the bivouac is defined as a temporary camp allowing to spend one or more nights in the open air, often in a wild environment, in forest or in parks allowing this practice.
The bivouac is also linked with sporting activities such as the long and winding steps of trekking for the more athletic or more simply the Trek. It also affects the domain military during expeditions for example.
Given the epidemic crisis in which the world finds itself at the moment, it is strongly advised not to cross national borders to limit any risk of contamination. Therefore, the bivouac is THE SOLUTION at a very good price / quality ratio for sporting and relaxing holidays in the heart of nature.
It is important tobe well prepared and adopt the right equipment in order to deploy your camp quickly after your long day of walking.
The legislation on the practice of camping and bivouac
In France, the regulations do not no distinction precise between the wild camping and the bivouac. In addition, these practices are permitted wherever they are not prohibited.
However, there are many restrictions on where it is impossible to pitch your tent:
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Forests and parks classified as nature reserves.
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Roads, paths and seaside.
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Less than 200 meters from access to clean water
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Less than 500 meters from a historic monument
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On private roads and land
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On all sites classified in the natural heritage protection zones.
Indeed these many restrictions therefore limit the practice of wild camping. But if these prohibitions are present, remember that they are there to protect the surrounding nature.
Nevertheless, the bivouac is often for him tolerated, especially in French national and regional parks.
Find an authorized location to set up your bivouac
In order to find an ideal and authorized location in order to set up your bivouac, the easiest way is to contact the town hall concerned to know the exact legislation. In addition, some shelters sometimes provide dedicated locations nearby. For the rest, find out beforehand about the regulations of the park in which you are.
In addition, you can always make a request to the owners of private land to settle in with them for the night. It is a practice in full expansion for a few years and this thanks to the platform Home camper which connects guests and travelers.
Take care of the environment
As stated previously, many restrictions are present if you want to practice bivouac or wild camping, especially for protect the places around us. Moreover the different National parks French there are exceptions for the practice of bivouac. So that you can see it a little more clearly, here is the different restrictions according to the different places:
In addition, France also has a total of 53 regional parks which are also subject to very specific regulations for bivouacs and wild camping. You can find the interactive map listing these many French parks.
As with national parks, regional park regulations may change, which is why we advise you to be aware of all the rules in force before starting your journey.
Finally, always think about the surrounding nature, act in the best possible way in order to leave your bivouac place as clean, even cleaner, that when you settled there.
Now, what are you waiting for to bivouac?
You can also find our blog article on “Everything you need to go on a Bivouac “which includes a checklist specially designed for you!