The Saint-Étienne-Vallée-Française water channel

A round trip, not to be attempted in wet weather, on a narrow schistose dyke between a beal and the Gardon de Sainte-Croix.
For a circular loop, see here.

Details

n°35592180

Creation:
26 Jun 2023

Last update:
15 Jan 2026

Last review:
07 Nov 2023

Activity: Walking
Distance: 0.84 km
Average duration: 0h 15
Difficulty: Moderate
Back to start: Yes
Ascent: + 5 m
Descent: - 5 m
Highest point: 239 m
Lowest point: 232 m

Country: France
Areas: Cévennes, Massif central
District: Saint-Étienne-Vallée-Française (48330)
Start/End: N 44.156482° / E 3.840507°
IGN map(s): Ref. 2740ET
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Description of the walk

Park in the large car park at Le Martinet, on the west side of the bridge over the Gardon de Sainte-Croix, near the Le Martinet restaurant.

No markings (yellow markings in the opposite direction)

(S/E) From the car park, head away from the bridge and the direction indicated for the Sentier d'Auriol, following the Gardon de Sainte-Croix as closely as possible. This will take you to the start of the narrow dyke between the river and the millstream, a canal partly dug into the rock. If the stones are wet, do not attempt to cross, as wet schist is very slippery. Otherwise, cross the dyke, taking care. In some places, where it is narrower and more damaged, it is better to get off and walk a few metres along the irrigation channel, which is usually dry. You will arrive at the Païssière (small dam) de la Cascade site.

(1) Return to the car park (S/E) by retracing your steps.

Waypoints

S/E : km 0 - alt. 234 m - Car park at the edge of - Gardon de Sainte-Croix (cours d'eau) - Affluent du Gardon
1 : km 0.42 - alt. 237 m - Waterfall
S/E : km 0.84 - alt. 234 m - Car park at the edge of the - Gardon de Sainte-Croix (cours d'eau) - Affluent du Gardon

Notes

Standard hiking equipment; walking poles may be helpful.

Do not attempt in wet weather!

Visorando app useful in the first part

This round trip was separated in 2024 from a circular route that I had published but which takes a trail that is too hazardous and too many (small) roads. You can find it here.
The reviews from 2023 correspond to this old circular route.

Worth a visit

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

Photo album corresponding to the circular loop not published here

The starting point of the hike is a popular swimming spot.

Hydraulic structures
In the past, as today, many structures were built to divert water from its course for other uses. A païssière is a type of dam that directed a stream into a canal, or béal. This water could be used to irrigate plots of land or terraces, or could feed a basin or gourgue used to regulate the flow needed to operate the mills downstream. In addition, to protect against runoff, trincats diverted water to streams, while tancats slowed the speed of the water, regulating the flow of streams that formed during periods of heavy rain.

Reviews and comments

4.5 / 5

Based on 2 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.5 / 5

Ease of following the route
4.5 / 5

Route interest
4.5 / 5

JKSalem

07 Nov 2023 at 13:36 3600 • Edited: 07 Nov 2023 at 13:38 3600

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 07, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

I completed this hike today in 2½ hours (without breaks and including a visit to the village).
The route is fairly well described, but you need to keep an eye on the first part and it's useful to use GPS (the small path at point 1 behind the waterfall isn't visible at first glance, but it follows the stream and is easy to find). Please note: when I arrived at the top of the small path at point 1, the area was under construction and tree trunks lying on the ground could make it a little tricky to get through this section.
I confirm that the hike should not be attempted in wet conditions due to the risk of slipping, but even in normal conditions, caution is still required.
From points 1 to 4, the route is uphill, sometimes very steep as indicated (point 2: the small path follows the rock and turns into a safe path). From point 4 onwards, it is downhill to the village of Saint-Etienne-Vallée-Française. The road section has very little traffic and is pleasant as it is located in the forest.
I confirm that I saw no markings at point 6 and continued along the road.
The arrival in the village offers a beautiful view of the valley and can be visited quickly (there are a few shops if needed).
The return journey from the village (points 9 and 10) is along a road that is busier than the previous ones, but this is not a problem.

A beautiful, challenging hike for the first third of the route, ideal in autumn for the colours of the trees.

Machine-translated

Bertrand Vallage

04 Sep 2023 at 11:42 7200

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 12, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Some very pleasant stretches, especially when you follow the Gardon river or climb towards the highest point, but less so on the return journey to Saint-Étienne by road (which is not very busy).

Machine-translated