Dent du Serret circuit

Hike starting from the Cèze valley, climbing through oak trees, arbutus trees and boxwood. Discover the karstic cave de La Peyre Haute. La Baume des Fades (or Grotte des Fées) discovery trail, don't miss the dolmens and the viewpoint. View of the Rocher de l'Aigle. Superb panorama from the top of the Dent du Serret. Depending on the time of day, you can eat by the Cèze river.

Details

429960
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 19.40 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 7h 10 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Difficult

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 579 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 579 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 320 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 83 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Do not head towards the village of Montclus, but descend towards the campsite, parking near the Cèze bridge.

(S/E) Cross the bridge over the river, and after 200 metres take the small road on the left until you reach a crossroads.

(1) Turn right onto the road that climbs up, Chemin de Bret et Sabin, into the valley heading west. After 200 metres, you will reach a crossroads.

(2) Follow the paved road that turns left into Combe de Bret. You will reach another intersection.

(3) Leave the road and turn right onto the road going uphill. Continue straight ahead, climbing uphill. You will reach the small Lac de Cournirau lake.

(4) Take the track on the left. After 50 m, a lake is signposted on the right, 100 m away (there and back), but it is actually a small pond. Continue along the track towards the south-west until you reach a large crossroads.

(5) Take thePR® marked trail on the right. Continue until you reach a large track that winds down to the beaches of the Cèze.

(6) Take the track on the right for about 200m. Quickly take the marked path on the left.

(7) Continue straight ahead, as the path on the right, indicated on some maps, is closed. You will reach a track at a place called Peyre Haute.

(8) Take the track on the right and follow it for 340 metres to reach elevation 317.
At elevation 317, take a path on the left to visit the karstic cave of Peyre Haute.

(9) Return to the previous crossroads, completing a small loop of approximately 2 km.

(8) Continue straight ahead, follow the Clap and come to a new five-way crossroads.

(10) Take the large track on the right, which you can leave temporarily after 600 m on the right, and continue to the information boards for the Baume des Fades.

(11) After reading the information about the site, retrace your steps and, after 50 metres, take the discovery trail on the left. Don't miss the viewpoint and the dolmens.

(12) At the end of the discovery trail, take the track that descends to the right. Continue north and join the Banquières crossroads.

(13) Take the path that descends to the left. Pass close to the Grotte Claire to reach the Rocher de l'Aigle and then the Grotte crossroads.

(14) The trail opposite is closed as it enters the private grounds of the La Genèse naturist camp. Take the marked trail on the right that climbs uphill to reach Terris Beach, where there is a picnic area.

(15) Follow the path closest to the river to rejoin the track further on.

(16) Leave the track and turn left to reach the entrance to Combe de la Verrière.

(17) Take the path south that crosses this valley. Leave the direct path to the Dent du Serret on your left. Continue to the crossroads below the Grand Serre.

(18) Take the track on the left that climbs slightly. You will reach a new crossroads.

(19) Take the path on the left that climbs straight up towards the Dent du Serret and enjoy the view.

(20) Begin the descent to the northeast. Turn right to reach the Combe de Bertrand and then the junction of the loop.

(2) Take the same path back to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 88 m - Parking near the bridge over the - Cèze (rivière)
  2. 1 : km 0.31 - alt. 93 m - Crossroads
  3. 2 : km 0.52 - alt. 107 m - Crossroads of the loop
  4. 3 : km 1.26 - alt. 158 m - Combe de Bret crossroads
  5. 4 : km 2.76 - alt. 287 m - Access to Cournirau Lake
  6. 5 : km 3.47 - alt. 300 m - PR
  7. 6 : km 4.26 - alt. 265 m - Track
  8. 7 : km 4.97 - alt. 282 m - Track
  9. 8 : km 5.71 - alt. 320 m - Peyre Haute crossroads
  10. 9 : km 6.63 - alt. 278 m - Karstic cave de Peyre Haute
  11. 10 : km 8.19 - alt. 297 m - Le Clap crossroads
  12. 11 : km 9.3 - alt. 287 m - Baume des Fades
  13. 12 : km 10.17 - alt. 288 m - Exit the Discovery Trail
  14. 13 : km 10.69 - alt. 267 m - Banquières crossroads
  15. 14 : km 11.85 - alt. 122 m - Rocher de l'Aigle
  16. 15 : km 13.01 - alt. 98 m - Terris Beach
  17. 16 : km 13.96 - alt. 101 m - End of the trail
  18. 17 : km 14.54 - alt. 95 m - Combe de la Verrière
  19. 18 : km 16.04 - alt. 262 m - Grand Serre crossroads
  20. 19 : km 16.51 - alt. 285 m - Access to Dent du Serret
  21. 20 : km 16.9 - alt. 304 m - Dent du Serret
  22. S/E : km 19.4 - alt. 88 m - Parking near the bridge

Worth a visit

(9) The Aven de Peyre Haute is on the right of the path before you reach the cave, but the approach is very dangerous (to be avoided). Once you reach the entrance to the cave, don't hesitate to put down your bag and go inside to discover the karstic cave (seen from below).

The Baume des Fades trail is marked with informative and entertaining signs about the flora, fauna and life in times gone by.

Viewpoint with views of the Grand Serre and the Dent du Serret

You can eat at the picnic area on Terris beach or on the beach near the river.

(20) Dent du Serret, Dent du Rez to the north-east, the Monts d'Ardèche to the north, Mont Lozère to the west.

When you arrive, don't miss a visit to the village of Montclus:
Enter through the archway on Rue de l'Arceau. When you reach Place du Calvaire, turn right onto Rue de l'Échoppe, leave Rue Souleïado on your right and continue until you reach a larger street called Rue du Couvent.
Turn left and go under another archway which leads to Place de l'Ecole. Turn left and then right in front of the cultural and sports centre to see the church.
When you leave the church, cross the square in front of the tower. Turn right along the ramparts, pass the entrance to the castle and find a passageway that descends to the left of a gate. It winds its way down to Rue de la Paved Slanting Street. Turn left, then right to return to the car park.

Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

Reviews and comments

4.4 / 5
Based on 25 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.5 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.5 / 5
Route interest
4.3 / 5
Manu1730
Manu1730

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

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

A hike we did over two and a half days with camping.
The start involves a lot of DFCI (firebreaks), which was a bit too much for our liking. The first lake ) isn't worth the effort; it's just a piggy pond.
The karstic cave is magnificent. Very beautiful view from the Dent du Serret. A pleasant hike.

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Rodger0è
Rodger0è

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 05, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Hello
Hike completed by a group of 23 hikers. As beautiful as ever!!!
Before point 9, you can take a small, barely visible path on the right, which allows you to walk around the edge of the karstic cave Aven. There are no safety issues, as the area is secured by a fence.
Further down, it's still just as wonderful to enter this majestic karstic cave.
The forests on this mountain are as magnificent as ever, with trees covered in green moss. At times, you hike under a canopy of greenery – it's sublime.
Last year, the Cèze was dry, which was very worrying! This year there is "a little" water.
Thank you to the author for this beautiful and enjoyable hike.
roger

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Rodger0è
Rodger0è

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 18, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Hello
I loved this hike, with its good length and varied landscapes and views. The GPS track is reliable.
Some of the scenery, such as the last few kilometres back through the woods, looks like something straight out of a science fiction film... Passing through the woods under arches of trees covered in green moss at a good height, simply magnificent, other steep climbs in the forest with a path supported by wooden steps, remarkable!!!
From the summit, you can see a bend in the Cèze river that was completely dry. I admit that I still think about it and that it's a little scary for the years to come.
Done solo
roger

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pachyderme
pachyderme

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 02, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Well-shaded circuit.

Magnificent woodland along the Cèze river.

Magnificent views.

A very pretty course with no major difficulties apart from its length.

We completed it in 5½ hours.

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Pastis34
Pastis34

Overall rating : 4.5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 05, 2022
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Thanks for sharing.
Following jllafourcade's advice (June 2019), I reversed the direction and found another nice option for the start, but it makes it a little longer!
More information and photos on my website familleduval34 (fr) and even a video: https://youtu.be/osQH0cDCmLE

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PIERRE MONNIER
PIERRE MONNIER

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 06, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike with no difficulty. The banks of the Cèze are very pleasant, and the water is very clear. The view of the Dent du Serret is interesting, towering over the winding Cèze. The trails are pleasant. The visit to the karstic cave is magnificent: don't hesitate to descend about ten metres inside to discover a superb cathedral (a very large and high room), which is easily accessible. Don't forget to visit the village.
Grandpa and Grandma.

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superyoda86
superyoda86

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 27, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike, but it's best to have a GPS tracker to avoid getting lost. The view is at the end of the hike, at the top of the Dent du Serret. The village where the hike starts is worth visiting. You can swim at the end of the hike when you follow the river (before the final climb).

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Kevengwen
Kevengwen

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 25, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike with no major difficulties and mostly shaded. An interesting visit to the Peyre Haute karstic cave. Beautiful views of the Dent du Serret and a pleasant lunch break on the banks of the Ceze. Despite the superb weather and the month of August, there were few people on this route. Using a GPS, we had no problem finding the route...
Thanks for this beautiful hike.

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Bea.lebrun13
Bea.lebrun13

Overall rating : 4.5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 31, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

I really enjoyed this long walk, which was easy going and 90% shaded, perfect for this time of year. The lichen-covered undergrowth, where silence reigns supreme, is wonderful and enchanting!
There were hardly any views, but that was perfect for what I was looking for!

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AqualiJu
AqualiJu

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : May 30, 2021
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant hike, often passing through oak woods.
The view from Serret is magnificent, and I even saw some vultures (I think) welcoming me from the sky.

I did the circuit backwards, starting with the climb up the Dent de Serret in the cool of the morning.
Following the signs, I took the wrong path, which meant I had to make a detour via a DFCI (in the direction of the hike, this shouldn't happen as I must have missed a path; don't follow "la cuisine du Diable" like I did...)

Between points 9 and 11, I didn't go through point 10 but took a small marked path.

I should also mention that there is paid parking at the start (from spring to autumn).
There weren't many people on the trails, but there were a lot more at the river and in Montclus.

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takamarché
takamarché
• Edited:

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 18, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

it was a rainy day with overcast skies, so we couldn't enjoy the views. Too bad.
We walked the trail in the opposite direction to avoid a hunt.
Let's start with the not-so-good points:
1.The route goes from a marked forest fire trail to an unmarked trail, so you have to keep looking at the map. If you use GPS, don't put it at the bottom of your bag.
2. long sections on DFCI trails
Now for the best part:
1.Beautiful little paths in a damp forest with trees covered in lichen.
2.Passage along the river
3.a hot meal for lunch at the bottom of a splendid karstic cave (point 9)
4. no major difficulties, even in the rain.

The curfew prevented us from exploring the village, which was a shame.

Thank you, fellow hikers, for this one. I'm left wanting more.

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GMGALD
GMGALD

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 07, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

The hike isn't very difficult, but due to lockdown, there aren't many people around. The views are lovely, and eating by the Seze river gives you a taste of freedom.

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hélène30bulle
hélène30bulle

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 21, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

a beautiful hike with shaded areas and the Cèze river to cool off. We had a wonderful day!

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maellili
maellili

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 25, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

beautiful hike, beautiful view

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elisa3687
elisa3687

Thank you and happy hiking!

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