The Étang des Bésines and its refuge

A high-altitude forest walk to one of the most famous lakes in the Haute-Ariège.
This walk through a very wooded and therefore very shady area takes you to a large lake before starting the climb to an ideally located refuge. From this refuge, you can then reach others, En Beys and Les Bouillouses.

Details

696202
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 7.95 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 5h 25 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 2,037 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 2,024 ft

  • ▲
    Highest point: 6,860 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 5,033 ft

Photos

Description of the walk

Access: The start is on the road leading to Pas de la Case. It couldn't be easier: coming from Tarascon-sur-Ariège, follow the signs for Andorra and Pas de la Case. Once you reach L'Hospitalet-près-l'Andorre, continue in the same direction, taking care to avoid the Puymorens tunnel. To do this, when the road splits, keep to the right. After three hairpin bends, you will arrive at a fork. Turn left because, even though the road is blocked, access is permitted for people wishing to park to visit Les Bésines. The car park is immediately on the left before the first hairpin bend. A sign confirms that you are on the path to Les Bésines.
(S/E) Cross the road and you will be on the right path. Quickly head towards the woods, where you will find welcome shade in summer, and you will come to a junction with a signpost.

(1) Follow the signs for Les Bésines and turn left onto theGR®107Ctrail marked in red and white. Continue until you reach the edge of the woods.

(2) Leave the woods and continue along the path, where you will see many rhododendrons. The path is not very wide and it is not always easy to pass other people. Walk for a good kilometre in the open before returning to the Bois Long.

(3) The trail is a bit bumpy at first but nothing too difficult. The red and white markings are clearly visible, and the trail is very flat and straight at times. Walk for almost 2 kilometres through the woods before you see the Étang des Bésines. You will arrive at the dam and the lake. The area is very shady, making it ideal for a picnic or a break.

(4) Continue along the lake. Once again, there is no room for doubt, as the red and white markings are very clear. A few hundred metres after passing the lake, you will see a fork in the path.
At this fork, the Refuge is clearly signposted. Follow the signs and start the climb. Continue until you reach the Refuge.

(5) Start your return journey along the same route to return to the car park (S/E)

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 5,033 ft - Parking is available on the left before the first hairpin bend
  2. 1 : mi 0.3 - alt. 5,151 ft - Fork
  3. 2 : mi 0.58 - alt. 5,377 ft - Exit from the woods
  4. 3 : mi 1.74 - alt. 5,988 ft - Entrance to the Bois Long
  5. 4 : mi 2.97 - alt. 6,473 ft - Bésines dam
  6. 5 : mi 3.95 - alt. 6,804 ft - Fork - Refuge des Bésines
  7. S/E : mi 7.95 - alt. 5,033 ft - Starting point car park

Notes

Important information: Please note that this trail is closed in winter due to the high risk of avalanches. A sign shortly after the start of the trail indicates alternative routes if you wish to use this trail at other times of the year.
Also, if you want to do a round trip, it's a 13-kilometre walk, which makes it a "difficult" hike because of the length, even though the elevation gain isn't that high.
Drinking water, drinks and food are available at the refuge. Remember that this route is closed in winter due to avalanches. There are several shelters along the trail: one at the Bésines dam (4), another shortly after passing the lake and finally the refuge.

Worth a visit

Feel free to stop at the edge of the lake, where there is plenty of shade. The refuge is the ideal place to start higher altitude hikes and is located on theGR®10variant. The area is busy in summer.

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

4.7 / 5
Based on 31 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.6 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.8 / 5
Route interest
4.7 / 5
Jouss1
Jouss1

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 24, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A really good walk to get back into it

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libellule1452
libellule1452

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

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

Raspberries and redcurrants along the way!
A lovely walk, though quite noisy at the start – the sound of cars and motorbikes was getting louder.
A bit of a challenge at the start of the walk. No access to the car park at the hairpin bend indicated. You have to walk 400 metres along a very busy road from the lower hairpin bend. Not easy with children.
A magnificent mountain hut, with plenty of spots for camping.

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DomDom60
DomDom60

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 27, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A superb route – the only downside is the building work on the dam, but then that’s one of those things you can’t predict, and these structures do need to be maintained, otherwise… danger in the valley!!!
And one day this lake will regain its tranquillity
The mountain hut is well worth the little extra effort on the final climb – the view is stunning.
Enjoy the hike, everyone.

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MichelPaul
MichelPaul
• Edited:

A lovely walk, though slightly less so because of the noisy building work on the dam. A magnificent garden featuring rhododendrons, majestic trees and water features.

You’ll need good walking shoes – there are stones all over the path and some of them are a bit loose. But it’s perfectly walkable. It’s in the shade in the morning, though not quite as much in the afternoon.

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User 161427

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 21, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk, though the lake is still under construction, which wasn’t very pleasant for a potential picnic stop due to the smell of mud. A lovely climb up to the magnificent mountain hut with a lovely terrace and a splendid view
No particular difficulties to report

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DRotureau
DRotureau

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 15, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

The route and description are clearly set out (route map and guide). The scenery, the surroundings and the variety of terrain are wonderful; as the dam was undergoing maintenance, the lake was empty (a shame), but access to the refuge and the welcome we received were perfect. We had a lovely time.

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User 10708984

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 10, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk that isn’t too difficult, even with teenagers. There were some lovely views, even though the lake was low due to work on the dam.

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DORANHE
DORANHE
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 19, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike starting from L'Hospitalet.
The only downside is the noise from vehicles on the main road, which accompanies us at least until point 2.

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User 12091326

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 16, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Superb hike. Please note that the starting point is in an alleyway located between the Puigmorens tunnel diversion and the road to Andorra.
At the top, you walk alongside the lake with its magnificent reflections. The view from the refuge is very beautiful.
The refuge is very comfortable: dormitories with pillows (sleeping bag or sleeping bag liner and pillow size essential), bathroom with hot water with a £3 token for 4 minutes, very generous and very good meals.

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patricecourtiade
patricecourtiade

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 05, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Nice hike, we met about ten hikers... and/or lake fishermen.
The start at the bend above L'Hospitalet has a small car park, and then you have to walk along a fairly busy road for 500 metres.
You can also start from the Hospitalet car park (more convenient)... but it's 100m lower (so add that to the elevation gain for this hike).
It is also possible to reach the Besines refuge from the Col du Puymorens, which is longer... but it's downhill ;-))

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Yaigueur
Yaigueur

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 25, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Hike completed with children aged 11 and 16; fairly challenging but not too much, varied landscapes, woods, plains, rocks, streams

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User 3104495

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 08, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very nice hike today.
It's best not to arrive too late if you want to get a spot in what serves as a car park.
We chose this hike because it was going to be a very hot day. The route is mostly in the shade, which was perfect. The scenery is varied and there are some beautiful views. The lakeside is a pleasant spot for a picnic or a rest.
The climb took 2½ hours and the descent 2 hours 20 minutes. We didn't find the hike difficult. At the beginning, the path is narrow and close to the edge, so you need to be careful with children.

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User 9815704

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 28, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

An accessible and enjoyable hike. A gentle climb in the cool morning air, on a level trail (which also makes for an enjoyable return trip). A good warm-up or accessible for families.
Magnificent views of the lake, both from the banks and from the refuge.

The car park is located just below the start, so you have to walk a little way along the road.

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User 26264792

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 26, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Arrived by train from Toulouse and departed from L'Hospitalet-près-l'Andorre station. After a swim in the lake, we returned due to inclement weather. Without breaks, it took 2 hours and 30 minutes to ascend to the lake and 1 hour and 15 minutes to descend.

Very varied terrain, beautiful scenery, highly recommended. :-)

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GIGI09
GIGI09

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 08, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Very easy hike with no particular difficulties and a very pleasant trail

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