Loire walks

An easy walk to enjoy as a family. Very popular in summer, it is worth the detour to admire the panoramic view over the Alps and the summits of Mont Blanc, the Lyonnais mountains and the Giers valley, the Vercors massif and those of northern Vivarais. With a wealth of flowers in spring, you can gather bilberries in August and raspberries in September. Unless you choose to go ski touring or cross-country skiing here in winter.

This hike allows you to discover the Trois Dents rocks, which give this area of Pilat an alpine character and offer magnificent views. As an option, the Saint-Sabin chapel offers a beautiful view of the Véranne area. The Pilat Natural Park's signposts and directional signs will be a great help in following the route.

An easy hike along the ridges of Pilat linking three major summits, via trails through forests and moors. Along the way we discover magnificent views of the Alps, the Massif Central and the Rhône Valley.

Start by exploring a botanical cactus trail, then climb up to the cemetery and enjoy the view. Follow the cool Épervier stream upstream. Discover wooded paths followed by sunny trails with superb 360° views, then descend through the vineyards. Finish by discovering the Saut de Laurette. Return via the old village (church, salt storehouse, former commandery) and the trails.

This is a challenging hike with significant elevation gain, but the beautiful panoramas and views of this little-known region are well worth the effort.

Hike in the Pilat Massif with views of the Rhône Valley.

This is a lovely hike for exploring the Pilat ridges, with superb panoramic views of the entire Alpine range. The route takes you through a variety of landscapes, from scree slopes to coniferous forests and heathland covered with heather and broom. In season, you can pick wild raspberries and blueberries. This route offers a return via a less frequented path through a deciduous forest.

A walk at the gateway to the Pilat mountains to discover the Lac du Pas du Riot and two dams built under Napoleon III. This walk is easy, suitable for families and without difficulty. The hardest part is climbing the 52 steps of the dam.

This walk starts in Pelussin (in the heart of Pilat) and offers a gentle climb (just under 600m) to keep you in shape, rising steadily throughout. You will arrive at the Dentillon hut, with its arboretum and orientation table. You can then continue on to the 3 dents, which takes an additional 45 minutes and 250m of elevation gain.

This hike takes us to Les Roches de Marlin, which is somewhat overgrown with broom and other vegetation, and the beautiful flower-filled village of Longes. Don't forget to enjoy the beautiful views of the Gier valley and the crosses at almost every crossroads.

The hike combines the Odouard and Jean-Jacques Rousseau trails, starting from Chuyer. The first part, to the south-east, on the Odouard trail, offers beautiful views of the Rhône valley. At the Col de Grenouze, the small loop takes you up to Mont Monnet: orientation table, beautiful view in good weather over the valley, the Vercors and the Alps (Mont Blanc). Forest paths then follow the Jean-Jacques Rousseau trail to the Col de Pavezin, and return via the Odouard trail.

This is a beautiful hike that allows you to see different landscapes: lake, forest, path and, finally, the river bed as you pass over a pretty aqueduct. This hike is a shorter variation in the opposite direction to the hike I found on this website, called 'Around the Couzon Dam'.

A long route along the panoramic ridges of Mont Pilat.

Walk through the orchards of Chavanay. Best done in April when the fruit trees are in bloom. As a bonus, you'll see the charming village of Malleval and the Epervier valley. Please note: read carefully at marker No. 8

The Pilat massif on its southern slope with a passage at its highest point, the Crêt de la Perdrix.

The Gouffre d'Enfer dam is one of the most famous sites in the Rhône-Alpes region and a popular walk in the Saint-Étienne area. It was built in 1860 in the Furan valley, near Rochetaillé, and completed 17 years later by the Pas du Riot dam. We then continue along the dam trail to the Pont de Souvignet. The return journey takes us via Les Palais, Les Sagnes and La Croix de Givet before joining theGR®42to arrive at Le Plateau and Rochetaillé.

Hike on the plateau from the Col de la République between Saint-Genest-Malifaux and Saint-Régis-du-Coin.

Discover Sainte-Croix-en-Jarez and its Chartreuse in the Pilat region, starting from the dam on the Couzon.

Most of this hike takes place in beech forests. It is perfect on sunny or windy days. It overlooks the village of Pavezin.

A pleasant Sunday walk, very popular and enjoyable in good weather.

A walk to discover beautiful views of the Dorlay valley, an opportunity to explore an old Roman road and an old railway line.

This easy, short walk through the woods in the heart of the Grand Bois in the Pilat Regional Nature Park is a chance to remember a tragic event from the Second World War, around a small monument that has been somewhat forgotten as it does not appear on any maps. Route updated on 18 July 2020.

Long snowshoe hike on the Pilat ridges. Can also be done on foot if there is no snow.

A pleasant walk for summer days, as it is almost entirely in the shade. A spectacular finale with a unique and magnificent view of the city of Saint-Étienne.

A short, varied tour in the Pilat Massif around the Crêt de l'Aireiller, with a 360° view from the Crêt de la Perdrix as the grand finale.

An easy walk in the countryside on the heights around Condrieu. This hike offers beautiful views of the Rhône valley and the Pilat mountains.

a peaceful walk with no difficult sections but not recommended for young children or pushchairs, through forest, alongside ponds and numerous fields in the Pilat Park. Update 20/08/25: photos added and details provided for the fork at point (7) Update 15/07/2025: route modified between points (5) and (7) due to the gradual disappearance of the path on the western edge of the pond.

This hike takes you along sunken paths in the heart of the forest, old paved trails and tracks across meadows, culminating in a view of Montarcher standing on its rocky spur. Magnificent crosses dot this circuit.

On the heights of Saint-Martin-la-Plaine, a lovely walk through the fields. The last part takes you past a zoo where you can see a few animals (ostriches, wolves, goats).

At the start and end of the route, this circuit follows the Tacot, a local railway line that connected the two sides of the Pilat Massif, the Loire and the Rhône, until 1930. Magnificent views of the Pilat Massif, but above all of the Rhône Valley and the Alps, with Mont Blanc visible on the left when the sky is clear. Most of the circuit is in the forest.

Marols and Montarcher are two villages in the south of the Forez region, classified as "Villages and Towns of Character" by the Loire Departmental Council. Both have well-preserved medieval architecture, particularly their fortified churches. Montarcher is a small village perched on a promontory and offers a magnificent panoramic view from Mont Blanc to Mont Mézenc. The hike is mainly through forest and partly follows the "Chemin des Brigands" (Brigands' Trail).

A lovely hike in the Pilat hills offering 360° views of Pilat, the Alps, the Monts du Lyonnais and the Monts du Forez.

This is a fairly strenuous hike with beautiful views. If you wish, between (1) and (2), you can take a slightly easier route. The waterfall is worth the detour.

An easy walk in the forest, refreshing on summer days, in the heart of the Pilat Regional Nature Park, to discover the somewhat secret sites of the Grand Bois.

A relatively easy walk to a viewpoint overlooking the Rhône valley, the Pilat and Ardèche mountains, and a superb view of the Alps on clear days.

Starting from La Tour-en-Jarez, this is a gentle walk along quiet roads and paths, ideal for families.

This circuit starts in Valfleury, a charming village nestled at the bottom of a valley, and mainly follows ridges offering numerous views towards Saint-Chamond, Saint-Étienne, Pilat and, further afield, Forez and Auvergne. Don't miss a visit to Valfleury church.

The route passes through different areas in the countryside around Saint-Christo-en-Jarez (wetlands, forest and meadows). Along the way, themed information boards provide details about the local wildlife. On a clear day, two-thirds of the way along the route, you will be treated to a magnificent view of the Alps.

Another original way to get to this beautiful viewpoint that is the Saint-Sabin chapel on a small bluff in the heart of the Pilat Park, pouring into the Rhône Valley, with some of the best views of the Alps and pre-Alps (especially across the south). At the chapel, many signs and indications tell the story of the place and its flora.

An easy walk from Noailly to Abbaye de la Bénisson-Dieu, passing Château de la Motte on the way back.

A hike starting from Le Bessat, in the Pilat Regional Nature Park, offering unobstructed views of the Mont Blanc massif and then the Mézenc. N.B. Hike not accessible in winter (area reserved for skiing).

This is an easy hike between the village of Roisey and Malleval. At the start of the hike, you can see the Saut de Lorette waterfall when there is water in winter and, on the way back, before arriving in Malleval, you will pass through the woods along the Ruisseau de l'Épervier stream, which will provide welcome refreshment if you are hiking in summer. (!) Please note: access is prohibited along the stream at (8) due to a municipal by-law. Reported on 31 July 2025.

This is a very wooded route, reflecting the commune of Saint-Hilaire, which has more than 1,000 hectares of forest. From pine forests to beech woods, you will come across some curious rocks, such as the Pierre-Siège de Saint-Martin, reminiscent of a Druidic site. On the way back, stop at the village church, which houses a statue of Saint Hilaire under its porch.

Straddling the Loire and Rhône rivers, near Rive de Gier, Saint-Joseph and Saint-Maurice-sur-Dargoire, this is a very pleasant walk along the river.

An open-to-the-sky Sunday stroll in the sun Canal du Forez.

Family-friendly walk in the hills of Saint-Héand among the horses and cows.

Enjoy the atmosphere of northern Ardèche with this exceptional hike in the heart of Pilat. Pass through the main ridges of Pilat to discover breathtaking views and small steep paths.

Magnificent panoramic view of the Alps on a clear day. Partially shaded return route through the woods. Somewhat strenuous climb but no technical difficulty.

This easy walk allows you to stroll around the beautiful village of Pélussin before heading into the wooded valley of the Scie stream. It partly follows the Priel trail (Pelussin 1, yellow/white markings).

Walk in the Monts de la Madeleine between Villemontais and Chérier. 15/05/2024: Route modified to avoid passing through private property at Ripouroux.