The Roman quarries

Hike across the Vercors plateau to discover the famous Roman quarries and the remains of their ruins.

Details

n°2749

Creation:
24 Feb 2012

Last update:
29 Sep 2022

Last review:
11 Aug 2025

Activity: Walking
Distance: 16.94 km
Average duration: 6h 55
Difficulty: Moderate
Back to start: Yes
Ascent: + 728 m
Descent: - 735 m
Highest point: 1,812 m
Lowest point: 1,388 m

Country: France
Areas: Alps, Vercors, Dauphiné
District: Saint-Agnan-en-Vercors (26420)
Start/End: N 44.842245° / E 5.422605°
IGN map(s): Ref. 3136ET, 3236OT, 3236OTR, 3237OT, 3237OTR
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Photos

Description of the walk

At the Col du Rousset ski resort, turn left onto the road that leads to the upper car park about 2 km away. Park in this large car park.

(S/E) Take the yellow-marked discovery trail. Stay on this trail, heading south-southeast. Join the^GR®93.

(1). Stay on the^GR® trail, following the white and red markers. You will reach the Pas des Econdus pass.

(2) Continue south-southeast, staying on the^GR® and following the markings carefully to find the Pré Peyret hut. Continue until you reach a crossroads with several trails.

(3) Leave the^GR® here and head north-east on the^PR® marked in yellow, which leads to the Pas des Bachassons. Stay on this path and enjoy the pleasant walk through the mountain pasture. You will then see an isolated tree.
Turn left off the trail to reach the quarries that stretch out above a flat meadow

(4) Retrace your steps to return to the car park at the Rousset resort (S/E).

Waypoints

S/E : km 0 - alt. 1,395 m - Parking at the Rousset station terminal
1 : km 2.26 - alt. 1,639 m - GR93
2 : km 3.26 - alt. 1,562 m - Pas des Econdus
3 : km 6.31 - alt. 1,615 m - Trail junction
4 : km 8.47 - alt. 1,812 m - Carrières Romaines
S/E : km 16.94 - alt. 1,395 m - Parking at the Rousset station terminal

Notes

The Vercors plateau is poor in water. There is a spring 100m south of the Cabane de Pré Peyret, called the Fontaine des Endettes. There are also temporary springs at the crossroads of the trails. For those crossing the plateau, there is also a spring at the Pas des Bachassons, which can be reached by continuing along the yellow trail.

This route passes through a protected area, which may be subject to special regulations:

Réserve naturelle nationale des Hauts plateaux du Vercors - more information

Worth a visit

(4) The first point of interest is the quarry. The carved blocks that were not transported are a reminder of the work of our ancestors. This is a great place to stop for a picnic.
For those who continue the walk (for example, the Traversée du Vercors), there are many points of interest:
- the Grand Veymont (the highest point in the Vercors)
- mont Aiguille (one of the seven wonders of the Dauphiné)
- the Cirque d'Archiane
and, in spring, the Sabot de Vénus on the Mont Aiguille slope.

Reviews and comments

4.6 / 5

Based on 26 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.5 / 5

Ease of following the route
4.4 / 5

Route interest
4.7 / 5

ANF-Gérard

11 Aug 2025 at 15:39 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 11, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

As soon as you set off across the Hauts Plateaux, there are no signposts, but it is easy to find your way and locate the path, which is clearly visible and leads to the Carrières Romaines, the Arbre Taillé, the Pas des Chattons and the Bachassons. This walk is not recommended in foggy weather. Beautiful panoramic views.

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JODIDO

04 Nov 2024 at 13:24 3600 • Edited: 04 Nov 2024 at 13:25 3600

I called the Vercors Regional Nature Park to find out why there were no signs for the Roman quarries or for the climb up to Grand Veymont.
I was told that it is the park's policy to only put up signs to indicate the GR trails.
And indeed, as soon as you start walking on the Hauts Plateaux, there are no signs, and I got lost twice before finally finding the right paths...
After the Cabane de Pré Peyret, there is signage on the GR, but no indication of the direction of the quarries.
But it's not at all difficult to find the path, which is very visible and well marked, and provides access to the Carrières Romaines, the Arbre Taillé, the Pas des Chattons and the Bachassons.
I climb the Petit and Grand Veymont fairly regularly and I really like this route from the Plateau de Beure car park.

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Deldenis

04 Nov 2024 at 12:55 3600

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 04, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

After leaving the G R, there are no more yellow markings until you reach hollowed-out tree trunks serving as drinking troughs, which is a bit of a pain

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oponcin

25 Sep 2024 at 12:14 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 07, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Film of the hike to the Roman quarries, starting from the Romeyer car park and joining the route at the junction with the GR91
https://youtu.be/sN-sg7UnoxM?si=CeWk90sw...

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HGaillard

26 Aug 2024 at 14:16 7200

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 26, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

My 17-year-old daughter did this hike with a friend. They set off from the Plateau de Beurre and came back down via the Pas de Chabrinel. It's a good option as long as you have someone to meet you at the start and pick you up at the end

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Catherine Rat

31 Jul 2023 at 17:27 7200

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 31, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very beautiful hike with stunning scenery and few difficulties. There were more people around the Queyrie plain, but it was still very bearable
We saw quite a few marmots on the way back, as well as a few vultures.
Thanks for the itinerary

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GphPhil26

03 Jul 2023 at 15:36 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 28, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Very beautiful hike, magnificent landscapes.
We followed the route on the Visorando app.
Thanks to the author

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Jherr

10 Oct 2022 at 15:09 7200

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 20, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

The hike begins at the 2nd kilometre with an attack by patous (which were actually quite far away from us).... My jacket was bitten, but the shepherd didn't flinch and called back his dogs, which were clearly covering a large, very large area.
The route is very stony. After the Pre Peyret hut (at the GR 91/93 junction), I think it's better to take the small path with no signs.
On arrival, the landscape was beautiful, more interesting than the quarries themselves.

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yoga9901

29 Sep 2021 at 22:19 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 11, 2021
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We started the hike at 8 a.m. It was foggy but no problem with the GPS: the route was perfectly marked.
We pushed on to the summit of Montaveilla (1,979 m) without any problems.
Just at midday, the fog lifted but quickly dissipated.
A beautiful hike and I would love to know what became of the columns carved in this quarry...
We came across a shepherd and 5-6 Patou dogs. We were a little nervous with these big mouths around us and their anti-wolf collars... but the shepherd didn't let them bother us )

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cc.webmiss

13 Sep 2021 at 18:48 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 13, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

During the season, be careful in the mountain pastures of sheep and their shepherds watching over them.
The landscapes are magnificent, especially if you have the courage to push on to the Pas des Bachassons.
Don't forget to take a detour to the Roman quarry on the left side of the hill before reaching the carved tree.
We did this hike in mid-September and had the pleasure of seeing lots of marmots.

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EtienneF38

30 Aug 2021 at 09:17 7200

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 24, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The landscape becomes increasingly beautiful as you progress towards the Pas des Bachassons.

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fafarouge

28 Aug 2020 at 10:46 7200

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 27, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A note about the route: at the crossroads of the paths, "Carrefour Pré Peyret", it says to turn right and follow the yellow markings. We didn't see any yellow markings, so we took the path that goes straight ahead and leads directly to the quarries. On the way back, we passed by the isolated tree, took the trail that was normally marked in yellow, and got a little lost, but thanks to our biological compass, we were able to find the Pré Peyret crossroads. However, the walk is very beautiful. 27

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serenite

10 Aug 2020 at 18:09 7200

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 09, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

at the Pre Peyret refuge, we didn't find any yellow markings. We took the path opposite
the path opposite. With breaks for contemplation, it took us 6½ hours. Beautiful landscapes. Beautiful views of the Vercors plateau and the Grand Veymont. A rollercoaster hike that ends at the old Roman quarries: what a tribute! Large car park in the sun, with space for everyone... I recommend it

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Chris2613

01 Jun 2020 at 10:00 7200

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 30, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very nice hike. The start is a bit steep with the climb through the forest, but very pleasant.
Then the view opens up and the Grand Veymont appears, majestic.
The carpet of multicoloured flowers, thanks to the season, is magnificent... The weather was a little cool and sometimes cloudy, which allowed us to manage our water well, but in good weather, I think you would need at least 2 litres per person.
We followed the route easily, along the piles of stones on the side of the path.
On the last part of the route, we encountered numerous marmots...
At the end of the route, you can't miss the "isolated" tree: the quarries are on the left, at least 200 metres before you reach the isolated tree.

PS: the changes made by JODIDO below are absolutely correct!

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JODIDO

31 May 2020 at 14:06 7200

Hello,

So it's possible to climb to the summit of Grand Veymont via the Carrières Romaines?
So you continued on the Pas des Bachassons? And then? Are there any specific signs or markings?
I climbed Grand Veymont from the Maison Forestière des Coches in July 2018. A friend and I did this hike over two days. We set off in the afternoon, spent the night in a tent at Pas de la Ville and climbed Grand Veymont the next morning...
It was a magnificent hike, but I'm interested in going back and following a different route.
Best regards.

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