From Le Claux to Cheylade: exploring the lakes and waterfalls

This walk is all about heritage and discovery. Admire the Étang de Lascourt and its 360° view of Puy Mary and the Sancy, the Pic du Christ with its observation tower, Lac des Cascades and its waterfalls, as well as the church at Cheylade.

This walk is part of a multi-day hike: From Cheylade to Le Claux and back

Details

n°45543706
Creation:
Last update:
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 6.34 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 30 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: No
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 659 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 1,181 ft

  • ▲
    Highest point: 3,842 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 3,018 ft

Photos

Description of the walk

(S) At the Puy Mary lodge, on leaving the car park, turn left towards Le Claux. Continue straight on until you reach the post office on the departmental road.

(1) Carry on straight ahead (Puy Mary Paragliding School on the right), then turn left towards the communal lodges.

(2) Just past the council lodges, turn right onto the path leading uphill. After climbing up through the field, go through the gate.

(3) Turn right at the fork (do not follow the ‘path’ straight ahead). Walk round the Étang de Lascourt (keeping the lake on your right), admire the view of Puy Mary to the south and the Sancy to the north, then rejoin the road by turning right.

(4) Follow the road to the right, heading north, until you reach the junction with the D262.

(5) Carry on straight ahead along the path until you reach a Fork in the road.

(6) Turn left at the gate onto thePR® ‘Sentier des Cascades’. Climb to the top of the observation tower.

(7) Remember to come back down to continue the walk. At the road, first turn right then left until you reach the next junction, near Lac des Cascades.

(8) You can walk round the lake if you wish. Otherwise, head to the road and follow it to the left (you can take a detour to the right to see the Cascade du Sartre). Walk past the river feeding the Cascade de la Roche.

(9) Carry straight on along the road towards Cheylade, keeping straight ahead, until you reach the church. Turn right at the church and continue to the end of the road.

(10) After the church, turn left towards the town hall (E).

Waypoints

  1. S : mi 0 - alt. 3,652 ft - Gîte du Puy Mary
  2. 1 : mi 0.75 - alt. 3,402 ft - Post
  3. 2 : mi 0.94 - alt. 3,415 ft - Communal lodges
  4. 3 : mi 1.12 - alt. 3,560 ft - Barrier
  5. 4 : mi 1.7 - alt. 3,835 ft - Road - Etang de Lascourt
  6. 5 : mi 3.12 - alt. 3,678 ft - D262
  7. 6 : mi 3.34 - alt. 3,645 ft - Fork in the road, small barrier
  8. 7 : mi 3.72 - alt. 3,694 ft - Observation tower
  9. 8 : mi 4.48 - alt. 3,169 ft - Lac des Cascades
  10. 9 : mi 4.75 - alt. 3,166 ft - La Roche Waterfalls
  11. 10 : mi 6.25 - alt. 3,153 ft - Église Saint-Léger (Cheylade)
  12. E : mi 6.34 - alt. 3,159 ft - Hôtel de la Vallée

Notes

-(8) Option to walk round Lac des Cascades (Discovery Trail / approx. 30 mins).
-At the road after (8): option to take a short detour to the right to see the Cascade Du Sartre (5 mins).

Worth a visit

-(1) Le Claux
-(7) Observation tower
-(8) Lac des Cascades and the nearby Cascade du Sartre
-(9) La Roche Waterfall
-(10) Cheylade and its church

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 / 5
Based on 1 review

Reliability of the description
Not used
Ease of following the route
4 / 5
Route interest
4 / 5
Fernandez Benjamin
Fernandez Benjamin

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 23, 2026
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely route!, though perhaps a bit too much tarmac. The church at Cheylade is magnificent
Thanks for the suggestion.

Machine-translated

mariefrancoise6
mariefrancoise6

xcxxxxxx

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