Swiss National Park
The oldest national park in the Alps, founded in 1914 in the Lower Engadine: 170 km² of IUCN category 1a wilderness from 1,400 m to 3,174 m, crossed by 21 official routes and closed in winter.
- 66 mi²Area
- 4,593 ft to 10,413 ftElevation
- 1914Established
At a glance
- Founded on 1 August 1914, the oldest national park in the Alps
- IUCN category 1a, the strictest protection, and Switzerland’s largest wilderness
- 170.3 km² from 1,400 m to 3,174 m on the Piz Pisoc
- 21 official routes on 100 km of marked paths, through 13 compulsory entrances
- No dogs, even on a lead, and visits by daylight only
- Paths usually open from mid-May to mid-November; the park closes in winter
Where to stay
Hotels, guesthouses and rentals around Swiss National Park
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Run by the park
Hotel Parc Naziunal Il FuornHotel
See the hotel
Mountain huts
- Chamanna Cluozza6,175 ft
Nearby villages and towns
ZernezClosest
On site
See hotelsS-chanf
8.1 mi as the crow flies
See hotelsScuol
12 mi as the crow flies
See hotels
Which tour to choose?
| Tour | Duration | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 11 Alp la Schera | 2 h 15 min | 3.7 mi |
| 01 Alp Trupchun | 4 h | 8.7 mi |
| 07 Chamanna Cluozza | 3 h 30 min | 5.3 mi |
| 13 Champlönch | 2 h | 3.1 mi |
| 02 Fuorcla Trupchun | 7 h 30 min | 13 mi |
| 18 Fuorcla Val dal Botsch | 6 h 45 min | 11 mi |
| 03 Fuorcla Val Sassa | 6 h 30 min | 10 mi |
| 16 Fuorntal | 1 h 45 min | 3.4 mi |
| 12 Grimmels | 2 h | 3.7 mi |
| 21 Lais da Macun | 8 h | 13 mi |
| 09 Margun Grimmels | 1 h 15 min | 2.2 mi |
| 17 Margunet | 3 h | 5 mi |
| 20 Mot Tavrü | 4 h | 6.8 mi |
| 15 Munt la Schera | 4 h 45 min | 8.1 mi |
| 06 Murtaröl | 6 h | 9.6 mi |
| 08 Murtersattel | 3 h 45 min | 4.7 mi |
| Naturlehrpfad Il Fuorn-Stabelchod-Margunet-Val dal Botsch | 3 h 30 min | |
| 04 Piz Quattervals | 7 h 30 min | 6.8 mi |
| 14 Punt la Drossa - Il Fuorn | 1 h | 1.2 mi |
| 10 Spöltal | 2 h 45 min | 5 mi |
| 19 Val Mingèr | 3 h 45 min | 6.8 mi |
| 05 Val Tantermozza | 1 h 15 min | 1.9 mi |
Facts checked on October 14, 2026
How the visit runs
Zernez, gateway to the park
The village holds the park administration in the Planta-Wildenberg castle, the Schlossstall auditorium and the visitor centre, with the bus stop “Zernez, Center dal Parc Naziunal” and the railway station 10 minutes away on foot.
Val Cluozza and its hut 8.5 km, 3 h 30
From Zernez, route 07 climbs 800 m to the Chamanna Cluozza at 1,882 m, the only staffed hut in the park, with 61 beds.
Along the Ofenpass road 3.5 h
Car parks and postbus stops line the road, home to the Hotel Parc Naziunal Il Fuorn. The nature trail Il Fuorn-Stabelchod-Margunet-Val dal Botsch takes about three and a half hours.
Val Trupchun, from S-chanf 14 km, 4 h
From the Prasüras car park (1,692 m), route 01, mostly flat, runs to Alp Trupchun at 2,042 m and back, one of the busiest routes and a good choice in poor weather.
Lais da Macun 21 km, 8 h
Route 21, the longest of the 21 in walking time, reaches the Macun lake plateau, added to the park in 2000.
Zernez visitor centre hours, 2026 to 2027
| Period | Days | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| 14 May to 25 October 2026 | Daily | 8:30 to 18:00 |
| 26 October to 24 December 2026 | Monday to Saturday | 9:00 to 12:00 and 14:00 to 17:00 |
| 28 December 2026 to 13 March 2027 | Monday to Saturday | 9:00 to 17:00 |
| 15 March to 14 May 2027 | Monday to Friday | 9:00 to 12:00 and 14:00 to 17:00 |
Source: Swiss National Park, visitor centre page (read in October 2026).
Three ways into the park
| Gateway | Getting there | Flagship route |
|---|---|---|
| Zernez | Rhaetian Railway station, bus stop “Zernez, Center dal Parc Naziunal” | 07 Chamanna Cluozza, 8.5 km, 3 h 30 |
| Ofenpass road | Seven car parks (P1 to P10) and eight postbus stops | Nature trail Il Fuorn-Stabelchod-Margunet-Val dal Botsch, 3.5 h |
| S-chanf, Val Trupchun | Engadinbus 608 to Prasüras, Express Parc Naziunel to the Varusch hut | 01 Alp Trupchun, 14 km, 4 h |
Source: Swiss National Park, key figures, route and arrival pages (2026).
Before you go
- Stay on the marked paths and the 18 rest areas marked by posts; leaving them is not allowed.
- Daylight only: you may be in the park from civil dawn to civil dusk, and that includes sleeping in a vehicle along the Ofenpass road.
- Dogs are banned, even on a lead; a certified guide dog can be admitted on request.
- Camping is banned in the park, car parks included, and fire and bivouac are banned at the rest areas.
- Water: no swimming in lakes or streams.
- Bikes and aircraft are banned.
- Take nothing: animals, plants, wood and stones stay where they are.
- Prams and wheelchairs: the paths are not suitable; the Zernez visitor centre is accessible.
- Kit: the manager advises warm clothes, good walking boots and binoculars.
What is allowed
| Topic | Rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Wild camping (bivouac) | Not allowed | Schweizerischer Nationalpark |
| Camping | Not allowed | Schweizerischer Nationalpark |
| Fires | Not allowed | Schweizerischer Nationalpark |
| Dogs | Not allowed | Schweizerischer Nationalpark |
| Strollers | Restricted | Schweizerischer Nationalpark |
| Drones | Not allowed | Schweizerischer Nationalpark |
| Swimming | Not allowed | Schweizerischer Nationalpark |
| Cycling | Not allowed | Schweizerischer Nationalpark |
| Picking plants | Not allowed | Schweizerischer Nationalpark |
Rules checked with the site manager on October 14, 2026. They can change at short notice: check before you go.
When to go
- Closed November to May
- Deer rut September
How to get there
Swiss National ParkPlaces to stay in the parkGateway towns
- Davos33 kmSwiss National Park
To Zernez (distance given for the municipality by French Wikipedia); from the north, the Flüela pass and the Vereina tunnel are the most direct links.
- St. Moritz34 kmSwiss National Park
To Zernez (distance given for the municipality by French Wikipedia).
- Chur89 kmSwiss National Park
To Zernez (distance given for the municipality by French Wikipedia). By train, the Rhaetian Railway runs from Chur via Samedan, or from Landquart through the Vereina tunnel.
- Zernez station10 minSwiss National Park
To the visitor centre in the village.
The Swiss National Park is an IUCN category 1a reserve, the strictest level of protection: plants, animals, habitats and natural processes are shielded from any human intervention. Founded in 1914, it is the oldest national park in the Alps and the largest wilderness area in Switzerland, spread over the Lower Engadine and the Val Müstair, in Graubünden.
From a leased valley in 1909 to the IUCN Green List
The park began as a lease, and the land is still rented from the communes. Its history, in the manager’s own dates:
- 1909: the Val Cluozza is leased, the first land of the future park.
- 1 August 1914: the Swiss National Park is founded; its first head ranger is Steivan Brunies, from the Engadine.
- 1967: European Diploma for Protected Areas.
- 1968: the first visitor centre, the park house, opens; a new centre follows in 2008.
- 2000: the 1.4 mi² lake plateau of Macun is added.
- 2017: UNESCO recognises the Engiadina Val Müstair biosphere reserve, with the park as its core.
- 20 April 2021: the park joins the IUCN Green List.
- 2023: the Zernez visitor centre reopens with an entirely new exhibition.
No primeval forest, and a pass that recalls mining
Nobody remembers primeval forest here. The name of the Ofenpass, Pass dal Fuorn in Romansh, recalls the mining and clear-cutting of past centuries; since 1914 nature has been left to take the ground back. The landscape today:
- 28% forest, 99.5% of it conifers.
- 21% alpine meadows, where most of the alpine plants grow.
- 51% bare ground: scree, rock and high mountains.
- Altitudes from 4,593 ft on the Clemgia near Scuol to 10,413 ft on the Piz Pisoc.
- The rock glaciers of the Engadine, listed by the IUGS among 100 major geological sites.
The climate is dry and harsh, with strong sunshine and low air humidity. Marmots, red deer and ibex are seen in the Val Trupchun, and the Tantermozza pair of bearded vultures is often seen from route 06.
Four communes, 13 entrances and 62 mi of paths
The park is rented from four communes, in these shares of its area:
- Zernez: 68.6%.
- S-chanf: 13.5%.
- Scuol: 13.2%.
- Val Müstair: 4.7%.
Visitors come in through 13 compulsory entrances, each with an orientation panel, as is every car park where a route starts. Inside, the network is small and well signed:
- 62 mi of marked paths and 21 official routes, two of them alpine routes marked white-blue-white.
- 18 rest areas marked by posts.
- Along the Ofenpass road, seven car parks numbered P1 to P10, with limited space, and eight postbus stops.
Frequently asked questions
Are dogs allowed in the Swiss National Park?
No, not even on a lead. A certified guide dog for the blind can be admitted on request.
When is the Swiss National Park open?
The paths usually open from mid-May to mid-November, depending on the weather and the altitude of each path. In winter the park is closed as a quiet zone for wildlife, and skis are not allowed.
Can you stay overnight in the Swiss National Park?
Only at the Chamanna Cluozza, the only staffed hut, or at the Hotel Parc Naziunal Il Fuorn on the Ofenpass road. Camping and bivouac are banned, and visits are allowed by daylight only.
How much is the exhibition at the Zernez visitor centre?
9 CHF for adults, 5 CHF for children aged 6 to 16 and 20 CHF for a family in 2026; under-sixes are free. It pays for the exhibition, not for entry to the park, and the centre’s information area needs no ticket.
When can you hear the red deer rut in the Swiss National Park?
At the end of September, when many walkers head up the Val Trupchun.
How do you get to the Swiss National Park by train?
By Rhaetian Railway to Zernez, from Landquart through the Vereina tunnel or from Chur via Samedan. Zernez station is a 10-minute walk from the visitor centre.
Can you cycle in the Swiss National Park?
No. Bikes are banned in the park, as are aircraft.
Is the Swiss National Park wheelchair accessible?
Only in part. The path between car park P8 and Alp Stabelchod, a section of route 16, can be done in a special all-terrain wheelchair, and the Zernez visitor centre is accessible.
Other protected areas nearby
Berchtesgaden National Park
7,546 ft from the floor of the Königssee to the Watzmann summit.147 mi awayNational park
Gran Paradiso National Park
1922: Italy’s first national park, born to save the ibex.157 mi awayNational park
Triglav National Park
9,396 ft: Triglav, Slovenia’s highest peak, at the park’s heart.180 mi awayNational parkSources
4 sources
- Schweizerischer Nationalpark consulted on October 14, 2026
- OpenStreetMap consulted on October 14, 2026
- Wikidata consulted on October 14, 2026
- Wikipedia consulted on October 14, 2026