Couzon and Ban Dam from Farnay

A circular loop offering views of the Pilat Regional Nature Park, the Monts du Lyonnais and the Couzon Dam. Alternates between paths and very quiet roads. Best enjoyed in mid-season to make the most of the sunshine.

Details

27892176
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 12.47 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 15 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 248 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 245 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 543 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 351 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Park in Farnay in the cemetery car park or in one of the other car parks on Rue de Thonnevirieux.

(S/E) Take Rue du Repos downhill and walk along the cemetery on your left. Cross a road and continue along Route du Bajard (this is a footpath). Walk downhill to a stream.

(1) Cross the stream and turn left onto the path that goes uphill. Cross the hamlet of Bajard and arrive at the entrance to Granay.

(2) At the fork, turn right onto Rue de Granay. At the end of the street, turn right onto a path to the left of a statue.

(3) At the end of the path, follow the road to the right (Route du Sorbier). Pass under a power line, descend and arrive at the Couzon dam.

(4) Turn right at an acute angle and walk along the dam lake on your left. At the end of the lake, continue along the river that feeds it. Further on, the path turns right and moves away from the river: go up a few bends.

(5) At the crossroads, turn left. Join a small road and follow it to the right to enter the village.

(6) At the T-junction, turn right onto Route de Seyoux. At the crossroads, go straight ahead, still on Route de Seyoux.

(7) At the T-junction, first turn left then right to take the path that goes uphill, Chemin de la Croix du Cerisier. Stay on the main path, ignore a turn-off on the left and, further on, you will arrive at the cross.

(8) Then take thesecond path on the left, almost opposite (south-west). Go downhill, cross a stream and go back up the other side. You will reach the hamlet of Ban.

(9) Turn left, immediately join a road (Route de Ban) and follow it as it continues. Cross the Ruisseau d'Égarante in a hairpin bend to the right and continue on the same road. Cross another stream in a hairpin bend to the right. Walk along the road for a long time until you reach the Croix de Muse, under a power line.

(10) Continue along the same road towards Farnay. At the next intersections, keep to the right. Pass the town hall and the school.

(11) Go around the church on the left and follow Rue de l'Église on the right. At the end, first turn left then right to follow Rue du Fournil straight ahead to the starting point (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 435 m - Farnay cemetery car park
  2. 1 : km 0.51 - alt. 368 m - Crossing a stream
  3. 2 : km 2.16 - alt. 405 m - Fork - Entrance to Granay
  4. 3 : km 2.76 - alt. 410 m - Road junction
  5. 4 : km 3.91 - alt. 353 m - Fork - Barrage de Couzon
  6. 5 : km 6.21 - alt. 420 m - Crossroads
  7. 6 : km 6.4 - alt. 436 m - T-junction
  8. 7 : km 6.65 - alt. 459 m - T-junction
  9. 8 : km 7.65 - alt. 535 m - Cherry Tree Cross
  10. 9 : km 8.99 - alt. 539 m - Ban
  11. 10 : km 11.41 - alt. 473 m - Croix de Muse
  12. 11 : km 12.19 - alt. 455 m - Église Saint-Eucher (Farnay)
  13. S/E : km 12.47 - alt. 435 m - Farnay cemetery car park

Worth a visit

Couzon Dam.

Reviews and comments

4.6 / 5
Based on 8 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.7 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.5 / 5
Route interest
4.6 / 5
Vodo
Vodo

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 06, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant route to follow.
A bit too much road for my liking, but not very busy.

Machine-translated

ISA2LAIN
ISA2LAIN

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 06, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hike completed on a sunny Sunday in early April. Very pleasant walk along the Couzon.

Machine-translated

cece-ca
cece-ca

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 16, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very beautiful hike.

Machine-translated

cathyferrer
cathyferrer

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 07, 2025
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We left Ste Croix to spend the whole day visiting the Chartreuse site.
A beautiful route under sunny skies with stunning views of the Gier Valley.
After the heavy autumn rains, we were a little apprehensive about the condition of the paths, but we encountered no difficulties along the way, except for a passage where we had to squeeze between tree trunks at the southern end of the dam to reach the hamlet of Seydoux.
Thanks to the author.

Machine-translated

lolo-sab
lolo-sab

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 30, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant winter hike in beautiful sunshine. A few wet patches, some still frozen, where we appreciated our walking sticks. The end of the route along the road is a bit long but remains peaceful as we didn't see any cars.

Machine-translated

beslin jean
beslin jean

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 04, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

You need the Visorando app, as the route is not signposted
Generally pleasant route with lots of undergrowth.
Hilly route - Beautiful view of the Gier valley

Machine-translated

Jeanclano
Jeanclano

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 27, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

At the hamlet of Ban, you can take a path on the right that leads to the Muse Cross.

Machine-translated

zonzon
zonzon

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 16, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Hike completed today, Thursday 16 March, with part of the hiking group from our Vaulx en Velin Retirees' Association. A very beautiful hike with stunning scenery, lots of walking in the forest and very few small roads (we only saw three cars...).
Avoid hiking the day after or two days after rain: some of the trails were very muddy or even soggy, for example at the start (from the start to just past No. 1), where water was dripping as if the trail were a mini-torrent (there had been storms two days earlier).
This hike must be very pleasant in summer as it is very shady.

Machine-translated

Other walks in the area

For more walks, use our search engine .

The GPS track and description are the property of this route's author. Please do not copy them without permission.