Route des Crêtes closure 2026-27

When does the Route des Crêtes close for winter 2026-27?

From Friday 27 November 2026 to Friday 26 March 2027. The rule is fixed: it closes on a Friday at the end of November and reopens on a Friday at the end of March.

The département's list of winter closures of passes and roads (order 2023-1754, published on Inforoute 04) puts the Route des Crêtes, RD 23 at La Palud, between kilometre points 8.8 and 13.5, and closes it from the last Friday of November to the last Friday of March. The Alpes-de-Haute-Provence tourist board words it as the 4th Friday of November to the 4th Friday of March. This winter both rules land on the same days.

One regional listing shows the closure starting on 22 November 2026. That is a Sunday and fits neither rule, so we go with the order. If you are planning a drive on the weekend of 21 and 22 November, you still have the full loop. From the 27th, you do not.

Which part of the Route des Crêtes closes, and what stays open?

Only the middle, from the Pas de Baou belvédère to the Chalet de la Maline, about 4.7 km. Both ends of the D23, Point Sublime and the D952 stay open.

In season the loop runs one-way, clockwise, between Jas d'Aire and La Maline. In winter the gate goes across the centre and, in the tourist board's words, "the rest remains accessible all year round". You can still drive out from La Palud to the viewpoints at either end and come back the same way. It just stops being a loop.

Point Sublime, on the D952 near Rougon, is not on the winter list at all. The viewpoint over the entrance of the canyon is a 10-minute walk from its car park, and the car park is paid only from 30 April to 27 September in 2026, so in winter it is free. On the Var side, the Corniche Sublime (D71) is listed as open all year, subject to snow. It was shut for rock removal in spring 2026 after a rockfall near the Col d'Illoire (notice from the local tourist office), so check its status before you drive it.

Are there other road closures in the Verdon this winter?

Yes, and this one matters more for day tours: daytime closures on the D952 at the Clue de Chasteuil, between Castellane and Point Sublime, from 2 November to 11 December 2026.

The Alpes-de-Haute-Provence département is making the cliff safe above the D952, following a debris flow in 2021. The notice relayed by the Rougon town hall gives the hours: Monday to Thursday the road is closed from 8:15 to 12:30 and from 14:00 to 17:00, and on Friday from 8:15 to 12:30, with short openings under manual traffic control at about 10:00 and 15:30. The notice lists no weekend closures.

The D952 is the gorge road between Castellane and Moustiers, the natural route for the tours from Nice and Cannes. If you are booking a weekday between those dates, ask the operator through the booking page how they will route the day. A Saturday or Sunday avoids the question. Snow and ice are the other variable: Inforoute 04 rates every road each morning, from normal to closed.

What do Verdon day tours do in winter?

The same stops, minus the extras: Castellane, the D952 viewpoints, Moustiers and the lake shore. No lavender, no pedal boats, no shuttle for hikers.

None of the tours we cover lists the Route des Crêtes as a stop. The Nice day trip with lake time runs Castellane, the canyon road, Moustiers and free time at Lac de Sainte-Croix; the day trip from Aix goes to a Valensole producer, Moustiers and the view from Pont du Galetas. Their gorge views come from the D952 side and the lake end, so the closure leaves them as they are.

What does change is the extras. The pedal boat rental at Galetas, Pédalos chez Nounet, publishes hours for April to September only. The Valensole lavender is cut by mid-July. The Blanc-Martel shuttle stopped on 1 November. Winter departures are on the operators' own calendars, so check your exact date on the listing.

Is a Verdon day trip worth it between December and March?

Yes, if you want the viewpoints and Moustiers without the summer traffic. No, if your picture of the day involves a boat or a swim.

Winter is the quiet season. The roads are emptier, Point Sublime's car park costs nothing, and the viewpoints are yours. You also get short days and a cold rim. Pack a warm layer even on a sunny day.

Our pick for a winter date is the day trip from Aix: Moustiers is about 1h45 from Aix against 2h15 from Nice, per the Moustiers tourist office, and in a short day that time on the road counts. From the coast, the Nice day trip with lake time at $143 is the safer bet than the budget day trip (3.9 stars, mostly for short stops). More on the choice in our Nice day trip guide.

The shortest drive to the gorge: leave Aix before 9 a.m., stop at a Valensole producer, Moustiers and Pont du Galetas, back about 6:30 p.m.

★ 4.6 · 9.5 hours · from $182

Explore the day trip from Aix → Tour details

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