The species inhabits cold arctic and montane areas, where it breeds in acidic bogs. The nymphs are able to survive short-term freezing and complete desiccation of their water body, while the adults are sensitive to low temperatures and snowfall in mid-summer when they are active. In Central Europe, Somatochlora alpestris is widespread in the Alps, the Tatra Mountains, and the Carpathian Mountains, roughly between 800 and 2.500 m a.s.l. Its Asian distribution is poorly known.