Intres walks

This hike offers a beautiful introduction to the Boutières region, with its rugged terrain, rivers, diverse landscapes and views. It alternates between moorland, meadows and forests of beech and coniferous trees, ending on the Dolce Via, which allows you to pick up the pace after the numerous ascents and descents.

This hike starts off gently at the bottom of the valley, following an old railway line. It then climbs up to a rocky outcrop where the ruins of Rochebonne Castle stand proudly. And as if the ruins of this castle weren't enough, all the great peaks of the Ardèche (Mézenc, Gerbier des Joncs) are visible throughout the hike.

This route offers a beautiful sample of the landscapes of the high Ardèche valleys that radiate towards Le Cheylard. The environments are very varied: broom heaths on the southern slopes, forests of chestnut, conifer and beech trees depending on the orientation, and grassy meadows on the ridges. There are numerous signs of volcanic activity, such as the Rocher de Soutron and the Échamps maar.

Discover the Gouffre de la Monette and its waterfall via the marsh route. This is a mysterious place to be enjoyed in peace and quiet, so choose a time when it is not too busy.

Easy hike on the Ardèche plateau. Relaxing landscapes and a magnificent lake, with a leisure centre. Combined with a swim in Lac de Devesset, you can enjoy a beautiful day of hiking in the morning and leisure activities in the afternoon.

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!

The route is mostly shaded and follows a variety of paths, some of which are poorly maintained, so long trousers are recommended. Access to the lake is 300m from the starting point. I suggest a circular route starting from Rochepaule. See practical information.

A beautiful half-day hike along a balcony path, which crosses ancient hamlets with panoramic views of the Eyrieux Valley. This route has been used for several years by the famous "Cheminote", a hike for the general public that connects Le Cheylard to Saint-Martin-de-Valamas. A hike proposed by the collective "Nos chemins ne sont pas à vendre" (Our paths are not for sale).

A hike proposed by the collective "Nos chemins ne sont pas à vendre" (Our paths are not for sale). A beautiful day-long hike along a south-facing balcony trail that passes through ancient hamlets with panoramic views of the Eyrieux Valley. This route has been used for several years by the famous "Cheminote", a popular hike that connects Le Cheylard to Saint-Martin-de-Valamas.

This is an easy hike that will take you around Mazet-Saint-Voy, passing by two beautiful trout rivers, the Lignon and the Ligne. The terrain is varied but gentle, alternating between meadows and woods. Beautiful views of Mont Mézenc are the icing on the cake of this hike.

On the route of an old Ardèche railway line that linked Le Cheylard to Lamastre. Here, take the tunnels and majestic old bridges, the likes of which are no longer built, for a day to (re)discover the Sumène valley in a different way.

A very pleasant hike, especially in the off-season, with significant differences in climate and vegetation between Saint-Jeure-d'Andaure (1,000 m) and the Doux valley (500 m). The views are typical of the Ardèche and change with almost every turn.

A pleasant walk through the forest, undergrowth and meadows, with the pretty, round crater lake of Saint-Front, the highest in the Haute Loire, as your destination. Views of Mont Mézenc and the Monts du Velay, and you will be on the edge of the summit of Les Roches, an ancient volcano which is a climbing site on its southern slope.The name of thePR® trail that we follow most often is "Entre pins et fayards" (Between pines and beech trees), which is very apt. We added the tour of Lake Saint-Front, as it was too tempting to resist.

On the ridges of the Ardèche mountains in a sumptuous setting, this walk is also geological. On the programme: granite piles over ten metres high, five superimposed basalt flows and a view of some of the most famous volcanoes in France: Mont Gerbier-de-Jonc and Mézenc. A change of scenery guaranteed.

A beautiful walk with varied landscapes along paths and little-used roads.

This route takes you to the charming Bel-Air valley and its castle, as well as several beautiful views over the Doux valley (Vallée du Doux). With low elevation gain and easy-to-navigate paths, this walk is accessible to everyone.

This walk takes in forests of chestnut, oak, beech and pine trees, two volcanoes, three types of lava, three typical hamlets and a 360° view of all the Boutières (at least twenty volcanoes in sight). 24/10/2023: Hike modified to avoid the Oppidum de la Farre, which is private property, classified as a historical monument and closed to the public (see practical information).

On the heights north of the Agueneyre valley and back along the river to the south, in the shade. On the way back, you will take a private path that is not shown on maps, with a rudimentary footbridge over the river.

This geological trail allows you to discover an ancient small volcano, Mont Signon, which became a peat bog, then an ancient maar, or marshy crater, home to several peatlands. Numerous information panels from the Geopark help you understand these different volcanic formations.

Enjoy a beautiful hike on Mont Signon and its old singing slate quarry. Beautiful panoramic views of the Monts de Haute Loire.

This circuit offers a tour opposite the village of Desaignes, then heads into the Bel-Air woods before climbing up to the heights of Labatie. The route allows you to stop at the Labatie lake, which is not really on the route. You will pass along wooded ridge paths and more panoramic tracks.

This walk on the Jameysse hillside, starting from the football stadium, is ideal for summer because much of the walk is in the shade of the woods on wide paths. The only technical points on the walk are crossing the main road, where there is heavy traffic, and passing in front of the sawmill, where there can be a lot of vehicle and lorry activity. The time indicated can be shortened depending on your pace.

Short, easy route around the drystone shelter, with a beautiful view of the Gouleyou, an ancient lava plug, and a visit to the Chier de Borée site, an arrangement of raised and engraved stones, which is a contemporary work of art.

This tour of Mont Mézenc allows you to admire the landscape stretching far in all directions: the Massif Central, the Ardèche, the Alps, the Pilat Massif... It is possible to climb Mont Mézenc during the circuit. The hike offers the best possible view of the beautiful Boutières cirque. The circuit also includes a return trip through the village of Chaudeyrolles and a tour of Mont Signon.

Walk along paths or small roads offering numerous viewpoints over the steep-sided Azette valley at the start of the route, then over the less wild Saliouse valley, with a beautiful view of the Cirque des Boutières at the end of the route.

Walk on the southern slope of Desaignes, between woods and scenic paths. This route allows you to see the village of Desaignes from several different angles while gaining a little height. The Chemin des Conchis is a beautiful place to gallop. The route passes through several hamlets and farms with dogs that may be running free.

This is a short circular loop in the Mezenc National Forest, from La Roche Pointue to Le Ventographe, passing by the peat bogs. Le Ventographe is a quirky object created by a DIY artist, placed on a ridge; it is the centre for transmitting messages to the wind, which are received further down by another equally quirky work of art!

A pleasant walk around Nozières, going as far as the Col du Buisson and returning via the highest point in the commune.

Between wooded areas and open landscapes, with the Velay mountains in the background, the Haut Lignon remains green during the summer months. Its granite houses evoke a rich past that has stood the test of time.

On the Ardèche plateau, this short hike is part of the history of silk reeling, which made the region prosperous from the early 19th century onwards. In July and August, you can enjoy blueberries, raspberries and wild redcurrants under the cool canopy of the forest.

On the plateau between Ardèche and Haute-Loire, hike through the hills and valleys of the forest. Discover some very interesting buildings and enjoy a breath of fresh air.

This route is dotted with varied landscapes and ends with superb panoramic views of all the surrounding mountains. This rock, less well known than Mont Mézenc or Gerbier de Jonc, nevertheless offers equally impressive views.

Fourteenth stage of the Way of St James. This fairly short stage (due to the gloomy, snowy weather) feels like a long, continuous climb until reaching the hamlet of Raffy, in the forests of Meygal, at an altitude of over 1,290 m, which is the highest point of this route. A short stop in Saint-Jeures, a small village with a beautiful 12th-century Romanesque church, situated a short distance from the Pic du Lizieux (1,388 m), clearly visible from a long way off before reaching the village.

A short hike, accessible to children in all seasons, to discover a 360° panorama from the summit of Pic du Lizieux (1388m): the Lignon valley to the north, the Monts du Vivarais to the east, Mont Mezenc to the south, Meygal to the west and, beyond, the Pilat Massif, Mont Blanc, etc. .

Circular starting from the Croix de Boutières, passing by the peaks of Mont Mézenc and the strange machine called the Ventographe des Boutières.

A very easy climb to reach the highest point of the Ardèche and Haute-Loire, offering sublime panoramic views.

A variation on the climb up Lizieux that takes you to Mounier, a little-known peak overlooking Freycenet and the menhir above Monbuzat-La Chieze.

This very pretty and varied walk, offering beautiful scenery, follows old paths, tracks and quiet country lanes, climbing up to the lovely village of Chalencon before descending along the magnificent Eyrieux valley via the “Dolce Via” (a former railway line that has been converted).

Located between Mont Gerbier de Jonc and Mont Mézenc, the Suc de Sara rises to 1,521 metres. The ascent via the south face and then the east ridge leads to the summit, which offers a 360° panoramic view of the surrounding knolls and valleys as far as the Vercors, Mont Ventoux and the Alps. During the ascent of the south face, the crossing of the scree slopes offers beautiful landscapes.

Between Gerbier de Jonc and Chartreuse de Bonnefoy, the Ardèche plateau offers numerous stone-slab knolls. This circuit between Aigue Nègre and Veyradeyre passes by four of them and at the top of three. In order, these are Séponet (tower), Montfol (summit), Lauzière (summit) and Taupernas (summit). From each of them, there is a beautiful 360° view of Mont Mézenc to the north, the Tanargue massif to the south, Gerbier and Areilladou to the east, and Haute-Loire to the west.

Climb the most famous knoll in the Ardèche, which offers a magnificent spectacle from its summit thanks to its 360° panorama of the surrounding volcanic landscape, then cross the River Loire and discover its various sources. 

This route takes you up the most famous knoll in the Ardèche. The effort required to reach the summit is rewarded with a magnificent 360° panoramic view of the surrounding volcanic landscape.

An easy snowshoe route to explore the snow-covered Ardèche plateau, near the Gerbier des Joncs. 'Les Coux' is a small volcanic knoll rising from the plateau, near the 'Gerbier des Joncs'. Car park at the cross-country skiing chalet on the Lachamp Raphael – Gerbier des Joncs road (1 km).

A free hike allowing you to discover the different sources of the Loire: "the authentic", "the true" and "the geographical". After climbing Mont Gerbier des Joncs, enjoy the 3km of this easy route.

This trail goes around and climbs up the Gerbier de Jonc whose summit offers a view over the Ardèche mountains.

Lalouvesc (at an altitude of 1,100 metres) is the meeting point of theGR® 420 and 430 trails. Lalouvesc has manyPR® (white and yellow) trails. This hike takes you along theGR® 420 and 430 and PR® trails. It skirts around the Chaix and Besset mountains. It stays at a high altitude, as none of the trails described here descend into the valley. Lalouvesc is also a remarkable site from which, on a clear day, you can see the Alps.

Hike between mountains and valleys on the edge of the Ardèche, with the religious heritage of the village of Lalouvesc, a place of pilgrimage dedicated to Saint-Jean-François Régis and Sister Thérèse Couderc. At the end of the route, cross the wind farm.