In the forests of Ardèche from Lac de Devesset

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Starting from the Devesset car park, this easy loop, mostly through woodland, will take you through the forests of the Ardèche. Enjoy the peace and coolness before returning to the lake for a swim or a complete tour of the lake if you still want to walk!

Details

n°81608507
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 8.76 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 5h 20 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 1,545 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 1,552 ft
  • ▲
    Highest point: 4,068 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 2,871 ft
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Photos

Former Commandery of the Hospitallers of Devesset
Forests below Devesset
Descent from Lake Devesset - The village of Rochepaule in the distance
View of Lake Devesset dominated by the peaks of the Mézenc massif (Suc de Sara in the middle)

Description of the walk

(S/E) Leave the lake car park by taking the road you arrived on. At the gatehouse, take the exit road to the right. Note the memorial stone commemorating the parachute drops made during the war for the Resistance.

Red and white markings for the GR®430

(1) Cross the main road with caution and take the road opposite. Leave this road after 100 metres by taking the path on the right. Ignore the path that branches off to the right after 50 metres and continue to follow the GR®430 (Chemin de Saint Régis), staying on this path.

(2) Take a hairpin turn to the left at the hamlet of La Rouveure. Continue downhill until you reach a crossroads.

(3) Follow this road to the left and take a hairpin turn to the right. Follow the carriage road that climbs gently through a beautiful forest. After about 2.5 km, you will reach a cross road.

(4) Follow the road to the left towards Peyfred. At the fork that appears a hundred metres further on, take the road that descends to the right. After a hairpin bend to the right, you will reach a place called Garnier. Note the neo-medieval architecture of the first house.

(5) Ignore a path on the left and cross the locality.

(6) At the end of the right-hand bend, take a path that climbs to the left. At the next crossroads, turn left onto a marked path and climb through old meadows. After a right-hand bend, you will come to two paths: take either one, in the shade or in the sun, and you will reach a crossroads.

(7) Take the first marked path on the left, which climbs fairly steadily through the forest. Ignore the paths on your right (elevation 1000). Further on, at an elevation of 1050 m, turn right. Continue on a slight incline until you reach Les Passas (a beautiful house).

(8) Turn left and continue climbing. Further on, walk along the meadows on your right and you will arrive at the large house in Gaud.

(9) Take a path that branches off to the left. At the next junction, go straight ahead and you will arrive at a large meadow with a beautiful farmhouse on your left.

(10) Continue straight ahead and stay on the marked path. You will come to a small road; follow it to the right (there are sports fields on your right).

(11) At the crossroads, take the first street on the left. After a few dozen metres, ignore another street on the right and continue straight ahead until you reach a calvary.

(12) Turn left and walk alongside the former commandery of the Hospitallers, with a beautiful view of Lake Devesset and the peaks of Mézenc on your right .

(13) At the crossroads on the edge of the forest, turn right onto a more or less tarmac road. Stay south on this marked path and ignore the side roads.

(14) At the T-junction, turn left and stay parallel to the D9.

No markings

(15) After about 300 m, take a path on the right. Cross the D9 with caution and follow the path opposite. Go around a campsite on the right and join Lac de Devesset. Walk along the lake on your right, then turn left to return to the starting car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 3,596 ft - Car park - Lac de Devesset
  2. 1 : mi 0.29 - alt. 3,747 ft - Crossing the D9
  3. 2 : mi 1.71 - alt. 3,048 ft - La Rouveure
  4. 3 : mi 2.13 - alt. 2,871 ft - Road junction
  5. 4 : mi 3.18 - alt. 3,133 ft - Road junction
  6. 5 : mi 3.84 - alt. 2,979 ft - Garnier
  7. 6 : mi 4.02 - alt. 2,972 ft - Trail start
  8. 7 : mi 4.6 - alt. 3,369 ft - Crossroads
  9. 8 : mi 5.38 - alt. 3,852 ft - Les Plassas
  10. 9 : mi 5.99 - alt. 4,049 ft - Gaud
  11. 10 : mi 6.22 - alt. 4,049 ft - Crossroads - Meadow
  12. 11 : mi 6.82 - alt. 4,019 ft - Crossroads
  13. 12 : mi 7.04 - alt. 3,999 ft - Les Trois Croix
  14. 13 : mi 7.32 - alt. 3,976 ft - Edge of the forest
  15. 14 : mi 7.83 - alt. 3,835 ft - Crossroads
  16. 15 : mi 7.99 - alt. 3,799 ft - Fork and crossing of the D9
  17. S/E : mi 8.76 - alt. 3,596 ft - Car park - Lac de Devesset

Notes

Access to the lake car park is subject to a charge (€5 per car) on the last two weekends of June, in July and August, and during the first two weekends of September. Free if you arrive before 9am.

Worth a visit

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.

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Reviews and comments

4.7 / 5
Based on 1 review
Reliability of the description
5 / 5
Ease of following the route
4 / 5
Route interest
5 / 5
foxy26
foxy26

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 28, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely, shaded walk. Take care at point 6: it’s a very narrow path that climbs for about 100 metres and isn’t used very often.

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