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To get to the start, head towards Doucier (39130). On the D27 towards Champagnole, when you reach the village of Marigny, as soon as you see a sign for La Pergolla campsite, get ready to turn left to park in the lake car park.
(S/E) At the car park, go to the southern end. A sign indicates the direction of the beach. Follow this direction, passing under the D27 via the underpass, then follow the D27 on the PLM lane, following the yellow signs. Pass the listed Bronze Age lakeside village and stay on this road for 1.6 km.
(1) At the intersection indicating Plage de Doucier, turn left. Pass the small gate to the beach car park and continue east towards Lac de Chalain (be careful in summer as the site can be very busy). Follow the beach, pass the lifeguard station on your left, then turn right and head up towards the woods.
(2) At the top of the hill, take the small path that dips to the left, cross the wooden footbridge over the stream, then turn immediately right in front of the entrance to the Maison Familiale Rurale du Jura and follow the sign for the Tour du Lac. Continue to the signpost: Sur le Lac, at the intersection with the road to Chalain.
(3) Turn right towards Sur le Château, then turn left up the wooded hill towards Belvédère Sur la Roche.
(4) After admiring the superb view of the lake, continue towards Belvédère sur la Frate. (Be careful, you are walking along a long rocky ridge with unstable edges. Stay on the path and only approach the edge where there is a safety barrier.)
Pass a secure viewpoint and continue , noting the Lipiaz formation on your left, characterised by bare rock covered with channels ranging from decimetre to multi-decimetre in width and varying in depth.
Pass the opening of a chasm secured by a fence to reach the Belvédère de la Frate viewpoint. Continue towards the Belvédère du Lac Chalain viewpoint.
(5) 100 m after the viewpoint, take the small path on the left that descends slightly.
(Be careful at this point, as it is easy to make a mistake).
Pass the signpost for La Frate and follow the signs for Sur le Château.
At the signpost Sur le Château, continue towards Domaine de Chalain, La Charrière until you reach the Belvédère du Lac Chalain.
(6) Continue following the yellow signs towards Fontenu. Follow the D90 until the intersection with the D90E1.
(7) Turn left and head towards Fontenu. Cross the village. Opposite the town hall, at the intersection with Rue de la Chapelle, continue left towards the viewpoint. Keep going in this direction until you reach the Belvédère de Fontenu.
(8) Walk along the safety barrier to admire the view, then continue until you reach theGR® 559 and head north-west to the clearing marked by a roundabout.
(9) Cross the clearing and take the path blocked by a large rock towards the lake. At the Le Chatelet signpost, head towards Marigny église. Cross the village of Marigny until you reach the Place de la Croix signpost.
(10) Continue towards Belvédère de Chatillon, then towards Doucier to rejoin the PLM path, which runs parallel to the D147. Follow the departmental road for 300 m, then turn right to pass under the D147 and return to the car park (S/E).
Visorando member
Difficult 
