The Pierres circuit

This is a very wooded route, reflecting the commune of Saint-Hilaire, which has more than 1,000 hectares of forest. From pine forests to beech woods, you will come across some curious rocks, such as the Pierre-Siège de Saint-Martin, reminiscent of a Druidic site. On the way back, stop at the village church, which houses a statue of Saint Hilaire under its porch.

Details

24955
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 13.46 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 40 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 274 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 281 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 955 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 790 m

Description of the walk

Follow the green markings no. 22.

(S/E) Starting from the church square, take the D14 towards Saint-Bonnet-le-Château. At the village exit, at the wash house, turn left towards La Chazotte. After the village, at the crossroads, take a small dirt track on the right.

(1) At the stadium, continue along the path, cross the D14 and follow the path under the pine and spruce trees. Follow the D14 to the left for 80 metres, then turn right onto a path.

(2) Cross the bridge over the Bonson, then take the first path on the left. Turn right to join a wider path, follow it to the left, then turn right again.

(3) Take the tarmac path on the right for 30 metres, then turn onto a path on the left. Enter the spruce forest.

(4) Reach Le Clos. Continue south-east to elevation 936, then turn right towards the D104 and La Chanale. Then head towards Vacheresse.

(5) At the exit of the hamlet, take a path that crosses a large meadow. Cross a pine forest and reach Beauvoir. Cut across the road and continue straight ahead on a path that passes in front of a ruin. Further on, turn right to reach the Pierre du Renard.

(6) Continue to a large stony path; follow it to the right, 300 m further on, turn onto the first path on the left to reach the Terraillou path.

(7) At the crossroads, continue straight ahead. Walk through the forest, then join the road; follow it to the left to return to Saint-Hilaire via the old wash house (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 914 m - Church of Saint Hilaire
  2. 1 : km 1.37 - alt. 931 m - Stadium
  3. 2 : km 3.48 - alt. 919 m - Bridge over the - Bonson (rivière) - Affluent de la Loire
  4. 3 : km 4.58 - alt. 935 m - Montagnac crossroads
  5. 4 : km 5.87 - alt. 955 m - Le Clos
  6. 5 : km 7.85 - alt. 928 m - Vacheresse
  7. 6 : km 9.58 - alt. 864 m - Pierre du Renard
  8. 7 : km 12.06 - alt. 919 m - Bois Brulé crossroads
  9. S/E : km 13.46 - alt. 914 m - Church of Saint Hilaire

Reviews and comments

4.2 / 5
Based on 24 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.2 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.1 / 5
Route interest
4.4 / 5
manonroro
manonroro

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 10, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Easy hike. The small steles made from different types of stone from across France dotted along the trail make for an entertaining treasure hunt. What's more, the route is very pleasant.

Machine-translated

jpderail
jpderail

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 02, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant hike, the second part is more enjoyable with some clear views of the Haute-Loire.
The GPS track has errors along the route and crosses areas off the trail. I do not recommend following it. Stick to the route on site (yellow and green).

Machine-translated

jll42
jll42

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 07, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Great hike

Machine-translated

mamiebibi42
mamiebibi42

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 22, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike, often through woods, with cairns made from pieces of rock from many different regions of France dotted along the route. This gives you an idea of the diversity of rocks in our country.

Machine-translated

michele_sac
michele_sac

Hello
Thank you for your very useful maps
I haven't yet done the hikes I requested I will be sure to keep you informed
I would like to subscribe. Please let me know if I can do so without subscribing online

Best regards, Michèle

Machine-translated

Thaïs42
Thaïs42

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 29, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We found this walk very enjoyable thanks to the presence of stones from different departments
Sometimes there were a few differences between the location and the information on the map, but otherwise it was a very enjoyable 3½-hour walk

Machine-translated

mich 24
mich 24

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 28, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Machine-translated

Nanou.David
Nanou.David

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 03, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average

too much road (road through hamlets)
the first few kilometres are not very interesting.
the end of the route is superb, in the middle of the woods.
.

Machine-translated

JELOUMI
JELOUMI

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 11, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

This hike, which is interesting both in terms of the route and the location, was not always easy to follow on the ground, and our hiking GPS was very useful in getting us back on track.

We think this minor issue stems from the fact that the route must correspond to an old route, and that the current markings, which follow the placement of stones commemorating French mountain sites, have introduced some variations to the original route.

The end of the route is better marked than the first part.

As for the fox stone, it is not a place of passage linked to the route but a dead end from which you have to turn back to find the trail again.

Machine-translated

waiwaite
waiwaite

Overall rating : 3.5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 30, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

The directions are not precise enough to be used without a GPS. But everything is fine if you follow the green arrows.
A very pleasant, shaded walk, with steles bearing the names of French sites along the way, which is fun.

Machine-translated

montagne loisirs
montagne loisirs

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 20, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Well-marked route, pleasant trails.
A little short for a day trip, we extended it by following the yellow markings from Saint Hilaire at the start and rejoined the circuit at Le Crozet.
Pierre du Fauvet is the ideal spot for a picnic.

Machine-translated

bandjo42
bandjo42

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 21, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A fun and easy hike to do with children, using a map of France. The aim is to locate the origin of each stone on the map and identify the county. A good game that should interest them.

Machine-translated

Bouby
Bouby

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 26, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A lovely walk, best done in warm weather as it is shaded.

Machine-translated

Antho1984
Antho1984

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 18, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A very pleasant route without any real difficulties, with mostly flat paths and little elevation gain.
Often in the woods, with quiet, pleasant little paths, the lovely scent of pine trees, and above all, cool temperatures!
However, the text description could be more precise at certain junctions (we took a wrong turn twice but quickly realised our mistake thanks to the map).
In particular, near Pierre du Renard, the green markings on the painted stone on the ground are misleading... you have to go around this large ravine via a path that is almost a hairpin bend and goes downhill.
Circuit des Pierres: it's easy to see why... given the number of small "menhirs" you come across along the way! Very nice.

Machine-translated

barry bruno
barry bruno

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 06, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

a bit too much snow, but there's nothing anyone can do about it.

Machine-translated

Other walks in the area

For more walks, use our search engine .

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