From Couzon-au-Mont-d'Or to St Romain-au-Mont-d'Or via Mont Thoux

A Short yet tough hike through the Monts d'Or. Very nice in good weather and on dry ground.

Technical sheet

n°295

Creation:
24 Feb 2011

Last update:
7 Feb 2023

Last review:
10 Jun 2025

Activity: Walking
Distance: 9.31 km
Average duration: 3h 55
Difficulty: Moderate
Return to departure point: Yes
Vertical gain: + 426 m
Vertical drop: - 426 m
Highest point: 593 m
Lowest point: 174 m

Country: France
District: Couzon-au-Mont-d'Or (69270)
Start/End: N 45.845612° / E 4.828088°
IGN map(s): Ref. 3031OT
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Description of the walk

(S/F) Start from the car park above the church below the Legrand factory.

Immediately take the street that heads straight up (rue Georges Lyvet) then take a small path to the left that goes towards a castle. Just before the castle, take the path on the right (Chemin des Vignes) which heads straight uphill to the RD90 (Route de Poleymieux).

(1)Take this road to the right and then immediately take the trail to the left (Rural Path No. 42) following it up to Route du Génie.

(2) Take it to the right. Follow this road until you get to Croix Vitaize.

(3) At Croix Vitaize take a left, along the path marked with an arrow to Mount Thoux.

(4) From Mont Thoux go down a small path to the D90 and catch up with the circuit route marked with an arrow to head back down to St. Romain-au-Mont-d'Or. At St. Romain-au-Mont-d'Or, go past the town hall and the Abode of Chaos museum and head towards the railway.

(5) Take the street along the railway tracks and then, at the second bridge (6) turn left on a small road which still runs alongside the railway which takes you back to the Couzon-au-Mont-d'Or car park (S/F).

Waypoints

S/E : km 0 - alt. 187 m - Church car park
1 : km 0.69 - alt. 285 m - D90
2 : km 1.52 - alt. 437 m - Route du Génie
3 : km 2.8 - alt. 438 m - Croix Vitaize
4 : km 4.67 - alt. 589 m - Mont Thoux
5 : km 8.35 - alt. 181 m - Railway line
S/E : km 9.31 - alt. 187 m - Church car park

Practical information

Descents can be slippery, do not forget walking sticks, they also are a great help for climbs.
Beware of cliffs.

In the nearby area

Automotive museum in Rochetaillée.
The banks of the river Saône and its fried food restaurants.

Reviews and comments

4.2 / 5

Based on 84 reviews

Reliability of the description
4 / 5

Clarity of route map
4.3 / 5

Route interest
4.5 / 5

User 17831453

Jun 10, 2025 at 02:22 EDT

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of walk : Jun 09, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Clarity of route map : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : Yes

Lack of detail in the route description, especially for the return journey. Would it be possible to indicate the approximate distances between two points?
Quite a long climb from the start, but a pleasant hike, mainly through woodland. Beautiful view from the top of Mont Thou.

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toposrandos

Mar 03, 2025 at 09:26 EST

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Feb 25, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

A very pleasant day on a well-marked circuit. We used the GPS for the descent to Saint Romain, as some of the paths could lead to confusion (1st part of the descent).

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François 01600

Nov 20, 2024 at 05:07 EST

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Nov 19, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Because of a weak leg, I wanted to avoid too much of a descent and so did this hike in reverse, which makes for a very nice and pleasant route with some discoveries for me (drystone shelters).
Beware of the gradients, which can be slippery in wet weather.
Thank you for a great time.

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maki69

Feb 20, 2023 at 05:13 EST

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of walk : Feb 19, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Clarity of route map : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : Yes

No problem reaching Mont Thou.
But to get back down, there are several little paths in all directions...
The Visorando application is not enough. You have to try several paths to find the right one.
Steep descent, not recommended on muddy ground.

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Petiteplume

Apr 04, 2022 at 04:31 EDT

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Mar 18, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

A very beautiful route, discovering the drystone shelters along the way and the low drystone walls.

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cortovaldes

Sep 22, 2021 at 07:19 EDT

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of walk : Sep 18, 2021
Reliability of the description : N/A
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Busy trail : No

Hello,
I did this route on Sunday during the heritage days and while waiting to visit the chaos mansion.
We followed the start of the itinerary before taking the path created by the pylons to avoid this stretch of road, which is far too long even though there are tracks. What's more, this shortcut allowed us to shorten the loop by road.
Once we reached the summit, we cut straight back to the start as the crow flies. This took us past ancient quarries and other Roman remains.

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Sythom

Sep 06, 2021 at 02:29 EDT

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Sep 05, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

A lovely walk.

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disquelexique

Jun 02, 2021 at 05:51 EDT • Last modified: Jun 02, 2021 at 05:57 EDT

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of walk : May 31, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A very pleasant and relatively accessible walk overall. Only the beginning gets off to a strong start with a pretty uphill section that can be a little tough for a sedentary person taking up sport or for the uninitiated. Once you reach the road, the route is much simpler and runs smoothly. On the other hand, and I agree with the other hikers, the description is not very reliable when it comes to the descent, so I had to use the map.

*Sporty for the first half-hour, though.

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ClémentT

Apr 05, 2021 at 08:08 EDT • Last modified: Apr 05, 2021 at 08:09 EDT

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of walk : Apr 03, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : Yes

A short stroll (rather than a "hike") that is well-suited to a leisurely half-day outing on the outskirts of Lyon. There are no particular difficulties apart from the climb up the stone paths (leaving Couzon), which can put a strain on the ankles. It's a bit confusing to find your way back from the summit of Mont Thou, as there are many paths that cross and run alongside each other. There is a fine view of the Lyon area from the summit, with the Jura and the Alps in the distance (on a very clear day). This route is very (too?) popular, especially at Mont Thou, which in fine weather attracts large numbers of people from Lyon who come here for a picnic.

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Roadrunner38

Feb 22, 2021 at 04:09 EST

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of walk : Feb 21, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : Yes

Going up is fine! Downhill, to each his own!

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james6907

Jan 25, 2021 at 02:37 EST

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Jan 23, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : Yes

A great hike, very popular with jogeurs.
It's best to set off early and on a sunny day, as the view from Mont Thou is fantastic, with views of Mont Blanc, Vercors and .....
The route on the outward journey is fairly clear, but on the return it's a little less clear. You can get lost on the path if you have a track, otherwise there's no risk of following the hikers.
Very nice walk less than 30 minutes from Lyon.

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VINCENT Simone

Jan 18, 2021 at 09:27 EST

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of walk : Jan 17, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

A quick comment: unlike other routes, the GPX file imported into Basecamp doesn't give me any tracks, only waypoints. Is this normal?
If so, it's not very practical because you have to redo the route.
Simone

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VicF

Nov 01, 2020 at 03:34 EST

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Oct 20, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : Yes

Getting to Mont Thou: no problem.
On the other hand, the way back is difficult to find. The paths are not marked (no signs). We managed by seeing people going up certain paths, aiming for our arrival point and looking at the map.
Don't be afraid to look around a bit on the way back. But there's no risk of making huge detours.

Physical difficulty: accessible to anyone who does a bit of walking. No technical difficulties.

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Doro Berner

Aug 24, 2020 at 04:03 EDT

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Aug 23, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Getting to Mount Thou was tough but rewarding and - above all - we could follow the correct route. Unfortunately it wasn't the same going back down. We couldn't find the described path to St Romain. So we ended up hiking back on a rocky, tricky path, that led us directly to Couzon au Mont d'Or again. Great hike, but the way back should be a bit better signed and safely accessible. Anyway, like this web site and will get back soon again :-)

Michel lacroix

Jun 15, 2020 at 03:24 EDT

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Jun 13, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : Yes

This is a lovely, very sporty little hike.
The climb up to the Route du Génie is quite rocky and steep, with an average gradient of 20%.
The descent from Mont Thoux is also steep and very slippery.
You'll need a GPS not to make any mistakes.

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