Route du Val de Chalaronne in Saint-Étienne-sur-Chalaronne

This bucolic hike will take you from hamlet to hamlet around the village of Saint-Étienne-sur-Chalaronne.

Details

21014808
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 11.95 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 45 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 121 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 121 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 255 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 191 m

Description of the walk

Park at Place de l'Abbé Gay in Saint-Étienne-sur-Chalaronne.

(S/E) From the car park, cross the village between the town hall and the church. Continue straight on Rue des Étangs, then leave the village and continue to a cross.

(1) Leave the D75 by going straight up towards Collonge until you reach the crossroads with a cross.

(2) Take the path on the left to pass under the isolated oak tree. Begin the descent, enter the woods, then cross the stream and rejoin the D75. Turn right and follow the departmental road for about 300 metres.

(3) Take the path on the left. At thefirst intersection, turn left, then right to begin the descent. Cross the stream and, immediately afterwards, turn right to reach a double intersection.

(4) Turn left. After a hill, return to a road and turn left. Pass the path on the right, then the road leading to Saint-Blaise, and cross the hamlet of Graboz.

(5) At the next fork, descend towards Les Îlons. At the wash house, continue on the right. Just before crossing the river, you can see an old mill on the left. Then take the path on the left, which turns right and then left to join a road.

(6) At the next fork, head back up to Ville Sollier via the path on the right. Cross the D7 with caution and turn right onto the road towards Les Caillotières.

(7) Shortly afterwards, go straight down the path. Cross the Glenne leat and go up the path to La Graille, then continue to an intersection.

(8) Turn right to pass the corner of the house. The road quickly becomes a path. Continue for 100 metres and turn left. Pass the path that descends towards La Glenne and arrive at a three-way intersection.

(9) Turn left twice in succession. Descend back onto the road.

(10) Ignore the road on the left. Note the well on the right and, a little further on, the Poype (artificial mound of earth). Continue for 130 m and turn left towards Roussillon.

(11) Leave the road and take a small path on the left. At the crossroads, go straight ahead. Cross the hamlet of Roussillon. At the next intersection, take the road on the right and continue towards Corcelles. Cross the hamlet until you reach a crossroads that takes you back to a tarmac road.

(12) Take the road on the right towards the house. Continue for 200 metres and turn left onto the path leading down to the D7. Cross the departmental road with caution and take the D75 towards Saint-Étienne. Cross the Chalaronne river via the Pont Blanc bridge and return to the starting point (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 193 m - Place de l'Abbé Gay - Chalaronne (rivière - affluent de la Saône)
  2. 1 : km 0.68 - alt. 198 m - Fork in the road at the cross
  3. 2 : km 1.7 - alt. 233 m - Croix de Collonge
  4. 3 : km 2.47 - alt. 230 m - Fork in the road
  5. 4 : km 3.4 - alt. 235 m - Crossroads
  6. 5 : km 4.18 - alt. 230 m - Graboz locality
  7. 6 : km 5.73 - alt. 203 m - Ascent to Ville-Sollier
  8. 7 : km 6.35 - alt. 218 m - Towards the Glenne leat
  9. 8 : km 7.34 - alt. 251 m - Intersection
  10. 9 : km 8.09 - alt. 244 m - Crossroads of three paths.
  11. 10 : km 8.87 - alt. 245 m - Chemin des Bois de Vaux
  12. 11 : km 9.21 - alt. 239 m - Chemin de Barjoux trail
  13. 12 : km 10.82 - alt. 213 m - Beaumont
  14. S/E : km 11.95 - alt. 193 m - Place de l'Abbé Gay

Notes

There is a drinking water fountain near the town hall and public toilets in the large car park at Place de l'Abbé Gay. Picnic areas are located in St Etienne Park and on Route des Iles towards Dompierre sur Chalaronne.

This hike is offered by the Val de Saône Centre Tourist Office in collaboration with the FF Randonnée de l'Ain.

47% tarmac.

Worth a visit

Saint Blaise Chapel:
Antoine Bourdon, a local landowner, had this small chapel built around 1855 to serve as an oratory.
It is built of alternating round pebbles and bricks. Processions and pilgrimages were once organised to Saint Blaise to pray to the patron saint of labourers and protector of livestock.
Note the carved dove on the lintel, the date 1855 engraved on the entrance pillars, and the initials Bn and Ae above a hammer and tongs on the left and crossed keys on the right.

Reviews and comments

4.4 / 5
Based on 6 reviews

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

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 07, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very good route, varied and hilly, with enjoyable sections and the chance to discover beautiful country houses.

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TotoB
TotoB

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 17, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Well, in the end, we did the hike again today, under beautiful sunshine, and it seems that my intervention with the St Etienne sous Chalaronne town hall has borne fruit: the signs have disappeared and the remaining ones have been placed at the edge of the path to clarify that it is the surrounding area that is off-limits as private property, but not the path itself! At least it's clearer now.
Otherwise, I can confirm that it's an easy, pleasant and interesting walk (we went as far as the castle on the D7, between St Etienne and St Didier).

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TotoB
TotoB

For your information, GPS coordinates retrieved from Geoportail: 46.135338, 4.877137.
Kind regards,

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TotoB
TotoB
• Edited:

Yes, it is the right route (I have been hiking long enough to know what I am doing, and I am only 65, so I am not ready for the grave just yet, I hope!!!) and the right trail.
The problem is at this point: "At the next fork, descend towards Les Îlons. At the wash house, continue on the right," so, as already mentioned, just after the farm located opposite the wash house, on the right-hand side of the path.
I didn't take any photos, so I don't have any GPS coordinates to give you (I was too busy looking for an alternative route to avoid having to turn back).
That said, I think it's up to the tourist office to check on the ground, as the land registry doesn't show any private paths (which proves that the joker who put up the signs is a real arsehole!!!).
Best regards,
P.S.: It's not up to VisoRando to check the published routes, but rather to those who publish them, I think...
P.S. 2: I live in DARDILLY (in the Rhône) and I did this hike, located about 60 kilometres from my home, while I was passing through the area. So I'm not going to drive 120 kilometres there and back just to take a photo and/or record the GPS coordinates...

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POULIN Gérard
POULIN Gérard ★
• Edited:

Hello TotoB,
After carefully reading the entire route in cadastral format, it appears that there are no private paths on this route. So, there are two possibilities:
1 - this comment is not about the right hike.
2 - The route taken does not correspond to the route of the said route.
A photo with GPS coordinates would be helpful to clarify this issue.

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TotoB
TotoB
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 26, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk, pleasant and easy.
It's a shame, however, that we didn't try it out before suggesting it!
This would have had the advantage of:
1) not sending hikers onto a private path (even if it was marked as a short hike and the Chalaronne riverside route!!!),
2) realising that some local arsehole had taken over the path even though it was marked..., etc.
In short, it was impossible to take the path we were supposed to take after the wash house located after point 5, as the aforementioned arsehole had taken care to place three signs over 50 metres indicating "Private property - No trespassing"; so we had to find an alternative route or turn back.
Incidentally, not very professional for a tourist office...
So, in the end, a nice, pleasant and easy walk, but one to forget!

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Office de Tourisme VSC
Office de Tourisme VSC

Hello,

Thank you for your review and for your interest in our region.
We look forward to seeing you again soon on our hiking trails.
The Val de Saône Centre Tourist Office team.

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FaceSud
FaceSud

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 19, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Lovely walk with beautiful, well-renovated houses.

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Office de Tourisme VSC
Office de Tourisme VSC

Hello,

Thank you for your review and for your interest in our region.
This route is indeed marked as 47% tarmac.
We look forward to seeing you again soon on our hiking trails.
The Val de Saône Centre Tourist Office team.

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Morel jean paul
Morel jean paul

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

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

beautiful drive along a short stretch of road

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Office de Tourisme VSC
Office de Tourisme VSC

Hello,

Thank you for your review and for your interest in our region.
We look forward to seeing you again soon on our hiking trails.
The Val de Saône Centre Tourist Office team.

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tempico
tempico

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 27, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Despite a bit of tarmac at the start, a very pleasant walk to do with the family
with young children.

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