Want a nature destination with your dog? 1 hour from Lyon, Geneva and Annecy: head to Haut-Bugey! What to do in Haut-Bugey with your dog? What swimming places are allowed for dogs in Haut Bugey? Where to stay with your dog? I tell you everything!

Table of contents

Are you looking for a natural spot 1 hour from Lyon? Do you want to get away from it all and walk your dog without limits? You will LOVE Haut-Bugey!

Haut-Bugey is a destination ideal for walks and hikes of all kinds! Between green forests, snow-capped peaks and picturesque lakes, Haut-Bugey offers multiple landscapes to share with your dog! Nantua, Oyonnax, Plateau d’Hauteville… these are lovely destinations to discover with your dog; summer, like winter.

Cani-hiking, cani-paddle, cani-pedalo, cani-MTB, there are plenty of activities to do with your dog in Haut-Bugey.

Haut-Bugey, the first QUALIDOG labeled destination in France!

Before presenting the advantages of Haut Bugey for holidays with your dog, I give the floor to Geoffroy de Fenoyl, director of the Haut Bugey tourist office, the first QUALIDOG labeled destination in France:

- " Engaging in dog-friendly for Haut Bugey seemed obvious with our mountains, our lakes, our mountains and our waterfalls where the dog can easily refresh.

And becoming the first labeled destination was just as important. Our destination innovates while remaining faithful to its values. SO in September 2021, the tourist office considered engaging in the dog-friendly approach to definitely launch in May 2022.

Immediately, the employees of the tourist office were enthusiastic and ready to embark on the process, closely followed by tourism stakeholders, the local press and also the economic world. In short, there was a real common will! And all the dogs on the team actively participated.

We are therefore happy to be the first tourist office labeled destination QUALIDOG by EmmèneTonChien.com. We are proud to display our commitment to dog care.

What the Wouafer's will find on our territory during their holidays: bowls of water available in each information office, a personalized welcome via specially trained stay advisers, a welcome kit to be discovered at our accommodation providers, a vacation diary full of good advice and presenting all the activities on offer and all the dog-friendly service providers in our area!! These professionals are signatories of our charter and are committed alongside us to better welcome the Wouafer's.

💕 You are invited 💕: Come take a break with your dog this summer in our tourist information offices. We are going to make a photo patchwork of our various visitors at the tourist office. We look forward to meeting you!!! “

Thank you Geoffroy for this presentation. I'm taking over to share with you all the good tips for the destination for holidays with your dog. 

Discover the activities
and dog-friendly accommodation in Haut-Bugey

3 hikes to do with your dog in Haut-Bugey

A vast amphitheater of nature awaits you! Several hikes are accessible to dogs in order to visit this beautiful place, labeled ENS (sensitive natural areas).

Fancy a walk in the forest? Departing from the hamlet of Bombois, on the left bank of the Ain valley, the walk offers a walk in the forest and leads to the Pisse-vache waterfall. A walk to do with family, friends, and with your dog of course!

Discover the secrets of the Sarsouille river with your dog! This 5,6 km walk leaves from the town center of Oyonnax. Plan the picnic! This circuit has several areas suitable for a lunch break, surrounded by nature!

Here are some photos of Equinoxe, the mascot of the tourist office, out and about in Haut-Bugey! 😍

boutique emmenetonchien.com - musher and sophie's favorites

3 swimming places to try with your dog in Haut-Bugey

I strongly advise you to discover Nantua with your dog, especially the lake. A beautiful 7km walk on a secure path awaits you all around.

The + of this hike: summer and winter, the lake of Nantua offers magnificent mixtures of colors! And above all, you can discover isolated swimming spots for swimming with doggies. Take your swimsuit in your bag to get in the water with your dog.

A lake that changes appearance with the seasons! Located in the town of Le Poizat-Lalleyriat in Ain, Lake Lalleyriat and its surrounding paths are great places to try out with your dog!

Be careful, in summer the lake can be very crowded. Note that dogs are not allowed on the supervised beach of Lake Lalleyriat.

The water of this lake is of great purity, because it is not very mineralized. The site presents some vestiges of the past such as the ruins of the old ice factory. Classified as a natural site, Lake Sylans is very popular with fishermen because of the numerous species present, particularly pike! A great place to discover with your dog in Haut-Bugey!

3 activities to do with your dog in Haut-Bugey

I told you, Haut-Bugey is ideal for activities in nature with beautiful landscapes! An ideal destination for unlimited walks with your dog! In this immense nature, here are some activities that you can do with your dog !

  • Trail running with your dog: 

A trail route with your dog! The Haut-Bugey tourist office offers various trail routes labeled On Piste and some are accessible to dogs. Enough to stretch your legs while visiting the surrounding area!

  • Cycling with your dog

If you like the bike, Haut-Bugey will clearly please you! What could be better than discovering the green landscapes of Haut-Bugey by bike, with your dog in its basket or trailer? 

  • Paddling with your dog (or canoeing, pedal boating or simply swimming!)
Want to refresh yourself? Do you want to enjoy the Haut-Bugey lakes with your dog and share water activities with him? The Nantua Pedal'eau leisure center accepts dogs on its pedal boats! Let's go to work his little legs and discover Lake Nantua with your dog! Le Nantua Lake is also conducive to paddle. What if I told you that you can paddle with your dog on Lake Nantua? The Kiosque Nantua offers paddle rentals accessible to dogs!
 

And after your outing, what could be better than having a little ice cream at the Kiosque bar-ice cream parlour… and moreover, if you want to savor a local specialty with Nantua sauce; here you will find the list of dog-friendly restaurants in and around Nantua.

And in winter ?

If I have shared with you some rather summer activities, know that you can also enjoy yourself with your dog in Haut-Bugey in winter! Come on, I'll tell you more right away.

  • Several snowshoe circuits are available and accessible to dogs! The Chapelle de Mazières, the Col de Curnillon and the Crêtes are different circuits of 3 to 6km allowing you to discover Haut-Bugey and its snow-capped peaks with your dog!
  • Dog A must-try bootcamp. Date of the 24 bootcamp currently being planned.
All dog friendly activities in Haut-Bugey

I hope I have made you want to discover this pretty corner of France with your dog. Musher has already had the opportunity to take advantage of Lake Nantua for a swimming session and I can guarantee you that she had a great time. This nature and hiking destination seduced us!