Gretchen Stuppy Carlson
Lago Boe is a beautiful alpine lake located at 2,275 meter in the Sella region of the Dolomites. Surrounded by rocky outcrops, this is a beautiful place for a picnic. There are several ways to hike to Lago Boe, but we recommend riding the chairlift up from Passo Campolongo and hiking to Lago Boe through the impressive rock formations of Sasso Quadro.
You can also access Lago Boe more directly from the chairlift to Mt. Piz da Lech de Boè. From here it’s a 10 minute walk to the lake. This post describes the longer but beautiful loop hike from Passo Campolongo along Sasso Quadro to Lago Boe.
While this lake is not quite as stunning as some of the other Dolomite lakes such as Lago di Braies, it is a beautiful hike and is far less crowded. There are many ways to add on or adjust this hiking route. We hiked this route during the summer of 2022 when we were staying in Arabba. This was just a short drive and we brought along a picnic lunch to enjoy.
You may also see this hike referred to as Lago di Boe, or Lake Boe.
Quick Look at the Passo Campolongo to Lago Boe Hike
Below you will find a quick description of the hike. For more details and photos, scroll to the bottom of this post.
Distance: 3.2 miles Elevation Gain: 900 feet Difficulty: Medium
You have two options to start this hike. Begin at Passo Campolongo and either hike up to Rifugio Bec de Roces or take the 2 person chairlift: Campolongo. If you are hiking this route, you will increase the total mileage and add some steep climbing to your hike.
From the top of Campolongo chairlift you can stop and enjoy the view from Rifugio Bec de Roces. There is a playground here and open space to enjoy before you start your hike. The hut offers food if you want to pause for a meal. You can also find via ferrata, biking and climbing routes in the area.
Starting here, the hiking trail begins on path 640 and goes through the Bec de Roces. These are jagged rock formations. The trail continue up to Sass Quadro – a cube shaped rock. The trail meets up with path 638 – follow this hiking route along the mountainside as it leads to Lago Boe.
After enjoying your time at Lago Boe, continue downhill on the path to Crep De Munt and follow the gravel road back to Campolongo Pass. The last section of this hike is straightforward on the dirt road, but tiring on the legs and the least exciting part of the hike.
Map of Passo Campolongo to Lago di Boe Hike
The hiking map below shows the Passo Campolongo to Lago di Boe Hike via Rifugio Bec de Roces. Note that the red line shows the chairlift to Rifugio Bec de Roces, but you can also hike up to this point directly from Passo Campolongo.
How to Get to the Passo Campolongo to Lago Boe Hike
Passo Campolongo is a mountain pass that connects Corvara, Val Badia and Arabba. The pass is pretty and up a windy mountain road. From the pass you can find ski lifts, slopes and hikes. This is a popular cycling route, so use caution when driving.
To use the map above, you can click on it and save it to your google account. We found most maps accurately locate Passo Campolongo. It is a 7 minute drive from Arabba to Passo Campolongo. The drive from Cortina d’Ampezzo to Passo Camolongo takes about 1 hour. The hike took us a few hours with lots of stops.
You can park right along the road and people were easily parks down about 1/4 of a mile from the chairlift.
Things to Know about the Hike to Lago Boe
Below are a few things to know about hiking in this part of the Dolomites.
Where to Stay in Arabba
We spent 4 nights in Arabba and found it a lovely, small mountain town in the heart of the Dolomites were we could base our adventures. There are a handful of restaurants and lodging options. Most of the places to stay are in apartment complexes within walking distance of town.
We stayed at Appartamenti Home Service since it offered a wide range of options for a reasonable price. Our apartment slept 5 comfortably in two bedrooms and we could easily walk to town for dinner or to get on the lifts.
Booking.com has many options for places to stay in the area.
Another fun place to stay is in Bec de Roces hut.
Best Time of Year to Hike to Lago Boe
The hike to Lago Boe is best during the summer months: June-Sept During the winter, this area is a ski resort and may be difficult to navigate. We visited Lago Boe in early July of 2022. There was no snow on any of the nearby hills and peaks although snow as visible in the higher mountains.
Best Way to Get Around Arabba
The easiest way to get around Arabba is by car. The roads are narrow with plenty of curves and turns so you will want to be a confident driver to get around. You do not need a 4×4 car on the roads, and often the smaller cars are better and easier to navigate.
There are busses you can use to get around the area – you can find more information online about bus routes and schedules.
See a Complete Guide to Arabba, Italy
Details of the Hike from the Passo Campolongo to Lago di Boe
Start your hike at the Camlolongo chairlift. You can purchase a one way ticket up the mountain for a few EUROs right at the base of the chairlift. It’s possible to bring your bike up the lift as well. There were no other people at the lift so it took just a minute to get our ticket and hop on the 2 person chair. Note that kids are required to ride with an adult. The ride took about 10 minutes.
From the top of the chairlift you have excellent views of the surrounding mountains including the slopes of Porta Vescovo, Marmolada Glacier, Col di Lana and the Sella Group. The Bec de Roces hut is here with a large playground. We visited on a busy day and we spent about 30 minutes relaxing and enjoying the view from here before beginning the hike.
The hike begins just uphill from the hut on path 640 and winds through the Bec de Roces – this area is full of jagged rock spires and the trail winds up and through these spikey rocks. This is a well marked and fun little trail with a scavenger hunt of different bears. Turn left onto path 638 up to the cubed rock. The trail is steep is short sections, but not especially challenging.
After reaching the high point, the trail makes its way along the edge of a mountain slope. The image below shows the view back to the trail. The trail is mostly well packed dirt with very few rocks and excellent views.
After reaching the end of the traverse, the trail drops down towards the lake and crosses a gravel road to get to Lago Boe. While the first section of the hike had some steep section and we walked slowly, this stretch of the trail was fast.
The lake is located right alongside a chairlift and just below the level of the dirt road so you will need to hike downhill for just a minute to get to the waters edge. There are several places to sit here for a picnic and it’s possible to walk along the edge of the lake. Out kids enjoyed watching the fish swimming in the lake and spent about an hour walking along the lake and climbing up to some small caves.
Practice Leave Not Trace: always remember to pack out everything you pack in and stay on the trail to avoid increasing erosion. It was clear from a few items left behind at Lago Boe that no everyone is packing out their trash.
After our picnic at the lake, we took the gravel road back down the hill to Passo Campolongo. This was our least favorite part of the hike. While we enjoyed the views and the cows, the gravel path was difficult walking and our knees felt the steady downhill. The trail is easy to follow and you can simply keep to the right to get back to the start of the hike.
Dave decided to take an alternate route from Lago Boe back to Arabba and hiked up over the hills and down into the town. This added a few miles to the hike, but made a fun addition. There are several other hiking trails in the area, and it’s possible to add more miles if you want a longer hike.
Looking for another great hike in the Dolomites? Check out:
- Complete Guide to the Tre Cime Hike and the Option for the Paternkofel Via Ferrata
- The Hike to Rifugio Croda Da Lago: A Complete Guide to Sleeping in an Italian Mountain Hut, Lago Federa, and the Incredible Croda da Lago Loop
- Cycling in the Dolomites: One Day Biking in the Beautiful Selva Di Val Gardena
- The Legendary Dolomites in the Summer: 1 Week Dolomite’s Itinerary
