The Cimante waterfalls

de fr

This beautiful, mostly shaded route offers views of several waterfalls, each as pretty as the next, as well as a cave open on the side of a cliff with a spring flowing from it. The vegetation is very diverse and you can see the tireless work of water on the rock.

Details

n°2760509
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 12.41 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 25 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 298 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 297 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 559 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 435 m
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Photos

The waterfall!
Waterfall
La Cimante
Waterfall

Description of the walk

To get to the car park, leave the D47 between the Pyle bridge and Moirans-en-Montagne and head towards the village of Coyron. Park in the town hall car park, located behind the fountain.

(S/E) Follow the signs for La Fraite, indicated on the sign in front of the fountain.

(1) At the right-hand bend, leave the road and continue along the forest path towards La Fraite/Meussia. Follow the yellow markings.

(2) After 800 metres, turn left towards the north-north-west.Please note that there are no markings for quite some time. After about 1 kilometre, after a bend to the right, the path ends in a clearing.

(3) In this clearing, continuing along the path, you will find a small trail marked with blue arrows painted on the trees. Follow the direction indicated by these markings for 800 metres.

(4) When you reach the intersection with several paths, follow the direction of Petit Saut Girard indicated by the signpost located at La Fraite. Follow the yellow markings, keeping the Cimante on your left for 2.5 km.

(5) At the D27, ignore the road and turn left onto the path that starts with a sharp bend and a steep descent. Continue to follow the yellow markings and walk along the river on your left.
Be careful, from here on, the path becomes quite technical and overlooks the river in some places. Take care!
Pass the three waterfalls, keeping an eye out for the yellow markings. Stay on this path for 2.5 km.

(6) At the intersection, turn right, cross the Germange stream and continue on the path heading due north
Stay on this path, passing the wooden house located in the bend. At this point, on the right, is the Fraite cave. Ignore the path on the right just after this and continue to the next intersection.

(7) Continue straight ahead towards Moulin de la Fraite on Route de la Fraite. Pass the campsite and farm, then cross the Cimante stream via the small bridge.

(4) Follow the signs for Meussia/Coyron (yellow markings) for 1 km.

(8) Leave the road to Meussia on your left and continue straight ahead towards Coyron. Continue along the forest road for 1 km to return to the crossroads you passed on the way there.

(1) Take the same route back to the car park in the village centre (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 533 m - Town hall car park
  2. 1 : km 0.22 - alt. 539 m - Crossroads of the loop
  3. 2 : km 1.08 - alt. 533 m - Fork in the road
  4. 3 : km 2.19 - alt. 470 m - Clearing
  5. 4 : km 2.93 - alt. 439 m - Intersection with several paths
  6. 5 : km 5.57 - alt. 555 m - On the left before the D27
  7. 6 : km 8.01 - alt. 481 m - Crossing the Germange Stream
  8. 7 : km 9.23 - alt. 485 m - Go straight ahead at the intersection
  9. 8 : km 11.05 - alt. 535 m - Towards Coyron
  10. S/E : km 12.41 - alt. 533 m - Town hall car park

Notes

To see the car park and starting point click here

To view the video of the route profile: click here

Practical tips for starting the hike:
I strongly recommend using the app on a smartphone, which will also allow you to be geolocated at all times so you can track your movements accurately.

Beware of ticks
A major problem in the Jura forests, ticks are voracious and can be found everywhere.
Don't forget to check yourself after your hike.

There are no water sources along the route.

Worth a visit

Fish farm at Moulin de la Fraite.
Cave and resurgence at La Fraite.
Petit Saut Girard waterfall and several other pretty waterfalls.
Ponting or bridge jumping, which involves jumping off a bridge while attached to a safety rope to swing out like a giant swing. This activity takes place at point (5), crossing the D27 on the old railway bridge.

Reviews and comments

4.5 / 5
Based on 24 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.5 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.5 / 5
Route interest
4.5 / 5
pathy
pathy

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

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

A pleasant hike with beautiful trails and waterfalls. However, the paths were quite difficult to access due to the large amount of leaves and branches on the route. Between points 2 and 3, it was more complicated: I couldn't find the markings and had to retrace my steps.
Thank you for specifying after point 5 in the description that the trail overlooks the river and that you need to be careful.
It really is a "nature" hike.

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Bernie 974
Bernie 974
• Edited:

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 09, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

The start of the route is disappointing, as you find yourself following markers for about 1 km along the riverbank, even though there is a cross warning you not to go there. However, if you follow the Visorando GPS, you have to ignore the warning.
But it's a route that remains unexpected. I found myself face to face with a mountain goat and the waterfalls are magnificent.
I met some pensioners on quad bikes and we showed mutual respect – well done.
I had an excellent day.

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User 26874038

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 30, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Very beautiful hike, no major difficulties. It's a shame there wasn't enough water in the waterfalls. Hike completed on Friday 25 July.
If you want to bring your four-legged friend, be careful as there are a lot of ticks.

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gaudou
gaudou

great hike, good time of year in June, enough water for the beauty of the site, not too much to make it difficult. A little challenging in some places, but what a pleasure! Best regards

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User 2039416

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 21, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Well done to the person who left this trail.
Initially, it was difficult to find the trail between 1 and 2, then there was a slightly tricky section when we reached the riverbed.
Tip: choose the right time of year, as the waterfall disappears in July.
Best regards

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gaudou
gaudou

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 16, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very enjoyable hike, a little challenging at the waterfall section, but we were able to cross as the water level was quite low. Not possible if the water level is too high. Highly recommended

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Mathilde Mulan
Mathilde Mulan

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 25, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

We attempted this route after a heavy storm yesterday.
The first part went very well, despite a few tricky sections due to water on the path and fallen trees.
We were lucky enough to see a huge amount of water in the waterfall, it was magnificent!
Unfortunately, things took a turn for the worse shortly afterwards... the path was crossed by a torrent, making it impassable. So we turned back and returned via another route through the woods between Meussia and Coyron.
In summary: don't do this the day after it rains, or be prepared to turn back!

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elisabeth tumiati
elisabeth tumiati

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 13, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very pleasant walk through the woods. There was no water, so no waterfalls, but even without water the scenery was beautiful.

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babetteb25
babetteb25

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 18, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Beautiful shaded hike, but not much water in the stream. Easy to do.

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GRP2016DABO
GRP2016DABO

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 23, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Beautiful hike, but muddy due to rainy weather and tractor ruts. A bit too much tarmac road.

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Renard 39
Renard 39

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

A pleasant walk through the woods on this scorching day. But it's a difficult choice: either you want water for the waterfalls and the path is muddy, or you choose a dry spell and there are no waterfalls. Never mind the mud, it's still better with water.

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reine husser
reine husser

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 10, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

a very beautiful hike that I have done four times. It is much more enjoyable when there is a lot of water. I would definitely do it again.

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GNO
GNO

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 20, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

The route description is precise; simply read what is presented to easily find the trails and paths you need to follow.
Thank you.

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MATHEY Didier
MATHEY Didier

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : May 12, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike, almost entirely through the woods. The waterfalls are very pretty in the sunlight. Much of the trail is quite technical, so sturdy footwear is recommended. Be careful, as the rocks are very slippery

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Nemoyne
Nemoyne

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 08, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Nice hike.
It's a shame that the paths in the first part of the hike are completely ruined by the foresters.
The second part was magnificent with La Cimante and its waterfalls
Definitely worth doing, no particular difficulties
Thank you

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