The Aiguille des Cammazes Forest

A shaded hike through a beautiful forest that once provided charcoal.
A few pits, or charcoal pits, remain as evidence of this.

Details

216643
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 5.31 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 10 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 837 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 850 ft

  • ▲
    Highest point: 2,133 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 1,453 ft

Photos

Description of the walk

Park in the school car park at the edge of the village, on the Vauban vault side.

(S/E) Cross the village via Rue de la Passe, then turn right towards the church.

Yellow markings

(1) Go up the path to the left of the church and walk along the cemetery. The path enters the undergrowth, then descends between the pastures and arrives at the entrance to the forest itself after a second climb.

(2) Turn right, then immediately left a few metres further on. Head north-northwest until you reach a triangular crossroads.

(3) Keep to the right.
After about a hundred metres, you can follow a path branching off to the left for a round trip to the Roc de l'Homme viewpoint.
The path continues and descends to a wide track, the Chemin des Conduites.

(4) Follow the path to the left. The track follows a large water pipe. After a wide bend to the left, you will see a path leading off to the left.

(5) Turn left. Follow the yellow markings without deviating. You will arrive at a large clearing.

(6) A three-hundred-year-old beech tree once stood in this clearing. Once you have passed the clearing, take the marked path on the right. Head in a south-southeast direction. Ignore the three paths branching off to the right.

(7) At this Y-junction, turn right and follow the markings towards the potholes. Several potholes are visible on either side of the path. Follow the yellow markings. At the fork in the path, take a sharp right and continue straight ahead. At the T-junction, turn left downhill and you will arrive at the nature reserve below L'Adroit.

(8) Go up the bend to the left. Shortly afterwards, you will leave the forest. The path becomes a track and runs along the edge of the woods. Pass in front of the Adroit service road and you will come to the D629.

(9) Follow the road to the left, cross the village of Les Cammazes and return to the school car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 2,018 ft - School car park - Voûte Vauban
  2. 1 : mi 0.3 - alt. 2,028 ft - Church of Les Cammazes
  3. 2 : mi 0.81 - alt. 2,129 ft - Right-left
  4. 3 : mi 1.25 - alt. 2,106 ft - Path on the right - Roc de l'Homme
  5. 4 : mi 1.86 - alt. 1,453 ft - Fork in the road
  6. 5 : mi 2.52 - alt. 1,591 ft - Fork in the road
  7. 6 : mi 3.2 - alt. 1,955 ft - Clearing where a three-hundred-year-old beech tree once stood
  8. 7 : mi 3.54 - alt. 2,037 ft - Signposts to the potholes
  9. 8 : mi 4.3 - alt. 1,923 ft - Path climbing to the left
  10. 9 : mi 4.87 - alt. 1,991 ft - Fork in the road
  11. S/E : mi 5.31 - alt. 2,018 ft - School car park - Rigole de la Montagne noire (cours d'eau) -

Worth a visit

Vauban Arch.
Viewpoint at Roc de l'Homme.
Old charcoal burners' pots.

Reviews and comments

4.4 / 5
Based on 16 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.5 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.4 / 5
Route interest
4.4 / 5
madydou
madydou ★

Sometimes, waypoints are missing.
This is not Visorando’s fault.
The signposting is carried out by the FFRP.
It is not always necessary to follow the signposting to the letter.
The GPS track allows you to venture off the beaten track.

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User 1600828
• Edited:

The first section is well signposted. The descent is very difficult. The walk is by no means easy, as you point out. After the descent at marker 7, you come to a junction. You say to go right, even though there’s a cross there. So we couldn’t find the potholes at all. It’s a route that could be pleasant, but the second half is very disappointing.

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gilsol66
gilsol66

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

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

It’s a lovely, very shady walk, which is just what we need given the intense heat at the start of June.
The charcoal kilns are a historical highlight of this walk.
Thanks to the person who let us follow in their footsteps.

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Jocel349
Jocel349
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 28, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

An easy walk, apart from the descent along the stony path that leads to the water channel. I did it one morning during the heatwave at the end of May: the walk was in the shade for almost the entire time. The charcoal kilns make the route even more interesting. Thanks to the author and the trail markers.

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User 19493286

Overall rating : 3 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 03, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Beautiful hike, described as easy, but for me it was rather difficult on the descent over the rocks.

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User 13083849

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 02, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We went on a family hike with our 5-year-old child and were delighted. Very well marked and beautiful forest! PS: Don't stop at the Vauban tea room. No friendliness or business sense, and they can't stand children!

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Michel  Occitan
Michel Occitan

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

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

A very pleasant hike, especially in warm weather. Make sure you wear suitable footwear for the steep and stony sections.

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roques michel
roques michel

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

A shaded circuit with lower temperatures than in Toulouse... Great...

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Wildara
Wildara

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 31, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

It's a beautiful hike that we'll definitely do again... But it's not that easy, especially on the descent to the water pipe. The signage is perfect, the landscapes are varied with mostly forest... Just what we were looking for.

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philou31620
philou31620

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 03, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Very shady and beautiful scenery

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madydou
madydou ★

It is my pleasure to share the places I love.

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Padou31
Padou31

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 05, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

We were a family of seven, including three children aged between nine and fifteen. As a very hot day was forecast, we set off on our hike at 9am. In fact, as indicated, the walk is entirely shaded, and we didn't feel hot at all! We had a wonderful time. Everyone loved the walk. We took the opportunity to see the Cammazes dam (on the way back by car). Then we had a picnic by Lake St Fereol and went swimming. A very nice day, thank you for this hike.

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libellule1452
libellule1452

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 06, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Shady hike, perfect in hot weather. Not to be done in rainy weather, during the steep rocky descent between 3 and 4. Couldn't find the Roc de l'Homme. No springs observed along the pipeline path, although you can guess where they are.
Follow the yellow markings carefully, except at 6, where you must follow the yellow cross, the path on the right, to reach the potholes (and then follow the yellow markings again). Hike done with a compass to follow the directions in the description.

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nicolara
nicolara
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 08, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Beautiful route, mainly through forest so shaded. Follow the markings carefully. The descent towards the pipe path is not very obvious, we doubted several times whether we were still on the right route. Moderate elevation gain. Interesting local heritage with the three charcoal burners' pots. Nice

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Lo cordior
Lo cordior

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 24, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very "pleasant" hike in "autumnal" weather: sunshine, a slight southerly breeze...

a few tired potholes... a densely wooded forest, mainly beech trees, with no logging.

Very reliable yellow signposting,

a few difficulties descending towards Chemin des Conduites (between points 3 and 4).

For the start, keep the cemetery wall on your right (marked by yellow signage).

When the weather is nice, it's Visorandô...

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