The Île de la Table Ronde and the Ferme du Loup

Family walk leading to the Ferme du Loup via various observation points overlooking the surrounding nature: river, pond, meadow...

Details

1064728
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 4.45 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 1h 15 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 5 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 5 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 162 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 153 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Park in the island car park, on the right of the D36 coming from Vernaison or on the left coming from Sérézin-du-Rhône.

(S/E) Head towards the tower where an old boat is moored, which welcomes you at the start of the walk. At the fork just after, turn left, leaving the path that leads to the banks of the Rhône on your right. You will come to a crossroads.

(1) Continue straight ahead, then turn right at the crossroads a few dozen metres further on. At the next T-junction, turn right again and continue straight ahead (south-west) until you reach a crossroads with three posts. Continue straight ahead to reach an observatory.

(2) At this observatory, you will have a view of a backwater where swans, beavers (visible before sunrise or late in the evening when the area becomes quiet again) and hummingbirds live. Turn left. Return to the crossroads and turn right. Please note that in wet weather, the small descent is slippery and the backwater may flood the path slightly. Continue straight ahead along the path

(3) At the fork, take the second path on the right. This open path runs alongside a meadow on your right. In spring, you may see orchids here, so watch where you step. Follow the meadow along the woods, keeping southbound.

(4) Turn right, then left at the next intersection and continue straight ahead until you reach a second meadow.

When you reach the meadow, take the time to enjoy and observe the ponds where dragonfly larvae and frogs live. Watch out for orchids along the way. Cross the meadow, veering to the right to reach a crossroads. Continue straight ahead to the Loup farm.

(5) Enjoy the peaceful surroundings before continuing straight ahead to reach a carriage road, where you will turn left. Continue straight ahead, following the banks of the Rhône on your right. After about 1.6 km, turn left and then left again at the next intersection. Continue straight ahead to cross a meadow.

(1) At the end of the meadow, turn right and retrace your steps to return to the starting point (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 158 m - Island car park - Rhône (le)
  2. 1 : km 0.27 - alt. 159 m - Crossroads of the circular
  3. 2 : km 0.78 - alt. 155 m - Observatory
  4. 3 : km 0.89 - alt. 157 m - Fork, on the right
  5. 4 : km 1.36 - alt. 157 m - Intersection, on the right
  6. 5 : km 1.93 - alt. 157 m - Ferme du Loup
  7. S/E : km 4.45 - alt. 158 m - Island car park

Notes

Car park with picnic facilities.
Two restaurants.

Worth a visit

La Ferme du Loup: a building lost in the middle of Île de la Table Ronde, formerly known as Île de Sénozan. This restored ruin, which has faced the Rhône since the early 18th century, is a pleasure property, farm and open-air café that has stood the test of time. As if to give it a new lease of life, it has also changed its name! "Le domaine de Sénozan", "La ferme", "La grande ferme" and now "La ferme au Loup" in memory of a family who once lived there.

In 1963, marked by time and floods, such as those of 1955 and 1957, which were particularly impressive, this ruin was sold by the owners to the Compagnie Nationale du Rhône for the construction of the Pierre-Bénite dam.

In 2003, SMIRIL officials decided to revive this historic site, and major work began! The aim was not to rebuild, but to consolidate the ruins and restore the ice house and bread oven. Since then, it has become a must-see for many children who come to discover the island's treasures!

Reviews and comments

3.6 / 5
Based on 26 reviews

Reliability of the description
3.6 / 5
Ease of following the route
3.6 / 5
Route interest
3.6 / 5
Thabor
Thabor

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 29, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

A pleasant time spent on this island at the end of May 2025.
Nothing extraordinary, just a few points of interest and the proximity of the river.
Thank you for this moment.

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arnaudblomart
arnaudblomart

Overall rating : 4 / 5

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

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Oliveloulou
Oliveloulou
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 28, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Very pleasant and flat, making it ideal for a family outing with children.

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Nono22
Nono22

I don't know how to follow the trail markers on the hike.

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marikgrr
marikgrr

Overall rating : 3 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 11, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Group walk, very enjoyable: magnificent landscapes along the Rhône, quite surprising for us coming from the north of Lyon.
A beautiful walk, but the paths are poorly maintained, which is a shame, and very poorly marked. Without a GPS, it's impossible to find your way around this maze in the south of the island.
It's a shame there isn't an information board explaining the existence of the wolf farm

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lali69
lali69

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 18, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Hello,
It's very useful to have a GPS because there are no signposts!
Lali 69

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nom
nom

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 03, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

I didn't always follow the route, but anyway, you can't get lost! I went further south on the island than the directions on the map indicated.
Not many signs: a shame.
A pleasant walk.

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Michel lacroix
Michel lacroix

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 19, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : Yes

A short walk taken out of curiosity to see what this island between the Rhône and the Canal was like.
We extended this route by going to the end of the island, which made for a 9-10 km walk.
The island has become so wild that some of the paths visible on IGN maps have disappeared.
A simple walk to do once.

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Yannick_Josset
Yannick_Josset

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 11, 2021
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant little walk. Very peaceful on this cold winter morning, but probably much less so on sunny days.
It seems that the route isn't entirely accurate around the ponds... Having done the route backwards, I couldn't find a path that matched the trail.
We had a very pleasant, invigorating morning.
Thanks to the author.

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Pimousseu
Pimousseu

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 01, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : Yes

A pleasant post-meal stroll with the children (ignoring the warning signs about the dangers of Feysin and motocross)!
Suitable for children on bikes without any fuss

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gwendy
gwendy

Overall rating : 2.3 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 29, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Very busy route : Yes

the path is clearly visible, but lacks markers and signs...
e.g.: the wolf farm is not marked, there are no signs.
the maintenance of the site also leaves something to be desired. It is true that it is wild, but there is a difference between wild and looking abandoned...
you're walking on an island, but you can't see the river branches very well.
very disappointed.

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Franck30
Franck30

Overall rating : 2.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 19, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : Yes

A lovely walk through the woods
Unfortunately, many paths are no longer exciting
The return trip via Les Bergers du Rhône resulted in quite a few mosquito attacks
The guidance is more or less correct

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Josiane simone
Josiane simone

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 15, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Very busy route : Yes

it's a shame there are no signs for the wolf farm
not found.
lack of maintenance on the paths.
otherwise, a nice walk not far from Lyon.

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d'or
d'or

Overall rating : 3 / 5

Date of your route : May 17, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : Yes

More of a stroll than a hike; very accessible with children and quite pleasant. A little too crowded for my taste, but it was the weekend after lockdown ended... Perhaps quieter at other times of year

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ematoy
ematoy

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 31, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

app guidance essential for this route

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