The Vars Bike Park | Vars: Hautes-Alpes ski resort

New for 2026

Green Forest 360

Your new mountain bike playground between Vars and Risoul

Change dimension this summer.
From 4 July 2026, Vars and Risoul will be opening up a brand new Forêt Verte 360 experience, a linked mountain bike area.
For the first time, you’ll be able to ride freely from one resort to the other, without interruption, and enjoy a totally new riding experience in the Southern Alps.

With 360km of trails and itineraries, the Forêt Verte 360 offers you an exceptional playground: enduro, DH, cross-country or VTTAE, you can alternate styles and sensations without ever coming back to the same place. You’ll be riding from one summit to the next, from one slope to the next, all day long.

IMPORTANT: for this first season, the link between Vars and Risoul is aimed at mountain bikers who have already mastered the technique. Accessible via an intermediate/advanced level trail, it marks the first step in the gradual development of the area.

Key figures for Forêt Verte 360

–360km of mountain bike trails (enduro, DH, cross-country, VTTAE)
-58routes and trails in total
-6ski lifts accessible with a single lift pass
-21,512 metres of totalvertical drop
1 exclusivehigh-altitude link between the Vars and Risoul Bike Parks
–Fun areas for mountain bikers

Vars Bike Park in brief

– 7 DH trails: 3 green, 3 blue and 1 red
– 7 ENDURO routes: 1 blue, 5 red and 1 black
– 9 Cross-Country / VTTAE routes: 3 green, 2 blue, 2 red and 2 black
– 1 fun zone
– Vars-Embrun: 32km of downhill / 1800m of D-.

Risoul Bike Park in brief

– 6 DH trails: 2 green, 2 blue and 2 red
– 6 ENDURO routes: 1 green, 1 blue, 3 red and 1 black
– 6 cross-country / VTTAE routes
– 1 Pumptrack zone
– 1 skill zone

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Vars Bike Park

Not to be missed

With over 200km of itineraries and trails for all levels and disciplines, the Vars Bike Park is THE place to be if you’re looking for a thrill-packed outing with family or friends!

+ over 200 kmof tracks

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mountain bike plan

Download the map1MB

Vars Bike Park

More details

Cross country / MTB trails

No fewer than 60km of trails are available for mountain bikers and cross-country enthusiasts: the ideal playground for exploring Vars, its mountain pass and its villages, taking in some of the most beautiful routes in the area. From magnificent landscapes to easy or more challenging routes… the choice is yours… or not, you can do it all!

Green route – 7km loop – 250m gradient

You’ll discover the shepherds’ path: vast meadows at the foot of the Crêtes de Vars, with the splendid Eyssina and the Ecrins in the background. A dream setting before discovering the Bois de la Pinée, between pines and larches, to reach your starting point at Vars Sainte-Catherine.

Green routes

Balcons de Vars: 3km – D+ 150m / D- 130m

Lac de Peyrol: 4km – 504m gradient

Reach Les Claux from Vars Sainte-Marie via Lac de Peyrol on an itinerary with no major difficulties and finish on the “Décou’verte” DH trail.

Blue route – 18km – 720m gradient

A grand tour awaits you on this itinerary, heading towards the Refuge Napoléon then the summit of Peynier with a 360° view of the surrounding mountains before descending the Bois de Laver to the Pont de la Salce at Vars Sainte-Catherine. You will then reach the villages of Saint-Marcellin and Sainte-Marie along the Chagne torrent before returning to Vars les Claux, your starting point.

Blue route – 17km – 700m D :

Take a tour of the Forêt Blanche: a route to discover Vars and Risoul

Red route – 14.5km – 700m gradient:

From the top of the village of Les Claux, overlook Lake Napoléon before branching off towards the Peynier sector to reach the heights of Sainte-Catherine. Technical route.

Red route – 10.5km – 470m D :

This loop from Les Claux takes you to discover the Bois Noir via the Napoléon hut. Steeper sections, both uphill and down, punctuate this demanding route, which takes you back to Vars les Claux along the Chagne torrent.

Black itinerary – 10km loop – 481m D :

Gain height on this wild trail, a veritable balcony overlooking the villages and the Vars valley, between meadows and woods, beneath the Varsincque ridges. Discover the Pinée wood, with its rock and hut, a veritable haven of nature on the heights of Fortune, the name given to the village of Vars Sainte-Catherine thanks to its sunny location.

Black route – 41km – 1400m D :

This last itinerary is for the more experienced, the enthusiasts and the gourmets! It brings together all the new VVTAE / Cross-country routes.

Downhill slopes (DH)