Lake Barterand

A peaceful hike on the border between Ain and Savoie. From the start, there is a beautiful view of the Rhône riverbed. Further on, you will see Lac de Barterand, bordered by unexpected sculptures in the rock. A short climb towards the flag reveals a beautiful view of the lake.

Details

285681
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 8.20 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 20 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 349 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 341 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 477 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 272 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Park near the church.

(S/E) Join the main street of the village and turn left.

(1) Turn left and take Rue de la Montagne to leave the village. Continue north-west for a long time, following the signposted route; it does not correspond exactly to the map, but it ends up at the same place on the D37.

(2) Cross the departmental road and continue in the same direction for about 400 metres, then turn right.

(3) The dirt track will soon run alongside Lac de Barterand. The area is wet and marshy, and the track is sometimes flooded and muddy. Continue until you reach the sculptures on the cliff.

(4) Continue to the intersection and turn right to stay along the lake. In a bend, leave the road and take a path on the right.

(5) Go up the stony path on the left to reach a flat area in the woods and look for the path that branches off to the left.

(6) Walk back and forth to the small summit marked by a mast with a red flag. Back at the fork, descend on the other side.

(7) Turn left to rejoin the road between Cressins and Parissieu.

(8) When you reach the road, turn right to return to Cressins and the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 272 m - Parking near the - Église Saint-Étienne (Cressin-Rochefort)
  2. 1 : km 0.19 - alt. 275 m - Rue de la Montagne - View of the - Rhône (le)
  3. 2 : km 2.64 - alt. 303 m - Crossing the D37
  4. 3 : km 3.06 - alt. 305 m - Turn towards the lake
  5. 4 : km 3.72 - alt. 301 m - Edge of the - Lac de Barterand
  6. 5 : km 4.69 - alt. 300 m - Stony path
  7. 6 : km 5.45 - alt. 451 m - Flag Trail
  8. 7 : km 6.76 - alt. 360 m - Turn left towards the road
  9. 8 : km 7.36 - alt. 284 m - Road
  10. S/E : km 8.2 - alt. 272 m - Parking near the - Église Saint-Étienne (Cressin-Rochefort)

Notes

From (6), the descent on the slope facing the Rhône offers a number of options for reaching the village of Cressins more or less quickly. The suggested route is not the shortest.
At the crossroads between (4) and (5), there are various sculptures to see.

Reviews and comments

4.4 / 5
Based on 44 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.4 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.3 / 5
Route interest
4.7 / 5
Héritier
Héritier

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 03, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Hike on 1 November 2025 - A lovely short hike amid the colours of autumn, best done when the days are short - with beautiful views of the Rhône and Lake Barterand, and a pleasant snack by the lake - two climbs, one of which is quite steep, just enough to make the hike appealing. No regrets.

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marco 73
marco 73

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 01, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hello, beautiful hike. However, the trail up to the flag is very rarely used and is starting to become overgrown with brambles.

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User 8162935
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 09, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant ride completed on schedule and without any problems. However, there are two points to note:

  • On the descent towards the D37, a large strip of forest has been cleared. You need to descend along this strip on your left until you reach the road.
  • After the short detour to the red flag (beautiful view of the lake and the Rhône), it is important to note that, in the absence of markings, you should turn right twice at two crescent-shaped junctions that follow each other in quick succession and do not correspond exactly to the map.

A very pleasant walk.

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Marjeloi
Marjeloi

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 06, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk, mostly through woodland, well described. Very pleasant.

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Estelle
Estelle

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 02, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Hike with beautiful views after the climbs. However, on the first big descent, the path is next to a woodcut and is completely ruined by vehicle tracks. I was hiking with a dog, so I let him off the leash because it was too difficult.
I also let him off for the descent after the peak where there is a flag because the path is very stony.
A good time but to be avoided if it has rained recently as there is a risk of slipping.

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Guyane38
Guyane38

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 06, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Good signposting. Reliable practical information. I always use GPS to avoid constantly looking at my screen, and it was great: the lake is beautiful, the sculptures are very original and impressive, and the view from the red flag is ideal for a picnic.
I have no complaints about this hike.
For those who don't like climbing, the climb to the red flag is tough 😳
It took me 3 hours.

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CHARPIGNY Pascal et bRIGITTE
CHARPIGNY Pascal et bRIGITTE

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 12, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

at the top of the viewpoint, the red flag is torn!
But the two viewpoints on the lake side and the Rhône side are magnificent.
A very beautiful walk.

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Cat-Alex
Cat-Alex

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 16, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

The path to the viewpoint is very poorly maintained, with lots of tall grass and brambles. On the way back to the road, the signs are not very clear. Follow the road that runs alongside the lake and take a path on the left that climbs up to the left of a property.

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Didine73
Didine73
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 13, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike, mostly in the shade. You can avoid muddy paths by going through the woods. After the lake, there are no signposts. We had to ask a local resident for directions.

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Estelle23
Estelle23

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : May 10, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A hike marked by two lovely climbs in the middle of the woods. Quite steep
No signposts at the end of the route, but no problem with the app.

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claudine amirand
claudine amirand

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 06, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Pleasant hike

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jm-fournier
jm-fournier

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 22, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Very good for a first outing

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Shaky
Shaky

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 21, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very beautiful hike, the start is well marked, even the carved rock is indicated
However, we never found the red flag, which is a shame as it's a lovely spot... as soon as you cross to the other side of the slope, there are no signposts
The paths around the lake are muddy, with large puddles, but you can get through the woods
We had good weather for the hike

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L’hérisson
L’hérisson

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 04, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Beautiful day; stunning scenery over the Rhône Valley and Bugey. The lack of vegetation gave us some great views. Trails and paths a bit damp at this time of year.

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Calou3863
Calou3863

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 28, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

There is not enough information to see the sculptures between points 4 and 5. When you take the road to Barterand, the sculptures are on the other side of the road.
A beautiful route with a lovely view of Mont Blanc.

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