The kingfisher trail from Beauvoir-en-Royans to La Sône

You start in the charming medieval village of Beauvoir-en-Royans and head to La Sône. On the way there, you take the kingfisher trail along the Isère. This is a short day's walk combining culture and nature.
September 2020: several hikers have reported significant deterioration of the trail along the Isère River. Some sections may even be dangerous.

Details

258226
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 13.81 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 40 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 242 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 247 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 266 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 162 m

Photos

Description of the walk

You start from the beautiful esplanade in Beauvoir-en-Royans. Take the time to walk around it before setting off. On the way back, you may not have the time or energy, and it would be a shame to miss it. Admire the buildings and the view of the Isère valley and the Chambarans.

(S/E) Take the grassy path that descends between the castle wall and the surprising campsite (yellow and green markings). Ignore the first path that branches off to the right along the wall. At the next fork, turn right onto a small road (route de Beauvoir).

(1) Turn right again. Go downhill until you reach the RD1532, which you cross carefully.
Continue straight ahead on the paved road, which will take you to a fork at the Beauvoir bridge. Take the left fork. When it joins the busy road coming from the bridge 50 m further on, you will see a yellow sign on the other side of the departmental road, slightly to your right, marking the start of the kingfisher trail. Cross the road (be careful).

(2) Take this path. You will see an information board and, a little further on, a shelter from which you can observe the wildlife in the marsh reserve. Continue along this path until you reach the sign for "Barrage de Beauvoir" (which is located well before the dam itself).

(3) Turn right onto a wide path that leads to the dam, which is off-limits. Follow the fence and continue along the path. You will arrive at the edge of a walnut grove. The path naturally turns left and begins to climb. Ignore a path that branches off to your right and you will come to a small paved road with a sign for "Les Dragonnières".

(4) Make a mental note of this location. On your return, you will continue straight ahead to get back to your vehicle more quickly. For now, turn right. Your road turns left, continue straight ahead on a gravel path and you will reach the sign for "Les Fêtérées".

(5) Keep right, ignoring all the turnings on the left, which will take you to the sign for "Les Bachasses".

(6) Continue straight ahead towards "La Sône". At one point, you will come to a fork where the signpost is not very visible. Turn right, which will take you to the Pont de La Sône bridge.

(7) Cross the bridge to change banks and enter the village of La Sône.

(8) Turn left until you reach a tower on the banks of the Isère (Saint-Pierre Church nearby).

(9) Turn left to go down to the riverbank. Head slightly north-east. Go under the bridge, then continue to see the petrifying waterfalls and the castle.

(10) Return via Impasse des Tufières and find the bridge.

(8) Cross the bridge and return to the crossroads of the third loop.

(7) Take the same route you took on the way there, on the left at the end of the bridge. You will pass the crossroads you passed on the way there and arrive at the second crossroads of the loop you already passed on the way there.

(4) Continue along the small road, straight ahead, following the yellow and green markings. Caution! At one point there is a yellow and green cross, but continue anyway. On the next tree you will find the markings again (probably a grumpy local or a mischievous marker).
Cross the hamlets of Les Dragonières and Les Condamines to reach the D1532.

(11) Cross the road and take the small street opposite (Rue des Mayettes). When you reach a stop sign, turn left. You will come to another stop sign and turn left again. Very soon, take a narrow street at a 45° angle to the right (Montée de l'Église), which will take you to the church.

(12) Go past the church and turn right. Pass a street on your right and Impasse du Calvaire on your left, and you will soon see the sign for Les Veillats.

(13) Turn left onto the path that crosses an impressive walnut grove. Notice the calvary on your left, perched on a rock that seems to have sprung up out of nowhere. At the end of the walnut grove, you will see a sign for "La Cote".

(14) Turn left and then, fairly quickly, turn into the first grassy path on your right.
This leads to a monument in memory of the Resistance fighters of the Second World War, then, on tarmac, climbs steeply to reach a small road which you take to the right (signposted "Beauvoir en Royans - 20 min"). You come out onto the small road at the first crossroads of the loop you passed on the way there.

(1) Take the road opposite, then quickly take the first right and finally left. Pass under an old fortified gate to enter Beauvoir and return to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 264 m - Parking: Beauvoir-en-Royans esplanade
  2. 1 : km 0.58 - alt. 232 m - Crossroads 1st loop
  3. 2 : km 1.72 - alt. 183 m - Start of the kingfisher trail
  4. 3 : km 2.4 - alt. 200 m - Sign. Beauvoir dam - Isère (rivière)
  5. 4 : km 3.93 - alt. 208 m - Les Dragonnières. Crossroads of the second loop
  6. 5 : km 4.85 - alt. 207 m - Sign. Les Fêtérées. Return trip
  7. 6 : km 5.78 - alt. 204 m - Sign. Les Bachasses. Return trip
  8. 7 : km 6.55 - alt. 190 m - La Sône bridge. Carrefour 3rd loop - Isère (rivière)
  9. 8 : km 6.74 - alt. 187 m - Fork in the road. Return trip
  10. 9 : km 7.05 - alt. 170 m - Tour - Saint-Pierre Church
  11. 10 : km 7.53 - alt. 178 m - Petrified waterfalls
  12. 11 : km 11.49 - alt. 217 m - RD 1532
  13. 12 : km 12.1 - alt. 239 m - Saint-Roman Church
  14. 13 : km 12.35 - alt. 245 m - Sign. Les Veillats
  15. 14 : km 12.93 - alt. 241 m - Sign. La Cote
  16. S/E : km 13.81 - alt. 264 m - Parking: Beauvoir-en-Royans esplanade

Notes

Park in the car park in the centre of Beauvoir-en-Royans, perched on its hill.

The path is mostly marked in yellow and green.

Once there, you can choose a circular route, part of which is on the right bank of the Isère. I didn't choose this option as it mainly follows tarmac paths, which are uninteresting and busy in places.
In my suggestion, the return journey is partly along the same route. Between (7) and (14), there isn't much to see, but the walk is along quiet little roads.

In Beauvoir, there are picnic tables (but no rubbish bins, apparently). If you want to picnic in comfort, you can start from La Sône and eat in Beauvoir-en-Royans.

Please note that the route along the Isère river has many uneven steps. Care should be taken.

Worth a visit

Reviews and comments

4.6 / 5
Based on 30 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.7 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.7 / 5
Route interest
4.3 / 5
sempervivum
sempervivum

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 18, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

To begin with, take a walk around the ruined castle, right next to the Carmelite convent, which is open to visitors from mid-April to the end of October. The path along the Isère river seemed well laid out to me, with railings and footbridges offering beautiful views. A hide allows you to spot birds in the rushes. The pretty village of Le Sône and its castle have many attractions: petrifying fountains, picnic tables on the banks, a café, restaurant, public toilets... And return through beautiful walnut groves.

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Lyzeth
Lyzeth

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 30, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Lovely walk, nice spots.
But it's a shame that the path along the Isère seems to be in poor condition.
It has wooden footbridges, some of which are unsafe, stairs with missing steps, making them difficult to access, and some railings that no longer exist.
Difficult to do in its current state with children.

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sarrarobert
sarrarobert

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 29, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Thank you, Yannick, for the idea for this tour, which we shortened due to the heat on Friday 28 June 2024, at point 4, returning to Saint Romans.
One small downside: at the start, we were so captivated by the botanical garden, created and maintained by the CCBE, located in front of the gourmet restaurant, that it was really worth the detour.
As a result, we missed the path along the campsite
The Beauvoir site is truly exceptional
See you soon
Robert from Rando Bevenais

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Florence38!
Florence38!

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 06, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely long walk, varied flora, tranquillity, the beauty of the Isère river, and a pleasant visit to the village of La Sône. A very enjoyable walk.

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marc 26
marc 26

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 14, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Very beautiful tour, lots of beautiful things to see.

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Rolisere
Rolisere

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

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

A very pleasant hike, the section along the Isère river has numerous log steps, some of which are in poor condition and unsuitable for young children. Once you reach La Sône, there is a perfect picnic spot just below the footbridge. The description is accurate, with some interesting views. Be careful at certain junctions where the trail crosses roads with fast traffic; caution is advised.

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Christophe MONDON
Christophe MONDON

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 14, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike, often shaded by trees and undergrowth along the route.
The only downside is that we couldn't find the start of the trail towards point 1!
We therefore started from the information board, heading towards the dam. Otherwise, there were no major difficulties and the walk is suitable for the whole family, young and old alike!
At lunchtime, there is a very pleasant spot with benches and tables in the village of Sône, below the petrifying fountains.

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gd38160
gd38160

on View Ranger, the software recorded my route as I travelled
At the end of my hike, I had the route on the map, the time, the maximum and minimum speeds, and the elevation gain
I can't find the equivalent on Visorando. Does it exist?
Thanks

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M No
M No

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 01, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful route for the winter season, with stunning views and very pleasant along the Isère river.
Thank you

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Vahinerii
Vahinerii

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 23, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Pleasant trail with plenty of shade.
However, be careful, as some of the facilities (wooden railings) are in poor condition! Part of the trail has wooden steps, descents and ascents, some of which are muddy.
New route well signposted.
Starting from Beauvoir en Royans, you can picnic at the Pont de la Sône bridge on the north side, where a pleasant "bike picnic" area has been set up with tables.

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Yannick_Josset
Yannick_Josset

Thanks for the information.
Yannick

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PECHEROT
PECHEROT

Due to flooding on the Isère River, I was unable to complete this hike, as a significant portion of the trail was closed. Best regards, Gérard

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ALTMANYOSSEF
ALTMANYOSSEF

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 26, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Suitable for the entire family.

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Aster51
Aster51

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 06, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Very busy route : No

The circuit is not maintained. Covid may have been there.

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Yannick_Josset
Yannick_Josset

Thanks for the heads up, which backs up other reviews.
Happy walking!
Yannick

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