La Draye, on the heights of Crots, is a Nordic resort undergoing a full revival. Between 1,450m and 1,700m altitude, it overlooks the Durance valley and Lake Serre-Ponçon. This community-run site, relaunched by enthusiasts, offers a return to the very essence of the mountains: nature, silence, gentle skiing. In winter, it’s a family playground with cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, dog sledding, fatbiking and toboggan runs. In summer, the site opens up to hikers, orienteering enthusiasts, wellness retreats and disconnection stays. Without ski lifts, La Draye offers an alternative model, based on free participation and local energy. The on-site guesthouse, the small inn, the restored vintage grooming machines — everything here tells a story of commitment.
La Draye – Crots
Overview
La Draye – Crots
Overview of La Draye – Crots
La Draye is not a village but a Nordic ski area developed above Crots, on the edge of the Bout du Meleze forest. The architecture is minimalist and well integrated: a convivial gite with a panoramic terrace, an inn-bistro, a welcome lodge and a few light timber structures. The whole sits in a remarkable mountain environment, between open meadows, larch trees and viewpoints over the summits and the Lac de Serre-Poncon. The Draye gite plays a central role: accommodation, equipment hire, activity organisation (massages, yoga, concerts) and meeting point for visitors.
Our review — La Draye – Crots
Ski area — key figures — La Draye – Crots
- 🌟 Snow stadium (Hautes-Alpes)
- 📏 1500 m Village altitude (1750 m Top altitude)
When to visit
La Draye – Crots in summer
In summer, La Draye offers permanent orienteering courses, accessible to all levels. The terrain also lends itself to family hiking, wellness practices (yoga, meditation, relaxation) or simply sunny pauses on the gite terrace. Courses, immersion stays and workshops are regularly organised in this calm and inspiring setting. The proximity of the Lac de Serre-Poncon offers the possibility of combining mountain and swimming, or exploring Crots, Savines-le-Lac and the Boscodon Abbey.
🎯 Things to do in summer:
✅ Hiking
La Draye – Crots in winter
In winter, La Draye becomes a small Nordic paradise for families, children and gentle sliding enthusiasts. The ski area offers around 10 km of groomed cross-country trails, primarily in classic technique, on circuits for all levels — from the beginner piste near the gite to the Plat Aiguille viewpoint. Snowshoe routes also wind through the forest and clearings (up to 4 km), perfect for discovering the mountains in a different way. For the more adventurous, dog sledding, fat biking, a bumps piste and ski joering enrich the offering.
🎯 Things to do in winter:
✅ Cross-country skiing • ✅ Dog sledding • ✅ Snowshoeing
Skiing
Below is an overview of the ski area accessible from La Draye – Crots: La Draye (nordique).
Cross-country ski area — La Draye
⛰️ Altitudes: 1520 m – 1750 m
🌲 Cross-country skiing: 7 km
The La Draye Nordic ski area extends between 1,450 and 1,700 m altitude, in the heart of a rolling landscape dominated by larch trees and high pastures. Managed by a local association, it offers 10 km of classic-technique cross-country trails, maintained with vintage snowcats brought back into service. Three main trails structure the ski area: Le Belvédère (5.4 km, blue), Pra Crozet (7 km, red) and a beginner loop behind the gite (800 m). The offering is complemented by 10 km of snowshoe routes, toboggan pistes, a bumps run and tracks for dog sledding (6 km) and fat biking. The site operates with free access and a voluntary contribution.
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Where to stay
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