The viewpoints of Layrac-sur-Tarn

Criss-crossed by a myriad of small streams, the hillsides of Layrac will charm you with their diverse landscapes and numerous vantage points offering views stretching far into the distance on a clear day, all the way to the Pyrenees.
There are alternative routes available on this trail.

Details

3381507
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 6.87 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 20 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 115 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 115 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 217 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 110 m

Photos

Description of the walk

(S/E) Start at Place des Érables. Turn left as you leave the square.
Turn right onto Chemin de la Mongiscarde. Pass the Town Hall and the Village Hall and continue straight on.

(1) At the fork, keep heading towards La Mongiscarde on the right. Leave the road towards Terre Blanque on your right and continue straight on.

(2) Just before the large bend to the right of the road, turn right onto the grassy track (marked by a ‘No Vehicles’ sign) which, further on, splits into two paths under a power line.

(3) At the junction of the two paths, take the one on the left, leaving the one that goes straight up. This path continues along the edge of a field, running alongside a wooded area on the right. At the end of this wooded area, a large open space opens up on the right. Step over the small Crève-Cor stream (which may be dry) and follow it for a few steps, then take the small path on the left (barely marked) which climbs into the woods. Follow it all the way to the D71.

(4) Head down the D71 to the right.

(5) Leave the D71 by turning onto thefirst tarmac road on the right, which makes a wide circular route. Ignore the path on the left that goes downhill and stay on the road.

(6) At a place called Terre Blanque, once past the motocross track below, keep left on the ridge path and head down to Layrac.

(7) Turn right, leaving the church on your left, and at the junction with the Route de Mirepoix, turn right to reach the Place des Érables (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 111 m - Place des Érables
  2. 1 : km 0.5 - alt. 127 m - Turn-off towards Les Fontes
  3. 2 : km 1.3 - alt. 124 m - Junction on a grassy track
  4. 3 : km 1.47 - alt. 125 m - Crève-Cor stream
  5. 4 : km 3.14 - alt. 210 m - D71 road
  6. 5 : km 4.06 - alt. 197 m - Junction towards Le Ramier
  7. 6 : km 4.96 - alt. 203 m - Terre Blanque
  8. 7 : km 6.69 - alt. 123 m - Junction near the church
  9. S/E : km 6.87 - alt. 111 m - Place des Érables

Notes

Another car park is located at the Salle des Fêtes on Chemin de la Mongiscarde, past the Town Hall.

Alternative route at point (3): instead of taking the path on the left, you can continue straight on along the wide path that climbs. This path also joins the D71 further down the road, over a shorter distance (1.2 km).

In wet weather, you can shorten the circular route by taking the Route de Terre Blanque (before point (2)) to keep your feet dry. This road joins point (6).

This circular route connects with those of “Les lacs de Valette”, “Du Tarn aux coteaux à Mirepoix-sur-Tarn” and “Les chênes de la Garouille”.

Reviews and comments

4.3 / 5
Based on 6 reviews

Reliability of the description
4 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.2 / 5
Route interest
4.6 / 5
Alamo31
Alamo31

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

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

An interesting route offering beautiful views from the ridges.
The route is mostly on small roads, except for the grassy path with muddy ruts (don't miss the fork!).

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Amasakoul
Amasakoul

Overall rating : 2 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 30, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : Not used / Not applicable
Very busy route : No

Hello
We were only able to complete about a third of this hike.
In fact, once we reached the point where we had to cross the stream, despite at least twenty minutes of trying, we couldn’t find the path (or trail?) that would take us to the D71, using either the map or the GPS.
We therefore turned back, without perhaps having tried every possible direction on the GPS that was roughly compatible with the map and the actual terrain.

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gunam
gunam

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 19, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant route with magnificent views from the higher ground.
We followed the route using GPS, but a moment’s inattention caused us to hesitate and take a wrong turn at point 3.
The roads are very quiet and do not detract from the experience.
We recommend it, but avoid it during rainy periods and in very hot weather.
Thank you for sharing this really lovely route.

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filipgre
filipgre

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

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

A lovely walk, with a good half of it through unspoilt countryside! A few sections run alongside very quiet roads.
Some stunning views. Definitely worth doing again.
Thanks to whoever shared this route

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sylvir31380
sylvir31380

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 03, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely, varied and hilly route
I would, however, recommend using the GPS app for the first section to find the steepest path at the clearing; it wasn’t obvious to us and we ended up going the wrong way
Thanks to the app and the route map, we quickly found it again
A second tip for the first section: the first dirt track was quite muddy and wet, so make sure you wear sturdy shoes for this part if the weather is or has been wet
So it was a lovely walk with beautiful views!

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Vendinielle
Vendinielle

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

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

A must-see if you’re from round here; breathtaking views and golden hues under the beautiful late-November sun. A real treat!
Don’t be put off by the start; the exit from Layrac isn’t exactly pretty, the path along the edge of the field after the 3rd is tricky – you have to choose between mud or nettles – and, above all, I can confirm that the path after the Crève-Cor stream is well hidden (!). After crossing at the designated crossing point – a few steps further on but clearly visible – you need to head back towards the open area indicated but stay on the left-hand edge to find the small path that climbs up.
From there, it’s all smooth sailing – you’ll be in for a real treat! There’s plenty of tarmac, certainly, but it’s not a problem as there’s hardly anyone about. Do watch out for the heat, though – the ridge routes aren’t exactly known for being shaded!
A big thank you for this route, which I’ll happily do again.

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