The Brou departmental forest

This is a large loop offering several views of the Lyon area and, on a clear day, even Mont Blanc and the Alps. You will also discover the Beaujolais des Pierres Dorées (Oingt, Le Bois d'Oingt, Moirée, etc.) and part of the Tarare Mountains. No major difficulties to expect, the route passes along forest tracks, trails and a small section of tarmac (D629, very little traffic).

Details

n°333452

Creation:
11 Aug 2016

Last update:
02 Sep 2026

Last review:
10 Aug 2026

Activity: Walking
Distance: 5.60 mi
Average duration: 3h 35
Difficulty: Moderate
Back to start: Yes
Ascent: + 1,184 ft
Descent: - 1,184 ft
Highest point: 2,444 ft
Lowest point: 1,381 ft

Country: France
Areas: Massif central, Beaujolais
City: Dième (69170)
Start/End: N 45.944572° / E 4.481361°
IGN map(s): Ref. 2930ET
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Description of the walk

Between Saint-Vérand and Saint-Clément-sur-Valsonne, take the D313 then the D106 and park in the car park beside the Ruisseau de Brou.

(S/E) Take the forest track heading uphill to the right of the stream. Join the^GR®®76at the Grande Tournée junction.

(1) Turn left onto this^GR®® signposted towards Les Roches Blanches, until you reach another junction.

(2) Continue to the left (altitude 580m); to do this, leave the^GR®® and carry on towards Les Roches Blanches (signposted), until you reach it.

(3) Cross an area where the vegetation, depending on the season, is lush (watch your calves). You’ll reach a small shelter, a stone hunters’ hut.

(4) Follow the forest track uphill towards the Cabane Guérin, at the junction with the D629.

(5) Continue along the path opposite to reach the highest point of the walk (745m), with a magnificent view and an orientation table.

(6) Begin the descent and you’ll soon reach the^GRP®® Tour des Pierres Dorées trail. Turn right onto it and head down to the Croix de Brou (a tarmac section on the D629 – very little traffic, not cleared of snow in winter).

(7) Take the forest track running alongside the motocross track. ( Note: there are several tracks at this point.) Head towards the shaded picnic table.

(8) Continue the descent along the forest track until you cross the main track.

(9) Cross it and continue down the track opposite (leaving the main track behind). You’ll easily reach the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

S/E : mi 0 - alt. 1,381 ft - Car park – along the Brou stream
1 : mi 0.77 - alt. 1,732 ft - The Grande Tournée
2 : mi 1 - alt. 1,903 ft - Signpost – elevation 580m
3 : mi 1.55 - alt. 2,103 ft - Beware of lush vegetation
4 : mi 1.97 - alt. 2,277 ft - Shelter – Hunters’ hut at 690m
5 : mi 2.32 - alt. 2,365 ft - The Guerin Hut
6 : mi 2.53 - alt. 2,444 ft - The “Roche St Martin” orientation table
7 : mi 3.77 - alt. 2,011 ft - Croix de Brou, viewpoint
8 : mi 4.89 - alt. 1,913 ft - Picnic table
9 : mi 5.34 - alt. 1,611 ft - Junction with the main track
S/E : mi 5.6 - alt. 1,381 ft - Finish – Picnic tables

Notes

There are no specific markings for this hike. I therefore strongly advise you to take a printout of the map and an IGN map with the route marked in advance.

Most of the elevation gain is in the first part of the walk, up to the highest point, the orientation table at Roche Saint Martin, at 745 metres, followed by a gentle descent through the woods.

Although the route is not very technical, some sections require good footwear.

Worth a visit

In the Beaujolais des Pierres Dorées region, there is no shortage of places to visit, but the unmissable highlight remains the little village of Oingt, listed as ‘one of the prettiest villages in France’.

Reviews and comments

4 / 5

Based on 35 reviews

Reliability of the description
3.5 / 5

Ease of following the route
4.1 / 5

Route interest
4.5 / 5

gali69

10 Aug 2026 at 12:07 7200 • Edited: 11 Aug 2026 at 08:12 7200

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 06, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A walk undertaken on a very hot day.
95 per cent of the route is in the shade, which is very welcome. We passed fewer than three people on the trail and came across a family on mountain bikes during our picnic break at the orientation table.
A few clearings in the forest offer lovely views.
Thanks to the person who mapped out the route.

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bg05

17 Jun 2025 at 18:41 7200

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : May 31, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

I did this hike about ten years ago, and nothing has changed. The route is shaded and pleasant. Just a heads up: the road to the car park is narrow, so it can be difficult for two vehicles to pass each other.

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pauline43

10 May 2025 at 21:36 7200

Overall rating : 4.5 / 5

Date of your route : May 10, 2025
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant walk in the forest with a few scenic viewpoints. Thank you for suggesting this.
We did it at the end of the day, so there weren't many people around.

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mimiche1954

15 Aug 2023 at 17:24 7200

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 14, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Thanks to the author for this beautiful hike
We did it in very hot weather, but the paths are well shaded

There is a small error in the description of the starting point: you need to take the forest track to the left of the stream, not to the right as indicated in the description.

Stay alert because there are many intersecting trails, especially about 500 m after the orientation table. The path to take is a small trail on the right that is not easily visible, and it is easy to follow a path that is not marked on the IGN map. We realised this because my phone rang.

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nattes

31 Jul 2023 at 14:04 7200

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 31, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful route that requires a bit of attention...or a GPS track...in my opinion, it's better to do it in reverse

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Hearly

31 Jul 2023 at 10:42 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 31, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike on a Sunday morning.
Nothing but forest and beautiful views. We used a GPS.
This was necessary as there are many paths that cross each other.
Be careful, the access road to the car park is narrow (it's impossible to pass other vehicles)

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nattes

22 May 2023 at 07:49 7200

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 19, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful route through lush countryside; a real success.
One downside: considerable uncertainty at the start. To prevent hikers from taking the route backwards, which is what we did, it would be sufficient to say that from the car park, you need to climb up following the GR trail, which you leave further on.
That said, luckily we had the route marked, otherwise I think we would have had more questions.
A magnificent trail, with hardly any tarmac, but a little rough for children, in my opinion.

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Geraldiine

11 Aug 2022 at 08:18 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 07, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very nice route and very well described. We just got lost at the end where you have to turn off towards the last climb because the explanation was a little unclear
Lovely views and a magnificent castle to see. The old railway track is very pleasant and even in hot weather the alternating shaded areas make the walk quite doable.
Easy even with children.

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bernardbertignat

21 Jun 2022 at 16:40 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 20, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

hike done on a very hot day, very suitable as it is mostly in the forest. Beautiful view from the top.
Pleasant, easy hike
BF visorandonneur

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catherine BERNICHON

07 Mar 2022 at 10:54 3600

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 07, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Beautiful hike, accurate description and easy to follow
The starting point could be better indicated, but the map and details are perfect
The loop is well designed in terms of difficulty (not very difficult)
We did the walk in early March in beautiful weather but with a north wind, so it wasn't warm and there weren't many walkers. We'll do it again in spring when this walk under the pine and deciduous trees must be even more magnificent, plus the views of the Monts du Lyonnais and Beaujolais

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SAULNIER Christian

23 Nov 2021 at 11:12 3600

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 17, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Pleasant autumn hike.
Point 3, "Les Roches Blanches", was not found (you had to take an unmarked grassy path!).
I've never seen a GRP marked with just a yellow line – a GRP has a yellow line with a red line underneath! – so I continued straight ahead and joined the road further on
At point 7, it should have been indicated that the path to take is to the left of the GR!

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tirounette

27 Jul 2020 at 16:04 7200

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 26, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

The description of the hike is completely inaccurate! Luckily we had GPS to guide us! We enjoyed the cool shade of the woods on this very sunny and hot Sunday, 26 July. It was a beautiful day!

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gerardf69

27 Jul 2020 at 10:01 7200

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 26, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

This is the perfect route for sunny days, as it runs through the forest. It is definitely a good idea to have a GPS, as there are many paths in this forest.

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Marieetgérard

26 Aug 2019 at 15:17 7200

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 26, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

The recommendation to bring an IGN map is to be taken seriously, as without one the route can be difficult to follow.
Otherwise, it's a very beautiful walk under the pine trees, especially in warm weather.

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paschemViso

23 Jul 2019 at 11:29 7200

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 23, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Very pleasant hike.
As for navigation, without the Visorando app, I think we would have got a bit lost. At point 7 in particular, there are two forest tracks running alongside the motocross track; it's the one on the right that goes downhill.
But with the app and the IGN map, it's perfect.
Thank you for your work

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