The Dent de Moirans

Easy walk on this “tooth” overlooking the Isère valley and offering an interesting view over the east foothills of Chartreuse.

Details

3972
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 10.71 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 15 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 403 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 403 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 978 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 648 m

Photos

Description of the walk

At Veurey take the D3 connecting to Montaud. In line with this village turn right onto the Route de Saint Quentin sur Isère (D218), park at the car park of the Montaud village hall (S).

The tour starts with the right road leading to the houses of the hamlets of the plain. At the intersection of the cross (1) turn left to head to Fayard. Stay right to reach the forest track. At the electrical cable (2) turn right (sign for Dent de Moirans) and then follow the standard Vercors Park Green, Yellow markings.
Walk quietly on an area along a very slight slope. Enjoy the small path right at marker 934 to visit the viewpoint (3) placed in a clearing.
Return to the track and follow the markings and signs to lead, on the right, to the summit of the Dent de Moirans (4).
Retrace your steps up to the crossroads (5) and take the path on the right signposted for Montaud and Saint Quentin, this trail also uses Green Yellow markings, and meets with a track below and leads to the hamlet of Les Maîtres (6).

Leave Green Yellow markings providing connections to Saint Quentin to then turn left on the road. At the crossroads turn left (7) (sign for Les Etroits), cross Les Etroits and reach the outbound path at Le Fayard (1).
Repeat it to reach the car park.

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 679 m - Montaud village hall car park
  2. 1 : km 0.92 - alt. 682 m - Carrefour de la croix
  3. 2 : km 1.41 - alt. 735 m - Under the power line
  4. 3 : km 3.48 - alt. 932 m - Orientation table
  5. 4 : km 4.25 - alt. 944 m - Crossroads under the Dent de Moirans
  6. 5 : km 4.61 - alt. 923 m - Dent de Moirans
  7. 6 : km 7.67 - alt. 674 m - The Masters
  8. 7 : km 8.48 - alt. 648 m - Carrefour les Etroits
  9. S/E : km 10.71 - alt. 678 m - Montaud village hall car park

Notes

Nothing too unusual about this trip, there is a hut near the viewpoint but it is for hunters. A nice fountain provides fresh water in the very friendly hamlet of Les Maîtres.
However the top of the Dent requires a great deal of care, especially with children. The face opposite to that of the path is made of a SINGLE STEP. And this step is very high (about 800 m). Needless to say, if you take the first step... To indicate this there are red patches on the signs, but it is good not to leave your children alone if you bring them there. Rest assured that despite this the hike is quite within the reach of any child.

Worth a visit

This walk provides good views of the Isère valley. At the viewpoint overlooking Grenoble is worth enjoying when there is not too much haze, but this is a rare occurrence.
Above, the Dent de Moirans dominates the glacial lock that stretched here a few millennia ago. This glacier which reached up to here also explains the fact that Grenoble is, despite being a mountain town, the flattest city in France.
Now in the 21st century that glacial lock has become a very important crossroads as two motorways lead from here to Lyon to the north-west and Valencia to the south-east. The result is immediately visible: the artisanal zones bloom before our eyes: Moirans, Saint Egrève, Noyarey-Veurey.
For visits you must stop at Veurey to see the Tower of the Templars. You can drive to continue to Montaud and take the old road that connected it to Autrans. At the Col de Montaud car park, extend the walk to visit the big cave of the mountain that crosses the road after about 500 m. Further on there is the tunnel that lets you pass to the Vercors plateau.

Reviews and comments

4.3 / 5
Based on 106 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.4 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.2 / 5
Route interest
4.4 / 5
coraym
coraym

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 27, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant walk; we set off from the Fayard car park, which avoids the initial stretch of road. A very gentle climb along a wide forest track. A few scenic spots. Access to the Dent viewpoint is easy, but caution is advised at the top as there are no safety barriers and it is effectively an 800-metre rocky outcrop. The surrounding area is on loose ground, so take care. The descent follows an easy, wooded dirt track. There’s just a short climb left to get back to the cars. A lovely discovery.

Machine-translated

Misterbird
Misterbird

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

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

Beautiful, varied hike. Stunning panoramic views at the orientation table, Dent de Moirans and Rocher de La Fesse. The latter is not signposted, perhaps for safety reasons. Most of the paths are wide and relatively flat.
Accustomed to 1,000 metres of elevation gain, we set off from St Quentin sur Isère, passing by the source of Bachus, a beautiful gorge, Les Lanceaux, La Touche, Montaud, L'Egalen and then the hamlet of La Combe, where we rejoined the route, covering a distance of 18.5 km. In the middle of the week, we didn't meet a single person.
Thanks again to the author who encouraged me to come to this area.
Misterbird

Machine-translated

Claude R3.
Claude R3.

I agree with your description, but as soon as the weather is nice, the route gets very busy, to the point that you can only see chamois and other wildlife on days when the weather is bad.

Machine-translated

uiageoise
uiageoise

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 26, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Although the weather remained uncertain, we enjoyed the walk and had lunch in the renovated hunters' hut.

Machine-translated

P BILAU
P BILAU

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 : Yes

A beautiful hike to enjoy with the family.
Please note that at Fayard, the small path that branches off to the east on the right is not very visible and has not been cleared.

Machine-translated

Claude R3.
Claude R3.

okay

Machine-translated

karls2
karls2

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 18, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Very nice, hot in August, but a lovely half-day walk. Quite a few shaded areas.

Machine-translated

Cocota
Cocota

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 23, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Well, I tried this route at the end of July and only encountered two hikers... Be careful between points 1 and 2 at Fayolle: you need to turn right and follow a very narrow path alongside a house. The path isn't very visible and I felt like I was entering the house's garden...don't go straight ahead to take the paved climb marked 20 metres higher up (although this also happens on the Dent), or you'll be off the suggested route... This very narrow path is in the forest, so it's nice and shady but not very well maintained.
The rest of the hike is fantastic... views from the orientation table and the Dents de Moirans are magnificent... however, from point 6 to the car park at the start, there's nothing of interest, just 2 km of tarmac in full sun... on the way down, it's better to turn left before point 6 to reach Le Chausson and then Fayard... less road

Machine-translated

Frederique38
Frederique38

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

Very nice route!
I tried it in both directions but I prefer the opposite direction to the one indicated, so you can climb in the shade of the forest.
To avoid the road, the path between Les Maîtres and Chausson is very pleasant.

Machine-translated

vincent agnes
vincent agnes

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 13, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We completed this entire route without any difficulty, and it was shaded.
It was a very pleasant hike.

Machine-translated

Claude R3.
Claude R3.

It's a shame we didn't do the last 2 km! But don't worry, this route is very popular at weekends.

Machine-translated

AlainMariette
AlainMariette

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 18, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We did this route avoiding the last 2 km, which we felt were unnecessary.
Taesch Alain

Machine-translated

Claude R3.
Claude R3.

This route is not very popular during the week, but at the weekend we are almost never alone..........

Machine-translated

polo381
polo381

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 06, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

I walked this route as a reconnaissance for a group of senior hikers.
Concerning the passage towards point 2 between the Fayard and the track, the path is not very visible and quite cluttered with brambles and branches. In my opinion, it's better to continue on the road as far as Chausson and pick up the track at this point. As for the rest, the route is easy to follow and thanks to the Visorando app, as the signposting in the Parc du Vercors sometimes leaves something to be desired, especially after point 4 on the way back.
The site at the summit is very pleasant, but I repeat, beware of taking the wrong step, which can send you tumbling 800 metres.

Machine-translated

Bernard Foray-Roux
Bernard Foray-Roux

Overall rating : 2.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 12, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : Yes

This is the first time I've given a negative review.
The signposting is inconsistent: sometimes it's brand new, sometimes it's hidden under ivy or faded.
As a result, you hesitate for quite a while at several crossroads.
It's better to follow the wooden signs and have the IGN map.
Otherwise, well done Visorando for your work: I regularly go "with you" and without any problems.
Bernard

Machine-translated

Other walks in the area

For more walks, use our search engine .

The GPS track and description are the property of this route's author. Please do not copy them without permission.