The Cirque de Gens from Ruoms

A pleasant hike along the banks of the Ardèche river, sometimes with overhanging cliffs on a magnificent path, and sometimes skirting the riverbed. There's also a cave within easy reach.

Details

5954410
Creation:
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 4.32 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 25 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 528 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 509 ft

  • ▲
    Highest point: 617 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 374 ft

Photos

Description of the walk

Start: Park in the Ruoms town centre car park, "Parking Central".

Follow the white/yellow markings all the way.

(S/E) Depart from the "Info Rando" sign in front of the Tourist Office. Facing the sign, turn right into Rue Président Millerand. At the end of the street, at the signpost "Le Champ des Fours", take the cycle path left (Voie Verte) towards "Pradons/Cirque de Gens".

(1) After 275m, at a fork, signposted "Le Champ du Gras", leave the road on your left for the return journey and continue North on the Voie Verte.

(2) At the signpost "Les Petites Pièces", leave the Voie Verte and take the road left through the hamlet of Mas du Grand Grazel.

(3) After 565m, take the path down to the river. It climbs up the cliffside overhanging the river.

(4) After the meander on the river Ardèche, the path descends again. Follow the river on the rock slabs.

(5) After the confluence with the river Ligne, the path climbs back up North-East and passes the Baume Grenas (cave), which can be seen.

(6) Climb the path to the right for a few metres to enter the cave. With a torch, you can walk along this gallery-like cave.
Follow the path Southwards.

(7) The path leads to a road. Follow the white-yellow markings to the "Le Champ du Gras" signpost.

(1) You are now back to the cycling path. From here, take the Voie Verte back to the starting point (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 394 ft - Tourist Office
  2. 1 : mi 0.75 - alt. 423 ft - Carrefour de la boucle
  3. 2 : mi 1.16 - alt. 430 ft - Small parts" tag
  4. 3 : mi 1.51 - alt. 420 ft - Mas du Grand Grazel
  5. 4 : mi 2.02 - alt. 466 ft - Ardèche
  6. 5 : mi 2.65 - alt. 394 ft - Back to the plateau. Ardèche confluence - Ligne (rivière)
  7. 6 : mi 2.75 - alt. 525 ft - Baume Grenas
  8. 7 : mi 3.28 - alt. 492 ft - End of the trail
  9. S/E : mi 4.32 - alt. 397 ft - Tourist Office

Notes

Start: Park in the Ruoms town centre car park, "Parking Central".

Waymarkers: Follow the white/yellow markings all the way.

⚠️ Please note the following two points:
Be VERY CAREFUL, especially with children, when passing the overhanging cliffs.
Also, after HEAVY RAIN, the path along the Ardèche riverbed can be IMPRATICABLE.

Reviews and comments

4.6 / 5
Based on 67 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.4 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.5 / 5
Route interest
4.8 / 5
CABRERA
CABRERA

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 12, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

This route isn’t for everyone!
There are some dangerous sections. Strongly not recommended for young children.
In some places, the white/yellow markings are missing!
It’s very physically demanding if you do the whole thing, and you should allow around 3 hours.
The scenery is magnificent!

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Marie Flo Rando
Marie Flo Rando

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 04, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

An easy walk to follow using the route description or the GPS track. Make sure you wear good walking shoes as the Ardèche trails are technical and often feature a mix of loose stones (which is part of the fun!)
Quite busy despite it being the start of the new term, but still very manageable
The first part is relatively sunny, but the return leg offers some shade, which is welcome during these heatwaves

The section along the greenway at the start and end can be a bit long, especially in full sun, but it gives runners a chance to jog!

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JHW
JHW

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 11, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk, not too difficult, although there are a few technical sections.
Beautiful scenery and plenty of opportunities for great photos.
We really enjoyed the section along the banks of the Ardèche, so we went canoeing down the river two days later.
I’d recommend it.

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User 27850125

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

I’m a regular on hikes in the southern Ardèche as I live there all year round......Having heard about it several times, I decided to give it a go with a friend who’s also an experienced hiker! A really lovely circular route that takes a leisurely 2½ to 3 hours, with a few tricky sections but nothing too risky if it’s not raining!!! It’s a shame that a significant part of the return journey is along a tarmac road. Still, I’d recommend it, even for families.

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User 20667199

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 22, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A wonderful discovery. A route offering magnificent views, combining walking and swimming.

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Eriquet
Eriquet

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 15, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

The route is close to the edge in places and features a tricky descent; not suitable for beginners

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User 28891979

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 17, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk we went on as a family... stunning scenery... we had a brilliant time... as before, I’d recommend parking at Les Grazels car park to avoid the cycle path (which is a bit of a waste of time)
We’ll definitely be back ❤️

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pmclo
pmclo

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 04, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A wonderful hike with stunning views overlooking the Ardèche. The only downside is that the walk to and from the start point along the cycle path is a bit long.

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User 20894116

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 21, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk with stunning views of the Ardèche; we had a bit of trouble finding the signposts; a bit technical in places; there are a few slippery sections along the river, so you need to be careful.

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Nathalie Lacote
Nathalie Lacote

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 27, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A wonderful hike. The description of it as ‘family-friendly’ may be misleading. There are a few technical challenges and some dangerous sections that are difficult to navigate with young children.

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Randsoro
Randsoro

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 11, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A brilliant family hike with children aged 6 to 11 during the April holidays.
Varied and very beautiful scenery and trails.
Don’t park at the tourist office but at the Grazel car park to avoid an unnecessarily long stretch of cycle path.
Walking boots are recommended, but trainers are fine if you take care.
The section along the cliff edge is perfectly manageable with children if they walk calmly in single file. There are 2–3 spots where you need to ‘climb’ or squeeze through some fairly narrow rocks, but it’s more fun than dangerous.
Just watch out for slippery rocks if it’s damp, or a section of the path that may be impassable if the water level is too high.
We were a bit hesitant after reading some comments, but it’s really great as long as you take a few precautions. The path is fairly well marked and follows the GPS track (points 5 and 6 are still there).

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Nosyla
Nosyla

Overall rating : 2.7 / 5

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

WARNING: If you suffer from vertigo, do not attempt this route! If you have any physical problems or pain in your legs or elsewhere, turn back.
Points 5 and 6 no longer exist, so you will be walking along the cliff edge, halfway in mid-air among the trees, for a good half hour...

HOWEVER, I personally did the trail and it was incredible! A wonderful family adventure, spectacular views, my 63-year-old mother took up the challenge with quite a bit of help from us...

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lupi001
lupi001

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 28, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A great route! It starts on a shared cycle and footpath, but you quickly leave the village behind and it's very pleasant.
We did the ride with five children aged 7 to 11 and didn't have to hold them back; of course, with children or parents who are afraid, or in wet weather, it can be difficult. There are two or three sections where you have to climb, but it's easy to do and the hike with views of the cirque, along the Ardèche, in the cave and in the woods is magnificent.
Good shoes for rocks are recommended.

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User 25059519

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

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

Nice hike, not recommended with children. Ask at the Ruoms tourist office for information about water releases

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User 14773020

Overall rating : 3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 10, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : Yes

When we were climbing back up (point 5 or 6?), we met two young people and a dog who strongly advised us not to continue, given the very narrow passage with a steep cliff. The young woman had to crawl on all fours and the young man had to carry his dog in his arms. As I suffer from vertigo, we didn't continue and, not wanting to turn back (a big mistake on my part), we took a path down to the left marked with a cross. We found ourselves in the bush, with brambles and vines, and ended up climbing rocks with crampons (fortunately), but not without difficulty given my vertigo. We ended up directly in a private garden and then on the road towards Ruoms.
Our walk lasted five hours... All because of me! Never take forbidden paths!!!

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