Lac Sainte-Anne tour

A place of pilgrimage on 26 July on the feast day of Anne, this lake at the foot of the Col Girardin is an obligatory stop-off point for pilgrims on the famous GR®5.

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 11.58 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 5h 30 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 770 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 772 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 2,410 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 1,683 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Park in the ski resort car park.
(S/E)Cross the Mélézet on the footbridge and follow the GR®5marked BR (Blanc Rouge). Through the forest, reach a footbridge that allows you to safely cross a passage that would otherwise be difficult.

(1) Continue to climb gently, passing over the Cascade de la Pisse, and after a final ascent reach the Lac Miroir mountain pasture.

(2) Walk along the left side of the lake and stay on the GR®5(ignore the yellow-marked path to the right that leads to Lac des Rouites, see link in Practical Information section).
After the lake, at the first crossroads turn left onto the GR®, and at the second crossroads turn right onto the GR®. Climb slowly up to the small pass at hill 2408 and follow an almost constant gradient to reach Lac Sainte Anne.

(3) Leave the GR®5to take the PR® to the left, signposted Yellow (very pale) and Parking de Chaurionde, which through the combe and forest joins the Mélézet stream.

(4) Cross the stream, join Fond de Chaurionde, then Prés de Chaurionde and the crossroads at Cime du Mélézet.

(5) Continue along the Mélézet to easily reach the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 1,685 m - Ski resort car park
  2. 1 : km 0.6 - alt. 1,825 m - Gateway
  3. 2 : km 2.58 - alt. 2,216 m - Lac Miroir
  4. 3 : km 5.25 - alt. 2,410 m - Lac Sainte-Anne
  5. 4 : km 7.01 - alt. 2,156 m - Torrent du Mélézet
  6. 5 : km 10.31 - alt. 1,805 m - Cime du Mélézet, near the - Refuge de la Cime du Melezet
  7. S/E : km 11.58 - alt. 1,683 m - Ski resort car park

Notes

Spring water beside the path leading up to Lac Miroir.
Shelter at Chapelle Sainte-Anne.
This hike can be completed with this one

Worth a visit

Ceillac: a typical village nestling at the bottom of the Mélézet and Cristillan valleys.
Above Lac Sainte-Anne and above Ceillac are 2 optical posts that face each other and which enabled former soldiers to pass optical signals that gave information about the presence of enemies. These signals were relayed from Briançon to Nice by this type of post on the high points of the Alps.

Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

Reviews and comments

4.8 / 5
Based on 92 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.8 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.8 / 5
Route interest
4.9 / 5
Randophil57
Randophil57

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 18, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Many people climb up to Mirror Lake to admire the beauty of the site under a bright blue sky, with no wind and bright yellow larch trees. The spectacle of nature is superb, and Mirror Lake never lives up to its name more than in this season.
Lake Saint Anne is always magnificent in its setting surrounded by peaks, and the descent to the valley through the larch trees is very pleasant.

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User 21993502

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 11, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : Yes

The location of the departure car park was very poorly signposted. There were no signs. However, once in the car park, the signage was very clear and visible.

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User 20521555

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 09, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very beautiful hike! Two difficult climbs, but beautiful rewards at the end. Magnificent. I highly recommend it! You do need to be reasonably fit, though. Doing the hike in reverse might also be a good idea (easier, I think)

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User 4129797

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

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EricD 04
EricD 04

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 26, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very beautiful hike, you get into your stride quickly as the climb begins right from the start.
The route is busy but the surroundings and scenery are magnificent!

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User 11828334

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 14, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike starting with a series of switchbacks where you climb 400 metres over the first two kilometres. The mirror lake is very beautiful, but Lake St Anne is sublime, nestled at the foot of the Font Sancte. The return trip seems long

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raymond2A
raymond2A

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 08, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very beautiful hike in the sunshine, just following the trail, walking along the top of the waterfall, which is magnificent, the wild mirror lake, and Lake Sainte Anne with snow at 2,500 metres, which was great. The weather was perfect for everyone. It took me four hours from the campsite, and I'm a good walker.

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User 19143516

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

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

Superb tour with a short section on the ski slopes that is less interesting.
Lovely lakes to discover.

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nomisimon
nomisimon

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 16, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very pretty loop with 2 lakes.

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eb91
eb91

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 08, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A relatively difficult route, with a steep first ascent and a long descent to the car park.
Quite a few people at Lac Miroir.
Lac Ste Anne is superb!
If you're brave enough, climb up a little to admire it from higher up.

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SEYTRE Gérard
SEYTRE Gérard

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 28, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Easy to spot. Lots of people, young and very young, not weighed down by equipment. Mirror Lake deserves its name and is a feast for the eyes. A touch of the Rockies. It's a shame, environmentally speaking, that it seems to be being smothered by vegetation. The picnic took place on the banks of Lac Ste Anne, another beautiful site. We weren't alone, but that didn't bother us at all. This was our farewell walk before heading back down to the windy and stifling Rhone valley.

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bernardino
bernardino ★

Hello and thank you for your message of total satisfaction with this tour, which is indeed very pleasant in all seasons.
However, you note the following: I have the impression that this route has more kilometres than advertised, as is often the case on many hikes undertaken by many walkers. Nowadays, almost every hiker has a pedometer, a smartphone with multiple applications and, of course, different brands of GPS. On group outings, where everyone measures km and gradients, these devices all give different indications. Who's right and who's wrong, that's the question.
For my part, I suggest that to get a more or less accurate idea of the distance, you use the good old method of :
- a 1:25,000 scale map,
- mark the circuit on this map,
- take a sewing thread, for example, and measure the distance covered,
- Then measure the cm and multiply by 250 to give the length in m.

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La ponette
La ponette

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 27, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

I have the impression that this circuit has more kilometres than advertised, especially if we do the loop.
We do the loop because we arrive at the car park at the top and then we have to go back down to get the car parked at the bottom or take the shuttle bus, I think it's possible.
This hike is sublime and I never tire of it.

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cmylene
cmylene

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 13, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Hello everyone,
The mirror effect of the lake is at its best before the wind rises, so before 8am. Don't hesitate to leave Ceillac early, it's really worth it.
Once you've passed the mirror lake, make sure you take the upper track (wooden sign and yellow track) and not the GR which goes down to the ski slopes and back up again (uninteresting).
Have a good hike!

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bebert38
bebert38

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 13, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

This is a very nice walk, not difficult but very busy, especially around Lac Sainte. Only the part between the 2 lakes, on the tracks, isn't very pleasant, but it's short enough. The rest is magnificent! A variety of landscapes (waterfalls, rivers, lakes, forests and an Alpine atmosphere) that delighted us.

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