Around the Rocher de Sampzon

Sampzon, a small village perched on a promontory overlooking the Rocher and encircled by a loop of the Ardèche, (you have to see it from the top of the car park). A veritable natural belvedere, it offers a unique panorama of the meandering Ardèche. The old village has preserved its traditional houses.
The route is very well signposted.

Details

n°1420629

Creation:
26 Aug 2018

Last update:
10 Aug 2021

Last review:
27 Apr 2026

Activity: Walking
Distance: 7.02 km
Average duration: 2h 40
Difficulty: Moderate
Back to start: Yes
Ascent: + 220 m
Descent: - 219 m
Highest point: 333 m
Lowest point: 126 m

Country: France
Area: Massif central
City: Sampzon (07120)
Start/End: N 44.417811° / E 4.334742°
IGN map(s): Ref. 2939OT
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Description of the walk

Car park at Le Rocher, under the orientation tables. Follow the white and yellow signs.

(S/E) Cross the road (take care) and turn right onto a dirt track that leads down through terraces of ancient olive groves. Continue down this winding path to the Bastide crossroads.

(1) Go left up the road and at the first crossroads turn right down a track that crosses the Ruisseau de Vallier.

(2) Follow the carriage road to the fork in the road.

(3) Keep to the right. The path goes deep into the undergrowth, then continues along a path that climbs steeply to a new junction.

(4) Go straight ahead on a wide track, following the white and red markings to the next crossroads.

(5) Continue on the same path until you reach a crossroads where you leave the ^GR®4and follow the white and yellow markings straight on.

(6) After 200m, leave the carriage road and take the pretty path on the right, which offers a superb view of the Ardèche. Further on, the path rejoins the carriageway.

(7) Keep to the right on this track, which joins the road in a hairpin bend.

(8) Take the road to the left, go through the village and find the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

S/E : km 0 - alt. 284 m - Parking du Rocher
1 : km 1.45 - alt. 126 m - Left at the road
2 : km 2.23 - alt. 133 m - Vallier stream
3 : km 2.67 - alt. 158 m - Sampzon branch or return (variant)
4 : km 4.28 - alt. 333 m - Path opposite
5 : km 5.18 - alt. 319 m - Crossing, straight on
6 : km 5.68 - alt. 292 m - Path on the right. Superb view of the - Ardèche
7 : km 6.17 - alt. 280 m - Carriageway
8 : km 6.79 - alt. 281 m - Left towards the village
S/E : km 7.01 - alt. 283 m - Parking du Rocher

Notes

Bring water and a hat in hot weather.

(S/E) From the car park, you can climb up to the Rocher for a magnificent view of the village.

(3) At this point, you can shorten the route by taking the path on the left that joins the (7) and then the starting point.

Worth a visit

Take the time to visit the village and go as far as a breathtaking viewpoint over the valley.

Take the path up to the Rocher, but be careful not to go over the fence at the bottom of the rock - it's dangerous! Beautiful view over the Ardèche.

Reviews and comments

4.5 / 5

Based on 24 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.5 / 5

Ease of following the route
4.6 / 5

Route interest
4.4 / 5

User 20894116

27 Apr 2026 at 09:02 7200

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 20, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk! Be warned: there’s a slightly tricky climb of over 1 km, so it’s best to be well equipped

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ed102

15 Dec 2025 at 09:07 3600

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 15, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike with views of the Vercors, Ventoux, the Ardèche mountain range and Lozère.

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Benlam38

21 Jul 2025 at 10:02 7200

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 21, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

good climb. My friends didn't have the strength to continue. If you're not in reasonably good shape, I wouldn't recommend it.

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gwenzilla

05 May 2025 at 08:22 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 01, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Superb hike with magnificent views. Done in the late afternoon, I strongly recommend you do this and wait for the sun to set, it will be a magnificent panorama!
Keep an eye out for wild orchids!
It's true that the climb I mentioned is steep, but apart from that it's not difficult.

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denisvallee

02 Dec 2024 at 09:11 3600

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 02, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very pretty and pleasant.

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clocoll

26 Jun 2024 at 15:58 7200

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 24, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pretty walk, but the route is not always easy to follow.
Indication of a path to take to the right when it is to the left or vice versa.
Crossing the stream 1 time when you should have crossed it 3 times...
To be reviewed
Otherwise, the views of the Ardèche river and the rock are magnificent.

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Laurent.GIRAUD

19 Jun 2024 at 14:10 7200

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 19, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Nice little hike, done on 14/06/2024.
After a descent on a more or less stony path, we climb up the side of a valley on a quiet dirt track, then on an increasingly steep path (very steep in places just before point 4!!!).
Very quiet, lots of birdsong in the forest, it's relaxing!
After point 4, forest track.
Don't miss the path at point 6 for the view over the valley.

You can start the hike at the Château de Sampzon luxury gîtes (point 1), which saves you having to drive up to the top (small, winding road).

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Jeanda25

14 May 2024 at 09:51 7200

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 13, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

I did this walk at the beginning of May during the week, and there weren't many people on this route, which offered some magnificent views.
I can confirm that although there are no major difficulties, the start of the descent is stony and the climb that follows is very steep but on a dirt track.

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Jeanda25

13 May 2024 at 19:30 7200

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

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LittleCherry10

21 Nov 2023 at 11:59 3600

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 21, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Well-marked walk with beautiful views. The uphill section after the stream, however, is fairly steep, so take care if it has rained the days before, as it can be quite slippery. Otherwise, the rest of the walk is easy and accessible. We were just unlucky on our side with the end of the hike taken by hunters; even if they are careful, it's quite unpleasant to hear gunshots close to you.

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fradar01

18 Sep 2023 at 09:04 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 14, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant route with beautiful views. We did it in 25/30 degree weather, which was no problem, especially as almost half the walk is shaded. Perfect description. One section was about 500m steeper, but no problem for trained walkers. I recommend it without reservation.

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Marie93220

11 Sep 2023 at 10:20 7200

The walk is fairly well signposted.
We did it on a day when it was quite hot. A large part of the walk is not covered, so be careful, cover your heads and take at least a litre and a half of water.
Part of the route is very steep. It was very difficult for us, as we're not really used to hiking. Our cardio took a beating and we couldn't see the end of the hill.
But finally, after a lot of physical effort, we arrived at a magnificent viewpoint. That was our reward.
I recommend this hike, but only if you're reasonably fit.

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Sirkis59

24 Jul 2023 at 11:19 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 24, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Super hike
A nice climb but without any rocky difficulties
Superb views
200% recommendation

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pauleetpierre

29 Aug 2022 at 16:33 7200

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 28, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

All the directions are correct.
Nice tour.

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Mononi

19 Jan 2022 at 08:26 3600

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 19, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Nice route, except that the start from the car park is badly signposted. As for the number of visitors, we're talking about a hike we did on 13 January, so it was quiet despite the very, very fine weather.......

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