The Pierre Arnoux Belvedere

Date of your route : Sep 16, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A pleasant forest trail, very steep, which can be challenging for someone who is not used to walking.
When you reach the plateau, it is very pretty and peaceful, with a green space that is ideal for a picnic.
At the end of the trail, there is a magnificent view of the lake, which is a feast for the eyes. You can even see the lake at Embrum. The area is very clean.
It's worth the effort 😉

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Date of your route : Jul 25, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We started the walk a little higher up to limit the elevation gain.
A majestic panorama awaited us on arrival and we enjoyed a cool walk under the trees.
We didn't see anyone else in July
but we missed a sign on the way back and had to turn back
The educational trail is very informative

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Date of your route : Apr 17, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Fairly easy hike, although there are a few steep climbs. It is more interesting to continue on the circuit: Pierre Arnoux - a path that descends westwards, rather steep, to Champ Granet - take the Naudet forest track - you will rejoin the uphill path with a few possible variations - park your car in Le Forest next to the rubbish bins. N.B.: given the erosion of the path in places, it must be very busy in good weather (but there is still access for cars at the car park on the forest track at the southern end of the climb to the viewpoint). Lake Serre-Ponçon is very low!

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Date of your route : Jun 27, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Great thing to do in warm weather; lovely walk through the forest and magnificent view of Lake Serre-Ponçon from the viewpoint.

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Date of your route : Jun 02, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very pleasant, mostly in the woods.
The viewpoint offers magnificent views of the lake and is a family-friendly alternative to the longer climb up Morgon.

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Hello and thank you very much for your comment about the distance.
We are very used to seeing two measurements being disputed on the website: distance and elevation gain.
Of course, we also know that (almost) all hikers have either a watch, a GPS device or a smartphone that provides them with measurements. And everyone believes, rightly or wrongly, that their measurement is the correct one.
So if you have found double the distance, it means that your device has made a serious error.
To convince yourself, take the 1:25,000 map at 3438ET and measure the distance in centimetres between the car park and the viewpoint using either a curvimeter or a ruler, following the route shown on the map. Multiply this by 2 and then divide by 4 to get the actual distance in kilometres. This calculation converts centimetres into kilometres.
For the elevation gain, it's the same thing, but take the altitudes of the lowest points and then the highest points and subtract these values from each other.
Have a nice day.

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

Hello,
Very beautiful hike, but unfortunately there was a serious error in the description. The total distance of 5.8 km turned out to be twice that. It seems that the information provided only refers to the outward journey for this point.
Alain

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Date of your route : Aug 20, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

I just want to point out that the "clôt de la fontaine" crossroads is actually called "pré de la fontaine" and that the sign is half fallen down. We missed it; the fountain is a small spring. Apart from that, the hike is superb!

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Date of your route : Aug 27, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Hello,
We had a very nice walk, starting a little higher than the advertised starting point.
The viewpoint is superb, with a pretty, well-maintained and clean refuge.
This walk can be done in hot weather, but there isn't much of a view during the climb.
It must be beautiful in autumn too.

Thanks to the author for this hike.
P.S. There were a lot of wasps at the viewpoint, so we just went there and back. Too bad

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Date of your route : Aug 27, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Hello,
We had a very nice walk, starting a little higher than the advertised starting point.
The viewpoint is superb, with a pretty, well-maintained and clean refuge.
This walk can be done in hot weather, but there isn't much of a view during the climb.
It must be beautiful in autumn too.

Thank you to the author for this hike.

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Date of your route : Aug 27, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Very beautiful hike. Very beautiful view.
The only downside was at the viewpoint, where a swarm of wasps coming out of the ground forced us to cut short our break to enjoy the view.

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Thanks, Florins
I have corrected your mistake

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Hello,
Sorry for rating the route as "disappointing." It was a mistake on my part when I clicked; I didn't realise I had clicked on the wrong rating.
The route is perfect, just like the hike.
Best regards.
Florins

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Hello and thank you for your review of this outing.
Indeed, this viewpoint and all the places we passed through are worth seeing, and the final view of the lake rounds off the walk nicely.
However, could you explain where you found the route to be very disappointing, as this rating seems to contradict the previous ones. If you have any further details, I would be very interested to hear them.
Have a nice day.

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

A short, easy hike in the beautiful Morgon forest, where you can see remarkable 200-year-old Pectiné pines and refreshing fountains. The Pierre Arnoux clearing is very beautiful and perfectly maintained, with tables and barbecues. The discovery trail is well worth a visit.
Florins

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