The Wild Valley of the Dadou

de fr

This is a brand new trail that complements the Vallées du Travet trail.
Hike for nature lovers and fans of wild valleys who enjoy exploring off the beaten track and following unique private trail markers.

Walkers who prefer well-marked trails should choose the Vallées Oniriques, published on Visorando.

Please note: following a ban on trespassing on private property, the route now follows a tarmac road between points (3) and (5).
A GPS device is essential to follow this route
It is strictly forbidden to cross any private property lines

Details

n°259796
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 11.24 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 15 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 359 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 361 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 456 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 270 m
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Photos

A change of scenery in a setting worthy of the movies
Landscapes
Viewpoint at the start
A dreamlike landscape in the middle of the woods

Description of the walk

Start from the grass car park at Costes Auriès. This car park is located just at the entrance to the farm, above the tractor shed.
New, updated private signposts made of painted wooden panels will guide you from start to finish.
The yellow markers found in some places follow a different route.

Yellow markings and signs for the Vallée Sauvage du Dadou

(S/E) Head towards the hamlet, turn left after 50 m, following the yellow markings and the private markings made with coloured tags. Continue along the path and turn left at the next two crossroads.

Unofficial signposting

(1) Just after the junction, stay on the marked track. This section is shared with the Vallées trail until you reach the blue-netted Pont de Singe bridge. Cross the footbridge and turn right. You are now on private property (private markings and new painted signs). At the metal sculpture, go around it by climbing up towards the woods on the left to follow a pretty dirt path. Don't worry about crossing this private property. The owner of Verdussat has even created this fountain area with sculptures for the enjoyment of hikers.

(2) Pass the Croix Blanche farm and continue along the wide track. Finally, cross the Bardes stream to end up at the junction with the D13.

(3) Take this road on the right for about two kilometres.

(4) Along the way, look for a grassy path on the right that is not very visible (a clearing is being created). Continue climbing until you reach the start of a track descending to the right.

(5) Follow this gravel track. Descend until you reach a fork.

(6) Turn right towards Gourg de la Nauq. Along the way, note an abandoned mill on the right. You will come to the entrance to private property.

(7) Take the grassy path on the right to follow the Dadou, which you will leave further on.

(8) Cross the ford and climb the path on the left to join a track.

Yellow markings

(9) Continue left, heading northwest.

(10) At the crossroads, take the path on the right (yellow signpost and Vallée Sauvage du Dadou) ignoring the other directions. Reach the hamlet and cross it to return to the grassy car park at Costes Auriès (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 455 m - Grassy area with picnic table
  2. 1 : km 0.91 - alt. 327 m - Continue straight ahead on the shared section
  3. 2 : km 4.09 - alt. 318 m - La Croix Blanche farm
  4. 3 : km 5.37 - alt. 290 m - Junction D13 - Dadou (river) - Tributary of the Ago
  5. 4 : km 6.82 - alt. 356 m - Small grassy path on the right
  6. 5 : km 7.32 - alt. 378 m - Climb up to the left at the hairpin bend
  7. 6 : km 7.9 - alt. 323 m - Turn right
  8. 7 : km 8.54 - alt. 308 m - Gourg de la Nauq
  9. 8 : km 9.16 - alt. 320 m - Cross the ford and climb up to the left
  10. 9 : km 9.6 - alt. 357 m - Continue to the left
  11. 10 : km 10.29 - alt. 385 m - Go up to the right and ignore the other tracks
  12. S/E : km 11.24 - alt. 455 m - Arrival at the starting point

Notes

Recommended equipment for hikers: long trousers for the "wild" sections
The route was mapped by the owner of Costes Auriès.
In private areas, follow the private markings (as well as the route on the map or GPS track).
Large coloured signs marked "Vallée Sauvage du Dadou" are in place to indicate changes in direction.

The old abandoned mill (just before point (7) offers access to the Dadou for a refreshing swim in summer.

Hike approved on Sunday 26 May 2024 and updated with the owner of Costes Auriès.
At point (4), a path will soon be cleared to join the track below, which leads to point (5).

Worth a visit

After crossing the rope bridge, you will see sculptures and a fountain in the countryside on the left.
Moulin du Gourg de la Nauq.
Bardes stream.
In Costes Auriès:
Museum of ancient agricultural objects.
Bread oven.
For visits, contact Jean-Paul Gasc, owner of the lodge.
Water available in the hamlet and sheep's cheese for sale.

Reviews and comments

4.5 / 5
Based on 37 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.5 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.3 / 5
Route interest
4.5 / 5
Sab!
Sab!

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

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

A trail is open at point 4. Follow the signs for "Vallée du Dadou."
The track below the road rejoins the original route beyond point 5. An update of the route would be welcome (less road). Very warm welcome at the Costes Auriès farm. Thank you for this tour on 25/03/2025, starting from the old castle of Arifat.

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Fernandez Benjamin
Fernandez Benjamin
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 03, 2023
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Interesting route.
However, we had to make a detour between 4 and 6 to avoid crossing a clear-cut area.
As a result, the route may be disrupted for some time. It is possible to bypass this by following the D13.
Towards the mill, the proliferation of prohibition signs contradicts the principle of hospitality and welcome.
We would like to thank the kind people who allow us to explore our beautiful country.

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Serge marois
Serge marois
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 11, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A superb hike with the added bonus of a free visit to the small museum of old tools in the hamlet at the end of the hike. The little stories in Occitan along the route were very enjoyable. There are quite a few small slopes, so beginners should be aware that they may experience some muscle pain the following days.

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Dvalax
Dvalax
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 15, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant trail through the forest along the Dadou River. We enjoyed the little stories in Occitan scattered along the route.

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Frneko
Frneko
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 19, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

I am very visually impaired and did this hike with my partner, who guided me. For me, some sections were narrow and quite technical, but very wild and physically demanding. My GPS recorded 12.5 km and 500 m of elevation gain. My route matches that of Visorando. A very nice little hamlet with good cheese. Occitan sayings along the way, a rope bridge, fords... A very beautiful day

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AudreyV31
AudreyV31
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 28, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A great discovery and a magnificent hike, very well signposted and on a well-maintained trail.
We are novice hikers when it comes to discovering new trails, but we weren't disappointed or even lost, as everything is very well signposted.
We had a wonderful day and were delighted to meet the couple of farmers who have given us the joy and pleasure of offering us this trail through the Tarn and the properties of local residents who want to share their beautiful environment with us.

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veve81
veve81
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 28, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

nice route, well maintained.
with a GPS, the signage is sufficient.

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fourcet
fourcet
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 22, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hello

We did this hike today in beautiful weather, so it was a really lovely walk. Here are a few comments. In the village, we were informed of a landslide in this area, but fortunately it does not affect the route.

However, regarding access to Verdussat after the rope bridge, the owner has put up a sign prohibiting access to a path that branches off to the right when walking south. We took it, but the path leads nowhere except into the undergrowth. So we returned to the main path to continue the hike. A little further on, the ground has slipped badly at this point and five or six trees are blocking the path. We climb over the trees, pass underneath and continue. However, we didn't see the metal sculpture! Was this an error on our part or has the terrain changed?

After this section, there were no problems. The trail, sometimes a footpath or forest track, was always well marked by the passage of hikers. After Verdussat, keep heading south, then west and finally south to point 2 and also to point 3.

The lack of markers is compensated for by the directional signs on multicoloured panels throughout the route, including point 4, which is clearly visible after the bend in the road on the right. However, you need to remain alert. Finally, a compass and GPS are useful.

Thanks to the authors.

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apatam
apatam
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 05, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Hello, we encountered a minor issue after half an hour: cut tree trunks were blocking the path, and it was quite steep to get around the obstacle. We had been warned about this by the route planner we met at the start.

MORE ANNOYINGLY... at point 4, there was no sign indicating where to leave the paved road, and as we didn't have GPS and it was a bit late to get lost, we stopped a car and the friendly owner, Mr Loubet, "like the president of the republic from 1899 to 1906," as he told us, took us back to the starting point tar:
I'll come back to finish the route, which is well worth the detour, but I'll leave earlier next time!!!

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Faumathe
Faumathe
• Edited:

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 18, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average

Signposting is lacking on the road to St Antonin and Le Travet. As a result, the return journey by road was not planned. Very disappointed

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jmtarnais
jmtarnais
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 30, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A pleasant and easy hike, thanks to the landowners who allow us to use their land and who have marked the trail.
I completed it in 2 hours and 45 minutes.

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odnar81
odnar81
• Edited:

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 06, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average

thanks for the hike

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Gilles 81
Gilles 81
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 22, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Contact with the route manager was very friendly; he is passionate about his country

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La ferme de costes-Auries
La ferme de costes-Auries
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 10, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Hello, New signposts have been put up from the car park at Arifat Castle, including the Arifat waterfall trail. This loop, which takes in the wild Dadou valley and the waterfall trail, is approximately 15 km long. It can also be done from the Costes-Auries farm in Le Travet (81120). Please do not hesitate to let me know if you notice any problems on this trail.
Mr Jean-Paul GASC, farmer and owner of the rope bridge. jeanpaul.gasc@orange.fr
Enjoy your hike!

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rv320
rv320
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 08, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A beautiful hike with pleasant, unspoilt scenery and plenty of shade, recommended during hot weather.

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