The Pic d'Arbousse

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A circular route through chestnut and pine forests offering panoramic views over the Gardon de Saint-Jean valley, as far as Mont Aigoual and Mont Lozère.
Yellow markings.

Details

n°326721
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 2.44 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 1h 40 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 646 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 663 ft
  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,854 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 1,165 ft
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Photos

Panorama Pic d'Arbousse
View from the summit
View of St Jean du Gard
Beautiful panorama

Description of the walk

The marked start point is at the end of the Route du Pic d’Arbousse, but the path is signposted from Saint-Jean-du-Gard station for those wishing to do the walk after arriving on the Cévennes Steam Train.

(S/E) Follow the path continuing from the road until you reach a junction where you can take the “short route” on the left leading to the viewpoint.

(1) Follow the yellow-marked path to reach the Ravin de la Bartasse, then continue the ascent until you reach the junction leading to the viewpoint.

(2) Initially, continue straight ahead on the path to reach the summit of Pic d’Arbousse, marked by a neat cairn. Turn right to reach the viewpoint.

(3) Magnificent view over the Gardon de Saint-Jean valley as far as Mont Aigoual and Mont Lozère.
Return to the previous junction.

(2) Start the descent on the left.
Caution: The path is slippery amidst the pine needles.
At the bottom of the descent, take the path furthest to the left (almost a U-turn). After the small wooden bridge, take the forest track that descends to the right.
Walk up the street on your left back to the start (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 1,234 ft - Pic d'Arbousse Route
  2. 1 : mi 0.18 - alt. 1,371 ft - Short version junction
  3. 2 : mi 1.3 - alt. 1,827 ft - Panorama crossroads
  4. 3 : mi 1.39 - alt. 1,818 ft - Panoramic viewpoint - Mont Aigoual
  5. S/E : mi 2.44 - alt. 1,227 ft - Pic d'Arbousse Route

Notes

A succession of easy forest paths, a few rocky passages and a descent through pine needles. It is recommended that you wear good shoes and avoid going barefoot.

Reviews and comments

4.2 / 5
Based on 22 reviews
Reliability of the description
3.9 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.3 / 5
Route interest
4.5 / 5
User 12352821

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

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

Nice route. We decided not to start from St Jean du Gard.

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BOYER ST
BOYER ST

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

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

Steep slopes both uphill and downhill. With a magnificent view of St Jean du Gard as a reward.
Please note: sturdy footwear is recommended.

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neoturfmaster
neoturfmaster

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 14, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant hike that isn't too long. The climb is easy and winds through the shady forest. Be sure not to miss the magnificent viewpoint at the top; you have to descend slightly and follow a path below the cairn to see it. The descent back down is quite steep and a little more difficult. There is limited parking at the start if you come by car. You can also start from St Jean du Gard, but this makes the walk much longer.

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L'air libre
L'air libre

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 19, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant route, even in hot weather thanks to the many shaded sections.
Be careful on the stony descent after the peak (10-15 mins), especially without walking sticks.
Limited parking spaces in the hamlet where the loop starts.

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momone
momone

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 18, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Very steep, rocky trail, very difficult without walking sticks. I'm a little unsure about the elevation gain because St Jean is about 100 metres above sea level and the peak is over 500 metres high. The duration also seems longer to me because when I left the castle, my meter showed 8 km round trip. The routes do not start from the station but from the post office (according to the tourist office), but otherwise the view is beautiful from the top

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Thiech
Thiech

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 08, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

We started the hike from St Jean du Gard and climbed directly up the pink path on the map, which is quite steep. The view from the top is superb! We descended to the left behind the large cairn. The path is very steep and can be slippery. Walking sticks came in handy!

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Geraldine76
Geraldine76

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 04, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Path well marked in yellow.
Pleasant climb up to the Pic d'Arbousse in the shade. Beautiful view of St Jean du Gard.
Start of the steep descent over rocks: make sure you have good footwear and possibly walking sticks if you have knee problems. The descent then becomes a little less steep.

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Seb26
Seb26

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 18, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

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Yves Dautremer
Yves Dautremer

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 01, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

short, easy hike except for the steep and slippery descent. Very beautiful view from the top.

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Fanfoto
Fanfoto

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 02, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Overall, a beautiful hike, but a bit tricky on the way back because the path is rutted (probably due to recent bad weather). Otherwise, exceptional views from the summit over St Jean du Gard and the surrounding area. Very sparse signposting.

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Emli
Emli

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 09, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Very nice walk, beautiful view. Thank you

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Jacques_Le_Roux
Jacques_Le_Roux

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 15, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

The description says, "The indicated starting point is at the end of the Pic d'Arbousse road."

Like many others, we didn't look at the map closely enough. And so it's ambiguous.

We climbed to "the end of the Pic d'Arbousse road" and from there (out of habit) followed the recent yellow markings. At point 1, we turned left, still following the yellow markings (the yellow markings are dotted on the map). In doing so, we climbed the very steep slope that leads directly to the peak. After a well-deserved break, we descended more leisurely on the other side, still following the yellow markings, and arrived at the point where (recently, it seems) the rubbish bins are collected. If I remember correctly, the signs (also new) "contribute" to the ambiguity...

Otherwise, the hike is sufficiently shaded for summer and the view is really worth it!

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KSQKMQ
KSQKMQ

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 01, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

The signposting is very good but the description is average.
Do not rely on the first sign to reach the peak; wait until you have completed two-thirds of the hike.
And pay close attention to the signposting.
The view is superb.
A very good walk.

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Patoudu13
Patoudu13

Hello,
Just a quick note to say that we weren't able to do this hike, and it wasn't for lack of asking for directions or having a printed map. We couldn't find the start of the hike. We walked around the village several times, even checking the signs. Only one sign pointed us in the right direction, and one pointed us in the opposite direction
On the route, the signs should normally be visible from the start at the station car park...

What a shame!
Patoudu13

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Pierrot-Gwada
Pierrot-Gwada

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 30, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

An easy hike, ideal for families
Took 3½ hours, including a picnic, with my 4-year-old daughter who walked the whole way. Beautiful view of the valley along the way. But the viewpoint is not at the summit, which is in the trees.
As for the comments about the very steep climb, I think the hikers in question followed the "Pic d'Arbousse" sign at point 1 on the map, which takes you directly to the summit via a much shorter but much steeper path! We almost made the same mistake, but the GPS put us back on the right track.
The descent is still a little steep.

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