearest lawful ground on the way in lies 127 m west-north-west of the top of the pass, at 46.57216 / 8.41479 (LV95 2'674'833 / 1'158'341) and 2'429 m, and it is nearly level. That is Obergoms, canton Valais: its police regulation has no camping rule, and its building regulation asks for a permit only for tents standing more than 30 days. From there the lakes are 1.7 km away as the crow flies, about 2 km on the marked path. Pitch out of sight of the road, and do not drift north or east of the pass, which is Realp again. The whole pass: wild camping at the Furkapass.9

In the Rotondohütte SAC, 2'570 m. From the lakes the marked path carries on east for about 8 km to the hut in the Witenwasserental. SAC grades the whole route from the Furka over the Stotzigen Firsten and the Rottälligrat T3: 5 hours, 680 m up and 540 m down. From Realp the normal route is T2, 3:30 hours. The staffed summer season was due to end on 27 September 2026, and the winter season starts on 26 December.10

Until then, the winter room. Whenever the hut is unstaffed, its winter room is open and unlocked, with 20 places. Bring your own food; the kitchen has running water and firewood for cooking. Sign the hut book and pay in cash or with the payment slip there: CHF 29 a night for SAC members, CHF 40 for others. You can book on hut-reservation.org. For a November night, call +41 41 887 16 16 first: the SAC portal lists the winter room as closed that month, the hut's own page does not.10

Or make it a day trip. From the Furka Pass the lakes are about 2 km and 200 m of ascent away, and the same back. The pass road closes in winter.5

General rules for wild camping

This applies wherever you are genuinely allowed to sleep outside, which on this walk means the Valais side of the Furka Pass. At the lakes it holds for a day visit too: take everything back down, and leave the stones where they lie.

  • 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 describes a night in a tent at the Unteres Schwärziseeli and on its shores; the middle and upper lakes lie in the same commune under the same rule. The reading that a night without a tent falls outside Art. 50 rests on its wording and has not been tested; a communal authority could read the closing words "und dergleichen" more broadly. Hut seasons, prices and the winter room's status come from the hut and the SAC as of 29 September 2026 and can change; the hut gives the end of its summer season as provisional. 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

Can I camp for one night at Unteres Schwärziseeli?
Not in a tent. The lake lies in the commune of Realp, whose Bau- und Zonenordnung, Art. 50, allows camping only on approved campsites across the entire communal territory, prohibits wild camping and defines camping as the use of tents, caravans, mobile homes and the like. There is no exception for one night or for altitude, and the approved text of 20 July 2020 has no permit paragraph. The middle and upper Schwärziseeli lie in Realp under the same rule.
What about a night without a tent?
Arguably not covered, and only arguably. Art. 50 defines camping by devices: tents, caravans, mobile homes and the like. A mat and a sleeping bag use none of them, so on a plain reading a night without a tent sits outside the definition, the same reading as for Andermatt's identical Art. 95a. No court has tested it, and Realp could read "und dergleichen", and the like, more widely. If you want certainty, ask the commune: gemeinde@realp.ch, 041 887 18 68.
What is the fine?
Up to CHF 50'000, set case by case by Realp's municipal council. The ban rests on Uri's planning and building act (PBG, RB 40.1111), whose Art. 120 fines breaches of the act and of rules based on it up to CHF 50'000 and makes the communal building authority the first instance; there is no tariff for a tent night. In its answer of 4 November 2025 the Uri government called this route cumbersome for a single night out. The cantonal fixed fine of CHF 150 (OBR, RB 3.9223, no. 2.1) applies only in protection zones whose own rules cover camping, and Realp's local landscape zone, BZO Art. 20, has no camping rule.
Would the landowner's permission help?
No. The lakes and their shores lie on parcel Realp 760, which the land register lists as owned by the Korporation Ursern. The corporation publishes no camping rule for hikers, and Art. 50 is public law that applies whoever owns the ground, so its consent would not lift the ban. The Korporation Uri's page allowing wild camping in principle covers its own land, not the Urserntal.
Where can I sleep instead?
On the Valais side of the Furka Pass, or in the Rotondohütte SAC. The nearly level ground 127 metres west-north-west of the top of the pass, at 46.57216 / 8.41479 and 2'429 metres, lies in Obergoms, whose building regulation asks for a permit only for tents standing more than 30 days; it is about 1.7 kilometres from the lakes, at the start of the marked path to them. The Rotondohütte SAC, 2'570 metres, lies further along the same path, 5 hours from the Furka by SAC's timing. Its staffed season was due to end on 27 September 2026 and restarts on 26 December; in between, the unlocked winter room is open, self-catering, CHF 29 a night for SAC members and CHF 40 for others.
Leon Helg

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.

Swiss Guide Wildcamping Checker Color Grading

Sources

  1. Gemeinde Realp, Bau- und Zonenordnung, approved text of 20 July 2020, the version the cantonal cadastre of public-law restrictions lists as in force, and its approval by the Uri government, 8 September 2020, no. 2020-551. Art. 4: the municipal council is the building authority. Art. 20: local landscape protection zone; "Veränderungen von Geländeformen und Bachläufen sind nur mit Zustimmung des Gemeinderats gestattet." Art. 50: "Auf dem gesamten Gemeindegebiet ist das Campieren nur auf bewilligten Campingplätzen zulässig. Das wilde Campieren ist verboten. Als Campieren wird die Benützung von Zelten, Wohnwagen, Mobilheime und dergleichen definiert." The copy linked on realp.ch carries the approval number but the text dated 23 December 2019, whose Art. 50 has a second paragraph on sites the council may approve; the approved text has none. Contact: Gemeindeverwaltung Realp, gemeinde@realp.ch, 041 887 18 68. Checked 29 September 2026. ↩
  2. Kanton Uri, Planungs- und Baugesetz (PBG), RB 40.1111, version in force since 1 January 2022. Art. 17: the communes enact a building ordinance for their whole territory. Art. 120 para. 1: "Wer diesem Gesetz oder den darauf gestützten Rechtserlassen, Entscheidungen und Verfügungen zuwiderhandelt, wird mit einer Busse bis 50'000 Franken bestraft." Para. 4: "Die Baubehörde verfügt erstinstanzlich Bussen nach dieser Bestimmung." ↩
  3. Regierungsrat Uri, 4 November 2025, no. 2025-653, answer to the motion by Josef Inderkum for a general ban on wild camping. Communes with a ban in their building rules: "namentlich Andermatt, Hospental und Realp, haben ein Wildcampingverbot innerhalb ihrer Bau- und Zonenordnung (BZO) festgehalten". "Gemäss Artikel 120 Absatz 4 PBG verfügt die kommunale Baubehörde bei Widerhandlungen erstinstanzlich Bussen, wobei das Strafverfahren nach den Bestimmungen der VRPV abläuft." "Für kurzfristige und punktuelle Übertretungen [...] ist dieses Instrument schwerfällig", the example given being "etwa einmaliges Übernachten". What a BZO ban still provides: "Dadurch können z. B. Verbotstafeln aufgestellt und fehlbare Wildcampierende auf das bestehende Verbot hingewiesen oder weggewiesen werden." ↩
  4. Kanton Uri, Reglement über die Erhebung von Ordnungsbussen (OBR), RB 3.9223, version in force since 1 April 2025, no. 2.1: "Lagern, Zelten oder Campieren in Schutzzonen (Art. 34 Abs. 1 Bst. a des Gesetzes über den Natur- und Heimatschutz, RB 10.5101 in Verbindung mit dem jeweiligen Reglement)", 150 francs. Campingverordnung, RB 70.2431, version in force since 1 June 1995: Art. 2 defines a public campsite as ground where people are housed "regelmässig und gegen Entgelt"; Art. 3 makes it subject to a licence; Art. 15 fines breaches of the ordinance 5 to 200 francs. ↩
  5. swisstopo, national map and federal geodata, checked 29 September 2026. Lower lake at 46.56492 / 8.43461, LV95 2'676'363 / 1'157'555, mapped at 2'620 m; middle lake 286 m south-west at 2'641 m; upper lake 502 m west-south-west at 2'649 m; all three in the commune of Realp on the current boundaries. The boundary with Obergoms lies 1'019 m west-south-west of the lower lake's centre, on a ridge at about 2'845 m. The federal protected areas and inventories (game reserves, wildlife rest zones, BLN, raised bogs and fens, mire landscapes, floodplains, amphibian sites, dry meadows, parks, forest reserves) and the federal military areas do not cover the lake. Marked hiking paths (swissTLM3D): the path from the Furka Pass reaches the lower lake after about 2 km and 200 m of ascent, passes 52 m from its centre, runs between the lower and middle lakes and continues about 8 km to the Rotondohütte. ↩
  6. Kanton Uri, official geodata, land-use plan of Realp: the lake in the water zone, the western shore in the agricultural zone, both inside a local landscape protection zone published on 16 October 2020. Inventory sheet LS.1212.03, Gletschervorfeld Stotzigen Firsten, local floodplain object, sheet updated 29 September 2021: "Talkessel mit drei grösseren Seen"; measures: "Keine Veränderung der Bodenoberfläche und Gewässerstruktur. Keine baulichen Eingriffe. Schonung des Landschaftsbildes." ↩
  7. Grundbuch Realp, Liegenschaft Nr. 760, 46'829'886 m², localities including "Stotzigen Firsten", "Unter den stotzigen Firsten", "Schwärzi", "Furka" and "Witenwasseren"; owner: Korporation Ursern, Gotthardstrasse 74, 6490 Andermatt. Checked 29 September 2026. Korporation Ursern, ordinances and regulations: no camping rule for hikers; the Reglement über die Nutzung von Korporationsstrassen (no. 1450), Art. 3 para. 2, bans driving and parking camping vehicles on corporation roads. Korporation Uri, Wildcampieren: "Auf Gebiet der Korporation Uri ist das Campieren somit grundsätzlich erlaubt", which concerns that corporation's own land. ↩
  8. Kanton Uri, fishing leaflet, as of 1 December 2025, and fishing waters map, 19 November 2025: group 122, "Schwärziseeli / Stotzig Firsten Seen", the three lakes at this spot. ↩
  9. Wild camping at the Furkapass, checked 6 September 2026: the ground 127 m west-north-west of the Uri pass point (LV95 2'674'958 / 1'158'317), 0.4 degrees at 2'428.7 m, in Obergoms. The same point in WGS84: 46.57216 / 8.41479 (LV95 2'674'833 / 1'158'341), 1'719 m west-north-west of the lower lake's centre. Gemeinde Obergoms, regulations: the Polizeireglement contains no camping rule; the Bau- und Zonenreglement (BZR), Art. 5, requires a building permit for "das Aufstellen von mobilen Wohnwagen, Zelten und dergleichen ausserhalb eines bewilligten Campingplatzes für mehr als 30 Tage". Checked 29 September 2026. ↩
  10. Rotondohütte, staffing and winter room: "Sommersaison 2026 15. Juni bis voraussichtlich 27. September"; "Wintersaison 2026/2027 26. Dezember 2026 bis voraussichtlich 25. April 2027"; the winter room is available when the hut is unstaffed, is not locked and needs no key; sign the hut book and pay in cash or with the payment slip there; bookings on hut-reservation.org. Prices: winter room with self-catering CHF 29 for SAC members and CHF 40 for others, per person and night, including the winter kitchen, firewood and tourist tax. SAC hut portal: 2'570 m, 80 places, winter room 20; from Realp T2, 3:30 h, 1'040 m of ascent; from the Furka Pass over the Stotzigen Firsten and the Rottälligrat T3, 5 h, 680 m up and 540 m down; the portal's calendar marks the winter room closed in November; hut phone +41 41 887 16 16, info@rotondohuette.ch. Checked 29 September 2026. ↩