Col de la Forclaz via the end of the lake

A hike through the woods that takes you from the end of the lake to the Col de la Forclaz.

Details

n°58247

Creation:
22 Apr 2014

Last update:
24 Jul 2021

Last review:
04 Aug 2025

Activity: Walking
Distance: 11.25 km
Average duration: 5h 35
Difficulty: Moderate
Back to start: Yes
Ascent: + 834 m
Descent: - 834 m
Highest point: 1,285 m
Lowest point: 451 m

Country: France
Areas: Alps, Aravis et Bornes, Lac d'Annecy
District: Doussard (74210)
Start/End: N 45.786971° / E 6.232211°
IGN map(s): Ref. 3431OT, 3431OTR
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Description of the walk

On the national road coming from Talloire, turn left next to the Verthier veterinary clinic.
Park as soon as possible (there are only houses and no "real" car park).

(S/E) Follow the road to the stone bridge (for pedestrians only). Continue along the road to the chapel (which has no bell tower).
Take the path behind the chapel (follow the sign for Col de la Forclaz). This path is the^GR®96, which also supports the^GRP® Tour du Lac d'Annecy.
Continue along this path (which starts with a 200/300m stretch of road).

(1) At the fork in the road at Col de la Forclaz, not far from the summit, continue climbing to the paragliding take-off point or even higher to the viewpoint.

(2) The return journey follows the same route (S/E).

Waypoints

S/E : km 0 - alt. 451 m - Verthier - Bout du - Lac d'Annecy (Haute-Savoie)
1 : km 4.63 - alt. 1,145 m - Col de la Forclaz (Haute-Savoie)
2 : km 5.63 - alt. 1,285 m - Viewpoint
S/E : km 11.25 - alt. 451 m - Verthier - Eau Morte (rivière)

Notes

No water sources along the way, but there are numerous refreshment stands and drinking fountains at Col de la Forclaz.

The Col de la Forclaz is a very popular spot and easily accessible by road. Don't expect to be alone once you reach the summit unless you go to the viewpoint.

Walk through the woods: not many views of the lake before reaching the pass, but it should be relatively cool in summer and superb in autumn.

It takes about 1 hour 40 minutes to climb (2 hours 15 minutes according to the signs) and 1 hour 20 minutes to descend (via the same route).

The trail is part of a^GR® long-distance footpath: markings = 2 horizontal white dashes on red.

Worth a visit

Nature reserve at the end of the lake (turn right at the veterinary clinic, dogs are not allowed).

Reviews and comments

4.7 / 5

Based on 11 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.9 / 5

Ease of following the route
4.9 / 5

Route interest
4.3 / 5

User 9600022

04 Aug 2025 at 09:05 7200

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 04, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Enjoy your hike in the forest. Superb view of the lake

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Axel126

07 Apr 2024 at 22:10 7200

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 07, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A pleasant hike through the forest under the trees. The view opens up as you reach the summit, revealing a superb view of the lake.
The ascent takes 1 hour 40 minutes and the descent 1 hour 15 minutes, with a short break on the way up. In total, there is an elevation gain of around 680 metres to the Col de la Forclaz.

The climb is quite strenuous but far from impossible.

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alkachouffe

01 Jun 2021 at 21:18 7200

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 01, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Done on 25 May 2021, on a weekday, so very few people around

The path itself isn't particularly interesting, just a round trip through the forest, except for the effort involved.
But there's a superb view of the lake once you reach the top, and it's really cool to see the paragliders take off!

Parking tip
Go to the Simon de Verthier road, behind the restaurant "Le Kokopelly". A local advised me to park there, and there are indeed quite a few spaces.

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Lexr8

21 Oct 2020 at 22:18 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 19, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

One of the most beautiful views of Lake Annecy (along with Mont Veyrier), you never tire of watching the paragliders deploy their parachutes and the few hang gliders a little lower down.
The hike is fairly easy but long, taking almost two hours to climb up and just over an hour to come back down.

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XC RANDO SAVOIE

08 Oct 2018 at 17:05 7200

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 08, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Please note: be careful at the three-quarter point of the route, as the path branches off to the left, while the main trail continues straight ahead for at least 2 km. It is easy to make a mistake.

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65sophie

28 Aug 2017 at 11:18 7200

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 28, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Hike through shady woodland, a challenging climb without being too difficult. It's a shame that there isn't much space available at the pass for hikers who don't want to eat or drink at one of the many bar-restaurant terraces and just want to enjoy the view of the lake.

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pier17

08 Aug 2017 at 09:04 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 03, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Beautiful hike, nice steady climb through the woods.
However, the circular time isn't quite right!
I set off with a hiking colleague to do the next circular.
Verthier - Col de la Forclaz (1 hour 15 minutes climb)
Col de la Forclaz - Chalet de L'Aulp
Chalet de l'Aulp - Montmain (
Montmain - Col de la Forclaz
Col de la Forclaz - Verthier (1 hour)
Total hiking time: 4 hours 30 minutes, including photo breaks.
This is a very pretty circular that can easily be done in a day, including a picnic break.
Best regards.
Marc & Pierre

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Kelium

15 Aug 2016 at 12:13 7200

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 15, 2016
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A nice little trail walk which doesn't offer many views as it's surrounded by trees, but it does keep you cool!
A minimum level of fitness is important for this hike.

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Oliv41

19 Jul 2015 at 12:11 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 13, 2015
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A beautiful hike with some lovely slopes in places... not much view of the lake (but this is mentioned in the description) as it was summer, but we set off at 8.30am and enjoyed the cool air when it was already 28°C down below at the start... There's a nice little bench where you can take a break about halfway along the route. One of the advantages is that you can actually go much higher afterwards for a magnificent view... The hike is very well described and well marked. I met some friendly people and saw some lovely wildlife. It took me 2 hours to get to the viewpoint and 1 hour 40 minutes to come back down at a leisurely pace. I sincerely recommend it, but you do need to be in reasonably good physical condition.

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goodrandoa4

30 Dec 2014 at 20:38 3600

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 26, 2014
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Enjoy your hike! It takes 1 hour 50 minutes to climb up to the pass and 1 hour 20 minutes for a leisurely descent. You'll need to add on the time it takes to climb up to the viewpoint.
Magnificent view from the top.
The trees are bare at this time of year, so the view is partial on the way up.
Feasible for someone prone to vertigo, which is my case. Few tricky passages
Forest path very steep in places.

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Crapet

08 Jun 2014 at 18:46 7200

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 17, 2014
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average

Hello,
Good description and good route for this hike.
Its appeal is relatively limited as it is a round trip on a trail that is almost exclusively in the forest (so few views) and quite steep, except at the top of the walk where the view is excellent.

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