From Lake Pavin to Lake Montcineyre

An interesting hike due to its diversity: peat bogs, volcanic lakes, chasms and, depending on the season, a few orchids between (6) and (7).

Details

129058
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 7.71 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 15 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 771 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 745 ft

  • ▲
    Highest point: 4,314 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 3,839 ft

Photos

Description of the walk

Parking at Lac Pavin.

(S/E) Take the path at the back of the car park towards the lake

(1) At the lake, take the path on the right.

(2) At a three-way junction, take the upper path. Continue up the path until the next fork.

(3) At the T-junction, turn left and, 50 m further on, turn right. At the next fork, take the left-hand path.
Continue south then south-west to reach Pisseporc (pond on the right-hand side of the path).

(4) Follow the path that joins a small road, which you follow to the right, ignoring the other paths, until you reach Creux de Soucy.

(5) Go back and forth along the edge of the path to see the chasm. Continue straight ahead at the crossroads along a path until you reach a fence, which you should close behind you.

(6) At the fork, turn right and continue along the same path, which branches off slightly to the right.

(7) Cross the cattle grid and continue along the path opposite at each junction. Pass through the fences (close them behind you) to reach a milking area and an area where you can see small ponds.

(8) You will arrive at Lac de Montcineyre after passing a path on your right. Take the same route back to the cattle grid.

(7) Then turn right and continue straight ahead.

(6) At the crossroads, continue north-east.

(9) Further on, cross the road and continue to the viewpoint over Lake Pavin.

(10) Continue on the right side of the lake and take the path on the left that approaches the lake and runs along its right side.

(1) Turn right to return to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 3,839 ft - Parking at Lac Pavin, near the - Couze Pavin (rivière) à finaliser
  2. 1 : mi 0.29 - alt. 3,927 ft - Path on the right - Lac Pavin
  3. 2 : mi 0.61 - alt. 3,967 ft - Stay on the upper path.
  4. 3 : mi 1.17 - alt. 4,255 ft - T-junction
  5. 4 : mi 1.7 - alt. 4,213 ft - Pisseporc
  6. 5 : mi 2.17 - alt. 4,154 ft - Creux du Soucy
  7. 6 : mi 2.73 - alt. 4,042 ft - On the right
  8. 7 : mi 2.84 - alt. 4,032 ft - Canadian crossing
  9. 8 : mi 3.99 - alt. 3,881 ft - Lac de Montcineyre
  10. 9 : mi 5.65 - alt. 4,081 ft - Road crossing
  11. 10 : mi 6.67 - alt. 4,157 ft - Viewpoint
  12. S/E : mi 7.71 - alt. 3,842 ft - Parking at Lac Pavin

Notes

Set off in good weather conditions, as there is no shelter.
Bring drinks and snacks.
Wear warm clothing and a waterproof windbreaker.
There are numerous signposts along the route.

Worth a visit

Devil's Chair rock chaos
Pisseporc Bog.
(7) Depending on the season, there may be some orchids.

Reviews and comments

4.5 / 5
Based on 102 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.5 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.4 / 5
Route interest
4.6 / 5
Senmout
Senmout

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 12, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A lovely route with varied scenery.

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User 29473382

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 01, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

I went on this hike on a perfect day, with a mix of cloud and sunshine. Make sure you follow the signposts or the map on your phone, as I couldn’t really see the signposts very well. Stunning scenery, with forests, lakes and plateaus. I highly recommend it 😉

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machin
machin

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 29, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk, much of which is through woodland; not too steep, ideal for families with young children.

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DROP34
DROP34

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 15, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Lake Pavin is a beautiful spot, and very popular. It’s a shame that swimming isn’t allowed in these crystal-clear waters. Lake Montcineyre is rather disappointing, especially as you can’t walk all the way round it

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thom06
thom06

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 20, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We went on this walk on 20 June 2026 with our two dogs; there weren’t many people on the paths (about ten groups), but there was a mountain bike race taking place. A relatively easy walk. A lovely setting. We completed the walk in 3 hours and 15 minutes, stopping for a 15-minute lunch break at the second lake.
It’s lovely in summer as a large part of the route is through woodland, before we reach a plateau exposed to the cool mountain breeze. Be careful: there are cows on the plateau; they aren’t afraid of people or dogs.

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User 29597873

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 11, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Lake Pavin is truly magnificent! And then you walk through the rolling pastures, with their magnificent fir trees.
Make sure you follow the GPS carefully, as the walk doesn’t take the most obvious route, so look carefully at where to go at every junction with what looks like a path.
And the nod to the Magic Bus from Into the Wild on the way back to Lake Pavin is a nice surprise.

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User 12383223

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 20, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Well designed, it is easy to follow the route and see on the map whether we are on track

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ChrisFlo
ChrisFlo

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 01, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Route taken at the end of August, fairly quiet
We encountered many quad bikes

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choupy40
choupy40
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 15, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk between forest and plain.

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User 3638894

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 07, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely hike with a mix of shade and sun. Beautiful scenery. Suitable for families.

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User 26993201

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 12, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

More details are needed about the route out of Lac Pavin

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claudedufaubourg
claudedufaubourg

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 11, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Thank you for your route and information, which enabled us to enjoy a pleasant day out with the family surrounded by beautiful scenery.

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User 11701477

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 11, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Very good hike, pleasant and varied

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GuyLeroy
GuyLeroy

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

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

Hello, the walk is easy and the views are beautiful. However, I would not do it again due to the crowds. There is mass tourism around Lake Pavin and many hikers all the way to Lake Montcineyre. It is crowded throughout, which is to be expected in August.

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User 8410177

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 21, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

We set off early in the morning with few other people. During the hike, there was a glaring lack of signposts and markings. We did it in bad weather, with wind and rain. We had a rare encounter with a hiker and her horse.
When we arrived at Lake Montcineyre, it was very windy, so we couldn't stay long. We had a picnic sheltered a little further into the woods. The return trip was uneventful, apart from the lack of signposting. At the end, there were a lot of people at Lake Pavin. All in all, a good hike.

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