From the Cornisello Mountain Hut we reach the stunning Cornisello Lakes, Lake Vedretta and the Lago Nero (Black Lake)
Image gallery: Lake hike in the Val Nambrone
We drive through the entire beautiful Nambrone Valley, known locally as Val Nambrone. Together with its side valleys, it forms a large triangle within the Presanella Group. The Val Nambrone branches off near Sant'Antonio di Mavignola, close to Pinzolo and Madonna di Campiglio, and continues for 13 kilometres, at times as a narrow valley, until it reaches a gravel car park.
The forest road, marked as trail number 319, begins there, and we follow it to the Lago di Cornisello Inferiore. We reach the lake in about 10 minutes, and the slightly larger Lago di Cornisello Superiore comes into view shortly after (inferiore means lower, and superiore means upper, so the Lago di Cornisello Superiore is the Upper Cornisello Lake). We hike on to the junction for the Lago di Vedretta (trail no. 239). Initially, the path ascends gently before becoming steeper.
At a small saddle, we catch our breath. Below us, we can see the Cornisello Lakes, which we have just passed, as well as the Lago Nero, our next destination, and the Brenta Dolomites on the opposite side of the valley. The path then continues upwards to the Lago Vedretta, located in the striking natural landscape of the Adamello Brenta Nature Park. This crystal-clear mountain lake is surprisingly large and sits at an altitude of 2,628 metres. It is the highest point of our hike.
After a break, we head back until we reach the junction for Lake Vedretta again. We take trail no. 216 to the right, which leads to the Lago Nero (Black Lake), with the Brenta Dolomites towering in the background. Following the red and white markers, we now make our way back to the Rifugio Cornisello and then to the car park. Near the mountain hut - incidentally, the only place to stop for refreshments on the route - we come across the remains of a goods cableway and several huts. They are what is left of a hydroelectric power project in the valley that was never realised.
Authors: Elena & Luca
Experienced: July 2019
Last update: 2025
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- Starting point:
- car park at the end of the Val Nambrone (2,071 m a.s.l.)
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- Overall time:
- 04:00 h
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- Total route length:
- 10,6 km
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- Altitude:
- from 2.071 m to 2.628 m
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- Altitude difference:
- +712 m | -712 m
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- Signposts:
- 319, 239, 216
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- Destination:
- Cornisello Lakes, Lake Vedretta and Lake Nero
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- Resting points:
- Cornisello Hut (near the starting point)
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- Recommended time of year:
- Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
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- Download GPX track:
- Lake hike in the Val Nambrone
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- More information:
- The overall time shown above refers to the walking time only, not including breaks.
If you want to do this hike, we suggest you to check the weather and trail conditions in advance and on site before setting out.
