The Gardon Gorges

A walk beginning above the Gardon Gorges and continuing down along Gardon River. Please note that part of the route crosses an area destroyed by fires in 2017.

Details

70551
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 11.37 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 55 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 247 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 248 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 178 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 29 m
  • ⚐ Country: France
  • ⚐ City: Collias (30210)
  • ⚑
    Start/End: N 43.953717° / E 4.479615°
  • ❏
    IGN map(s): Ref. 2941OT
  • Hour-by-hour weather

Photos

Description of the walk

Leave your car at the paid car park, between the bakery and André Clément Hall.

Red and White Waymarks
(S/E) At the car park, turn left along 'Avenue du Pont', then continue down 'Rue de la mairie' on the left. Carry on along 'Rue de la Republique' until you reach the sign 'Collias - Le Portalet'.
Take 'Grand Rue' on the right, which goes through the village and comes out onto the D112 (Route de Sanilhac).

(1) Turn immediately left down 'Rue du Barry'. 200 m further down the hill, before passing by a porch, the waymark turns right by the orangery along a path which runs alongside some properties for about 300m.
Near a white gate, the waymarks turn right onto a paved road. At the next crossing, turn left onto the 'Chemin du camp Grec'. After a further 20m, at the fork, continue straight ahead, then alongside the last property, the waymarks lead you up a trail to the left.
This trail climbs up through some shrubbery to the top of the gorges. You will reach a lone pine tree.

(2) Fork right (after taking a few steps to your left to admire the first view of the gorges). The trail (GR) continues on the ridge, then turns right at a fork offering view of Uzes on your right. You will come out onto a trail 50m further along (sign DFCI-B127)

(3) Turn left on this trail and continue for 900 m until you reach the sign forMenude.

(4) Follow the yellow waymarks to your left, leading to Sanilhac et Sagriès and La Grande Terre (ignore the tracks off to the right and ahead). Further on, you'll see a cairn indicating the starting point of another trail on the left-hand side, ignore it. 20 m further at a fork, follow the trail (GR) to the right. This trail will cross another path: continue straight ahead and at the signGrande Terre, the trail will eventually join the track.

(5) Take the track which bears slightly left towards Sanilhac et Sagriès and Les Condamines for about 300m.

Yellow Waymarks'
(6) At the sign for Les Condamines,turn left onto the trail leading to La Baume. The path takes you through oaks and boxwoods. After leaving this tunnel of vegetation, ignore the path to the left and continue straight ahead.
The path heads up to the top of the gorges and turns left. The descent, which is steep in some areas, is equipped with metallic steps. Lower down, depending on the time of year, it is possible to take a path to the right to reach a cave where there are bats. The cave is closed from November 15th to March 15th (hibernation period) and from May 1st to August 15th (breeding period). Continue on to the foot of the Gardon river near the ruins of an old mill (sign for 'La Baume').

(7) From this sign you can make a return journey to Saint-Vérédème Chapel and the cave by walking back up the Gardon river for about 100 m, then continuing up the access track on the right along the cliff.

(7) When back at the 'La Baume' crossing, walk down the Gardon River, still on the left bank towards 'Collias'. The trail winds between areas of forest and the river banks for 5 or 6 km leading to 'Collias'.
Take care when you cross the stony parts, as the path is sometimes hard to see, however the waymarks are still present and you need to follow the river in any case.

(8) After a small section equipped with a metal cable, the track leads past the foot of a 'Via Ferrata' and eventually gets closer to 'Collias'.

(9)At the sign for Saint Vincent, continue straight ahead towards 'Collias', go past a restaurant and walk towards the bridge.
Turn left, just before the bridge, then climb the stairs to the right, leading you to the D3 (Avenue du pont). Turn left towards the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 47 m - Car park next to the Espace André Clément
  2. 1 : km 0.58 - alt. 66 m - Left Rue du Barry
  3. 2 : km 1.79 - alt. 152 m - Lone pine
  4. 3 : km 2.51 - alt. 164 m - DFCI-B127 panel, left
  5. 4 : km 3.32 - alt. 143 m - Menude panel
  6. 5 : km 4.84 - alt. 175 m - Grande Terre panel
  7. 6 : km 5.1 - alt. 172 m - Les Condamines sign
  8. 7 : km 6.12 - alt. 47 m - La Baume sign - Le Gardon
  9. 8 : km 8.87 - alt. 34 m - Wired passage
  10. 9 : km 10.86 - alt. 32 m - Saint-Vincent sign
  11. S/E : km 11.37 - alt. 47 m - Car park next to the Espace André Clément

Notes

A torch comes in useful to visit the cave.

Worth a visit

Saint-Vérédème chapel
There are only the remains left of the chapel and an astonishing 150 m long cavity, Saint-Vérédème cave. Located in a vertical wall, it forms a tunnel. It was inhabited during the ancient Paleolithic, then by Neanderthals, and later during the Neolithic period. Numerous ceramics have been discovered here, nowadays exposed in Nîmes Museum.

Myth or reality? Saint-Vérédème (640-720AD) was a Greek hermit who settled by Gardon River and was afterwards joined by Saint Gilles. People used to think they were responsible for numerous miracles, including providential rains.
Saint-Vérédème succeeded Saint Agricol as bishop of Avignon. He was long considered the saint of Crau's shepherds. He died in 720 AD.
The chapel (VIII th century) is thought to be the oldest Christian construction in the lower part of the Languedoc area.
The roof harbors a cradle shaped vault, and the apse is decorated with paintings from the 8th century.
The stairs were subsequently drilled for better access to the cave. The Sanilhac inhabitants used to organize a yearly pilgrimage to 'La Baume' in order to solicit fertile rains. This practice seems to have died out after 1962.

Reviews and comments

4.7 / 5
Based on 255 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.7 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.6 / 5
Route interest
4.7 / 5
Jouanen
Jouanen

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 26, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A lovely walk with some beautiful views. The descent towards Le Gardon is quite steep. You need sturdy footwear and strong legs 😆. There are plenty of sections through the cool, shady woodland, which is lovely when it starts to get hot!

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Marino de Marcy
Marino de Marcy

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 11, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

On a weekday during the Easter holidays, there were quite a few people in the gorges, either on foot or in canoes, but it wasn’t too busy.

We only did the section in the gorges, between Collias and La Beaume (about 9 km there and back), as there were several people with disabilities in the group, and it wouldn’t have been possible to make the steep descent via the metal steps from the plateau down to the gorges.
So the route was obvious: the Gardon on the left and the cliff on the right! We just had to find the most comfortable path.

A lovely setting with the Gardon, which is either calm and quiet or rushing over rapids, with white gravel beaches or rocky ledges from which to admire the view or take a dip. Two long stops for a picnic and a swim (yes, really, it’s lovely in early April – three of the 13 participants in this review went for a dip :=)), beautiful blooms, prickly pears clinging to the cliffs... A lovely atmosphere. We tried to escape the gorge and head back up towards the plateau via the path marked ‘la vire aux chèvres’ on the map (a fork near the climbing site), but we soon came across sections that were far too steep for the participants with disabilities. So we stayed along the Gardon.

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User 13041645

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 13, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very varied walk. From the arid plateau, the (very) steep descent down to the Gardon, the Chapel of St Vérèdème and its through-cave (bring a torch), and the return journey along the Gardon – all the ingredients for a lovely walk.

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User 28787945

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 19, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

a lovely walk
the water was lovely

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FO
FO

A very pleasant walk, with a lovely stretch through heath or maquis, which is in bloom in spring. A beautiful descent towards the gorges, with the Gardon river gradually coming into view. The walk along the Gardon river in the valley floor is very pleasant, with waterbirds and views of the limestone cliffs. No issues with the route.

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Claude R3.
Claude R3.

I couldn't agree more!

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FO
FO
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 13, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant walk, with a lovely stretch through heath or maquis, which is in bloom in spring. A beautiful descent towards the gorges, with the Gardon river gradually coming into view. The walk along the Gardon river in the valley floor is very pleasant, with waterbirds and views of the limestone cliffs. No issues with the route.

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Coco73
Coco73

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 01, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

The description is completely accurate. What's more, there are lots of signs, so it's impossible to get lost. Be careful, though, because the Gardon is very full, so at one point we had to climb a cliff to get above it, as there was too much water to continue along the path that runs alongside the Gardon.
It's a beautiful hike, easy but pretty and varied. The only downside is parking in Caulias. All the car parks are pay-and-display and there are very few places to park in the small streets, even at this time of year. It must be hell when the weather is nice.

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monteilpat
monteilpat

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 08, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful, original walk, not very busy but very varied and with beautiful winter sunshine.

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Diddan
Diddan

Overall rating : 4.5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 03, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very beautiful walk. The banks of the Gardon are magnificent, even if the path is cluttered with dead trees.

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zaviou
zaviou

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 06, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very gradual climb through the mountains characteristic of the region, small oak trees and arbutus trees
passage through magnificent green tunnels
very steep and very enjoyable descent in the Gardon
and the Gardon in its gorges is magnificent in autumn!
A route done running, done walking, a real playground!

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doumé69
doumé69

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 25, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We descended to the banks of the Gardon not at point 6 but 400/500 metres further on, where the slope is less steep and there are beautiful views of the gorges. This is a great place to take a break at the foot of St Vérédème on the banks of the Gardon.
The cave is passable and joins the path of the circuit's descent route. Bring your phone torch and get used to the darkness so you can make your way to the exit. See the closure dates indicated by the author.
A very beautiful route with an interesting chapel and cave. The only downside is that there are few views of the gorges before the descent to the river.

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AnthonyRa
AnthonyRa

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 28, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

The route is really beautiful. We were lucky to have mild weather, but bring something to protect yourself from the wind and sun just in case. The route is fairly easy, with a good descent that can be a little slippery.
Along the Gardon, it's fairly easy going and you can even go for a swim. It's an excellent spot to relax

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Pierrelattine
Pierrelattine

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 03, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A beautiful hike that promises a swim!
The descent to the Gardon requires caution. Check the weather forecast (beware of heat and thunderstorms).

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Régine D.
Régine D.

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 22, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Superb tour in July! Lots of different landscapes! The descent down the Gardon is peaceful... with various places to swim if you wish!

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