Located in the Aosta Valley, Lago d’Arpy is a picturesque glacial lake and popular hiking destination in the Italian Alps. The hour-long trek to Lago d’Arpy is an easy one to do with kids and worth it for the mountain views and beautiful scenery. In this post, I will share more information on planning a family hike to Lago d’Arpy.
The hike to Lago d’Arpy, or Lake Arpy, is one of the top day trips from Courmayeur. The trail starting point, which is at Hotel La Genzianella, is only a 30 minute drive from the alpine resort.
Hike to Lago d’Arpy Aosta Valley
Lake Arpy is located between the alpine villages of Morgex and La Thuile. An hour along a shady path, the trek to Lago d’Arpy offers stunning views of the surrounding mountains and valley.
Situated at 2066 meters (or 6778 feet) above sea level, Lago d’Arpy is a popular spot for families during the summer to relax after the trek and enjoy a lakeside picnic. The glacial lake is surrounded by the alpine peaks of Monte Charvel, Becca Pougnenta and Monte Colmet.
Our family has hiked at Lake Arpy twice on our summer road trips to Europe. On our most recent trip visiting Chamonix in the summer, we crossed the border between France and Italy through the Mont Blanc tunnel for a day trip in the Italian Alps.
Related: Hiking in the French Alps with Kids
Previously, on an Italy road trip, we stayed in Courmayeur, the charming alpine resort located on the other side of Mont Blanc from Chamonix. One of the highlights of our visits to the Aosta Valley was this family hike to Lago d’Arpy.
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Starting Point: Hotel La Genzianella
To get to the starting point of the Lake Arpy hike, set your sat nav for La Genzianella in Morgex – Loc. Colle San Carlo, 11017 Morgex AO, Italy. Hotel La Genzianella is located 20 km, or a 30 minute drive, from Courmayeur.
Colle San Carlo is the mountain pass that brings you to the beginning of the trail for the Lake Arpy hike in Morgex. My husband brings his road bike on our road trips in the Alps to cycle Colle San Carlo and meet us at the Lake Arpy hike starting point.
Parking is free along the roads and at the car park in front of La Genzianella, however space is limited so do arrive as early in the day as possible. The car park is typically full by the late morning in the busy summer season. We were lucky to find a spot along the side street behind the hotel to avoid having to park further down along the mountain pass as many others did.
Related: Europe Road Trips with Kids
Restrooms and a water fountain are located at the starting point of the trek to Lago d’Arpy directly across from La Genzianella. The only other water fountain is halfway down the trail and was broken at the time of our visit.
Dogs are welcome on the hike to Lago d’Arpy and may be off-lead in some areas.
Hiking Trail to Lake Arpy
The hiking trail to Lago d’Arpy takes about an hour and is relatively flat the whole way. The distance for the Lake Arpy hike is about 6km round trip. In the winter, this trail is popular for snowshoeing!
The Lake Arpy hiking trail is heavily trafficked with several options for hikes in the area. One of the most popular hikes for expert excursionists takes you from Lago d’Arpy to Lago di Pietra Rossa (round trip 12km), or Lake of the Red Stone. Lago di Pietra Rossa offers stunning views of Mont Blanc and Lake Arpy below.
At the halfway point on the Lake Arpy hike, there is a small waterfall supplying water to a fountain that was broken at the time. Hikers were reaching over to fill up bottles with cool fresh water directly from the waterfall.
The trek to Lago d’Arpy along a shaded trail is easy for hiking with kids and a pleasure to explore. Look for the beehives that are in the wooded area along the trail.
The views of the mountains and Aosta Valley are stunning as the woods open up before the end point of the hike to Lago d’Arpy.
When you look back, you can catch a glimpse of the Mont Blanc mountain range in the distance, most prominently the mountain Grandes Jorasses.
Picnic at Lago d’Arpy
Lago d’Arpy is a popular picnic spot for families in the Aosta Valley. While it was fairly busy when we visited on a Saturday, we had no issue finding a spot for ourselves and there are plenty of areas to explore around the lake.
Before making the drive to Morgex from Courmayeur, I stopped by the local shops to buy cold cuts, cheese, bread and mini tarts for our picnic by the lake. It was the perfect way to take a break from trekking, enjoying the sunny weather and cooling off by the lakeside.
The kids loved dipping their toes in the freezing, ice-cold water. The water was so clear and a stunning turquoise colour, and the views are absolutely stunning around the lake.
Hiking from Lago d’Arpy
For those who would like to carry on hiking and exploring the area, there is a hiking trail from Lago d’Arpy that takes you along the Torrent d’Arpy to Lago di Pietra Rossa, or Lake of the Red Stone.
Located in the heart of the Aosta Valley, Lago di Pietra Rossa is at 2553 meters above sea level, at the end of the Vallon d’Arpy, and offers views of Mont Blanc and overlooking Lake Arpy.
After our picnic and exploring the area around the lake, we set off again along the same trail back to La Genzianella.
Our family enjoyed trekking at Lago d’Arpy and highly recommend visiting if you are looking for family hikes in the Aosta Valley or ideas for a day trip from Courmayeur. Bring along a picnic and a blanket and enjoy the spectacular views by this stunning mountain lake.
Hike to Lago d’Arpy Map
Hiking in the Alps with Kids Guide
I hope you found this post on planning a family trek to Lago d’Arpy helpful. Hiking is one of the top summer things to do with kids in the Alps, and there are plenty of options to enjoy outdoor adventures in the mountains.
Read on for more tips and reviews for planning a family summer trip to the Alps;
Summer Family Activities in Morzine
Best Family Friendly Restaurants in Morzine
Summer Family Activities in Chamonix
Grand Balcon Sud Chamonix Hike – La Flégère to Planpraz
Parc de Merlet, Les Houches in the French Alps
La Bourgeoise Samoëns Hike, French Alps
Family Hikes in the French Alps
Pin for Later – Hike to Lago D’Arpy with Kids
