Circular megalithic path at Vernet-Saint-Marguerite

At Vernet-Sainte-Marguerite, park in a small car park not far from the church, at the intersection of the D145 and a path. There is a "Le Puy d'Alou" hiking sign, but this is not the hike described here.

(S/E) Follow the road towards the village centre and turn right at the first street, go behind the church and continue along the street. At the intersection, follow the road straight ahead, ignoring a road on the right further on. Continue along the road (which has little traffic, and it is possible to walk along the field on the right, which is not fenced) until you find a path on the left.

(1) Take this path, marked by a white sign with an arrow and the Sancy massif logo (mountains and arcs), and follow the signs until further notice. Cross a stream (Ruisseau du Vernet, signposted "première escale").

(2) At the T-junction, follow the signs and head left towards "Croix de Laval". Pass a sign for "deuxième escale" (second stop).

(3) Further on, be careful not to miss the marked trail that leads into the meadow on the right and is accessible through an opening with a handle in the electric fence (trail not listed by the IGN). On the other side of the meadow, go through the fence again, then turn right and climb up to Puy d'Alou. At a fork in the path, keep left and continue climbing. At the edge of the woods, go through a metal gate and head straight up towards the megaliths.

(4) Megalith site with several "third stop" signs that also serve as orientation tables. Very beautiful viewpoint. Then head west to catch up with a path that descends on the other side of the hill. Go through a metal gate and veer slightly to the left to descend into the meadow, following a vague path. Join a path at the bottom of the hill.

(5) Turn left. At the three-way intersection at the "fourth stop" sign, go straight ahead.

(6) Cross a road and continue on the path opposite. At the next intersection, leave the Sancy massif signposts and continue straight ahead.

(7) At the fork in the path with a hiking signpost, continue straight ahead towards "les Bournis". Further on, pass the small Menhir de Freydefont on your right, high up in a meadow, then you will arrive at a crossroads with a signpost.

(8) For a first return trip to the Dolmen de la Pineyre, take the path opposite and to the left of the signpost. You will arrive at the dolmen site after about 150 m (information panel).

(9) Retrace your steps.

(8) For a second round trip to the Puy de Châteauneuf viewpoint, follow the signs for "Panet" on the left. At the intersection just after, go straight on along the path towards "Châteauneuf". After about 150 m, cross a small ditch on the right and follow a grassy path uphill, marked with a blue cross. You will arrive at the summit of Puy de Châteauneuf.

(10) Superb panoramic view of the Sancy and Guery mountains, as well as the Couze Chambon valley and the Château de Murol. An ideal place for a break. Then retrace your steps.

(8) Continue straight ahead towards "Foncheyroune". Cross the road and continue along the path opposite, slightly to the right.

(11) At the crossroads with signposts, follow the path to the left towards "Zintraigue". Ignore the path on the left further on.

(12) At the next intersection, keep right towards "Cluchat". The path runs alongside a pretty stream.

(13) When you arrive in Cluchat (probably one of the most dilapidated hamlets in the region), continue straight ahead on the street, ignoring a hairpin bend to the right. Then, at a sort of square, turn right and climb towards a hiking signpost. Turn right towards "le Château". About 50 metres further on, turn left onto a hairpin bend. Further on, cross a stream.

(14) At the next crossroads, turn left. You will come to a road. Follow it to the left and cross a bridge. Turn left onto the next road (towards Cluchat) and immediately take a grassy path that climbs to the right.

(15) At the T-junction with a path, continue to the right.

(16) Cross a road and continue along the path opposite. Turn onto the first path on the left. At the intersection with a signpost, continue straight ahead towards "Le Vernet-Ste-Marguerite". You will find your car park (S/E) at the end of the path.

Hike of moderate difficulty, leaning towards easy. Standard hiking equipment required.

To avoid being bothered by any herds that may be present on Puy d'Alou and the sheep pens, it is best to do this hike in winter.

Discover more hikes in this area with descriptions or the Visorando app here

Photo album here