Circular route around Lake Annecy from Les Puisots

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A short, easy walk along a pleasant, shaded path offering two beautiful views of Lake Annecy.

Details

n°36906180
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 6.17 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 25 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 240 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 234 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 977 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 759 m
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Photos

View of the lake
View of the lake from Les Chefs-Lieux

Description of the walk

By car, drive past Les Puisots and head for the Les Sables car park, about 500 m further on to the right. There is a sign here indicating the various routes.

(S/E) Head due north, following the white-striped markings. After an easy climb followed by a short descent, you’ll reach the Pas de l’Âne.

(1) Turn right, continuing downhill, cross the D46 road at Les Puisots and walk past the day camp, following the wooden fence. You will reach a car park.

(2) Take the path on the left through the woodland towards Maréchaux. Atthe first junction, continue straight ahead and follow the yellow arrow on a green background. You will reach the junction withthe GRP® Tour du Lac d'Annecy.

(3) Turn right onto theGRP® marked in yellow and red. Head towards the Chalets de Barbenoire.

(4) Continue due south to reach a superb viewpoint over the lake. There is a cross here.

(5) Continue along theGRP® to reach a four-way junction.

(6) Turn right and continue uphill. After a gentle descent, you will reach another crossroads.

(7) Leave theGRP® here to complete the descent by taking the path on the right down to the road. Turn left onto the road for a few metres to return to the Sables car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 844 m - Les Sables car park
  2. 1 : km 1.26 - alt. 844 m - Pas de l'Âne
  3. 2 : km 1.75 - alt. 805 m - Drinking fountain
  4. 3 : km 2.49 - alt. 764 m - Les Maréchaux
  5. 4 : km 3.27 - alt. 772 m - Chalet de Barbenoire
  6. 5 : km 3.83 - alt. 839 m - Magnificent view of the lake
  7. 6 : km 4.27 - alt. 882 m - La Montagne Sud
  8. 7 : km 5.28 - alt. 923 m - Crossroads – GRP trail
  9. S/E : km 6.17 - alt. 844 m - Les Sables car park

Notes

(2) Toilets and drinking fountain at Les Puisots.

Worth a visit

This cool hike offers two beautiful views of Lake Annecy.

Reviews and comments

4.2 / 5
Based on 5 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.4 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.2 / 5
Route interest
4 / 5
Dorothée_74
Dorothée_74

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

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

Easy, easy... that's easy to say! It's quite a climb, though... and it can quickly become hazardous if there's too much mud.

And the trail was less clear than on other hikes, I got lost three times, but you can quickly find your way back.

However, it's worth doing at least once for the cross viewpoint, which is simply splendid!

It's not very busy, which is nice.

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Fred et Sand
Fred et Sand

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 25, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful walk on the first part, with a magnificent view of the lake from the cross. On the second part, forestry work has "erased" the markings and the path is no longer very visible, so you have to follow the tracks left by the machinery.

Still worth doing, though.

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Syberia
Syberia

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 11, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A route that takes you through the forest and offers stunning views of Lake Annecy.
The main track you follow at the start runs through areas of clear-cut woodland, so it’s a bit of a let-down. It’s likely to be quite muddy in wet weather.
After the right-hand bend, conditions improve, leading – to the right – to a path with a view of the lake.
After following this, take another right turn to head back towards the starting point along a very pleasant forest route.
No difficulty in following the route.
At the time, the car park at the start was quite rutted due to timber lorries passing through. No trouble parking, however.

About 2 hours 10 minutes’ walk including breaks (drinks, photos, etc.)

Thank you for this lovely suggestion.

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Night_One
Night_One

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 15, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Whether you’re on your own or with others, it’s always a brilliant experience, so thank you to Visorando for making it possible and enjoyable!

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Nicominet
Nicominet

A great hike with lovely scenery and two beautiful spots by the lake. The hike is easy and can be done with a dog without any problems. The route is very well signposted. However, I’d recommend bringing the right gear for greater comfort.
The route is 7.5 km long with an elevation gain of 269 m and takes 2 hours 30 minutes.

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Laurjim
Laurjim

We didn’t go on that hike because access to Les Puisots was difficult due to several road closures

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guislain 17
guislain 17

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 25, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

A walk in the woods – make sure you wear proper footwear – with steep ascents and descents over rough terrain with dirt and large stones.

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