Site of dinosaur footprints

800 footprints

More than 800 footprints have been discovered at this site, dating from around 250 million years ago. The size of the prints varies from between 10 and 20 cm, with a depth of 5 cm. The Vieux-Emosson dinosaurs were essentially herbivores. On average, they were between 3 and 4 m in length and weighed 300 to 400 kilos. Experts estimate that nine different species lived at or passed through this site.

The area has been declared a protected site by the State Council of the Canton of Valais on 9 November 1983. It is strictly forbidden to damage the footprints, to remove rock samples or to leave litter.

• Visiting
  

  Visits on days of no snow coverage, free of charge
  Every day from 28 July to 17 August, between 12:00 and 16:00 hrs, a geologist from the Natural History museum of Geneva will be at the visitor centre to provide information about the site.
  
  

• Length of the walk
  From the Gueulaz pass: 2½ hours.
  
  
• Information
  Finhaut Tourist Office
  027 768 12 78
  info@finhaut.ch
  
  
• Access
  There is a road suitable for motor vehicles from Finhaut to the Gueulaz Pass (1960 m). It is also possible to go by funicular, train and mini-funicular. From the pass, the site is reached by crossing the top of the Emosson dam (1930 m) and following the right-hand side of the lake to the Vieux-Emosson dam (2205 m), from where the left bank of the reservoir is followed to its southern end (2210 m). The site is then reached by climbing the snow field descending from Lac Vert and the Corbeaux Pass.