The heights of Boucieu-le-Roi, north side

A beautiful hike through the forests above Boucieu-le-Roi in northern Ardèche.
What's more, this charming village is a stop on the Ardèche train (Mastrou) and/or rail bike route. A visit to the village is therefore recommended.
This hike can be shortened, as it consists of two circular loops that return to the village.

Details

873673
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 15.04 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 5h 55 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 572 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 563 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 622 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 251 m

Description of the walk

Car park at Boucieu-le-Roi station (Ardèche steam train).
It is possible to do only one circular. See Practical Information.

(S/E) Head back up towards the village and take the stairs on the left (signposted) to go directly into the charming village of Boucieu-le-Roi. Cross the main street and continue straight ahead downhill, then turn right.

Warning: This hike does not always follow the department's white/yellow markings. It is advisable to follow the description and not blindly trust thefirst visible marker. There are many trails in the area. Not all of them are marked...

(1) Take a small path on the right, downhill, which will take you to and across the railway line (Train de l'Ardèche, a tourist steam train or rail bikes). Continue along the track to the right (white/yellow markings), cross the Cédron stream and you will come to a small Way of the Cross under the railway line.
Continue along this path and note the Fontaine du Père Vigne fountain as you pass. You will arrive at a small road; turn right and cross the railway line again. Follow the track to the left for another 100 metres.

(2) Then take a path on the right (white/yellow markings) which climbs steeply into the woods with several hairpin bends. As you leave the woods, you will see several large green industrial chicken coops on the right.

(3) Continue along a small level path on the right just above the chicken coops (and below the agricultural shed). This will take you to Le Rocher. Continue straight ahead on a slight downhill slope to Rebeugne.

(4) Take the road uphill to the left for 100 metres, then take thefirst track on the right. This will take you to the road at an elevation of 470 metres. Turn immediately right, downhill. At the junction at an elevation of 389 metres, turn left (this is actually a detour, as it is forbidden to go straight on under the Rebeugne farm).
You will then find yourself on a good path which descends, crosses a stream and arrives at La Peigne, where you will rejoin the tarmac road (Stop!).

(5) At La Peigne, continue along Route de la Peigne, pass a cross on your right and head towards the village. Turn left onto Rue de la Mairie (car park and bar "Chez Nat") then take the main road (voie royale) on the left going uphill. Follow this road until you reach thefirst hairpin bend (cross).

(6) Follow the road for a few dozen metres and, 50 metres after the hairpin bend, take the path on the right which climbs steeply into the woods. It joins a track further up. Continue along this easy track, which climbs gently and steadily, until you reach the main road (D534). Ladreyt.

(7) From Ladreyt, head towards Poupier. After 40 metres of tarmac, continue left uphill on the path, which becomes increasingly steep. At Poupier, rejoin the tarmac road. Follow this small, steep tarmac road uphill. Join another small horizontal road (end of the climb and highest point of the hike). Arrive at Les Croix. Viewpoint over the Alps. Follow this small level road to the right for 700 m, until you reach the bottom of Ubac.

(8) Turn right and shortly afterwards, take the track on the right which descends through fields and meadows (white/yellow markings and signpost). Further down, on the right, follow the markings to the beautifully restored hamlet of Montchal. Cross it and follow the road to join the D534. Turn left and continue for 100 m. (Be careful if you want to cut through the plantation on the left, as there is a small wall to jump over above the D534 road!

(9) Then turn right onto the tiny tarmac road that leads to the telephone pylon. To the right of the pylon, follow the white/yellow marked path that descends steeply into the forest until you reach the road, just above the village of Boucieu-le-Roi, at a hairpin bend you took earlier.

(6) Cut left just below the hairpin bend to reach the car park directly (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 284 m - Car park at Boucieu-le-Roi station
  2. 1 : km 0.66 - alt. 291 m - Small path on the right
  3. 2 : km 2.34 - alt. 267 m - Path on the right - Doux (rivière)
  4. 3 : km 3.47 - alt. 432 m - Intersection
  5. 4 : km 4.56 - alt. 414 m - Rebeugne
  6. 5 : km 6.84 - alt. 301 m - La Peigne, steep path on the left
  7. 6 : km 7.83 - alt. 313 m - Common junction for both circulars.
  8. 7 : km 9.8 - alt. 494 m - Under Niblat
  9. 8 : km 11.85 - alt. 617 m - Below Ubac
  10. 9 : km 13.42 - alt. 483 m - Tarmac road on the right
  11. S/E : km 15.04 - alt. 284 m - Car park at Boucieu-le-Roi station

Notes

Information: If you park higher up, in front of the village hall and the "Chez Nat" bar, it is then
- possible to split the hike into two circulars.
Or you can do just one of the two circulars. You will return to the car park.
Circular 1 is wilder.
The circular 2 has steeper climbs and a little more tarmac on the higher ground.

- Several steep ascents and descents, walking sticks recommended.

Worth a visit

Reviews and comments

4.2 / 5
Based on 14 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.3 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.4 / 5
Route interest
4 / 5
User 1690404

Hello,
Having completed the hike on 11 December 2025, there is a gate at point 6 towards Niblat that blocks the way.
This led us to pass on the left through fields under electric fences towards Le Gay, where a path allowed us to find the route to the place called Les Gouttes (farm).
Bernard

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Vertacomicoriens
Vertacomicoriens
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 08, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very pretty walk starting from a village full of flowers, on the banks of the Doux river. We only did thefirst circular, which is mainly through the woods. Given the rain in May, there are flowers galore (foxgloves, columbines, cornflowers, poppies, etc.). We didn't meet many people... a pleasant time.

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promenades
promenades

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 27, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We only did the first circular, which was very wild and very enjoyable. We loved this hike. There are tables in the shade above the car park. The village is very pretty and worth seeing.
Today we did the second circular, which was very pleasant. The road section is not long or bothersome, with no traffic and magnificent views of the mountains and the Alps in the distance. In the village, there are many nativity scenes to see along the streets during the Christmas season.

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MICHEL PETIT
MICHEL PETIT

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 20, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant, fairly easy hike, with a slightly challenging first climb and a very gentle second climb. Done in gloomy December weather, to be repeated in finer weather. However, superb panoramic views.

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promenades
promenades

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 27, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We only did the first circular, which was very wild and very enjoyable. We loved this hike. There are tables in the shade above the car park. The village is very pretty and worth seeing.

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Pascal07300
Pascal07300

Information: 10 April 2023: Route and descriptions updated. I went there yesterday and now everything is fine.
There's a bit more tarmac between Ladreyt, Les Croix and L'Ubac, but there's no choice... After that, it's just small, remote roads with very little traffic.

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FLOCH
FLOCH ★

Thank you for updating your hike.
Kind regards

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Pascal07300
Pascal07300
• Edited:

MARCH 2023: Hike currently being modified due to "prohibited" or "abandoned" sections. I will go and check it out before summer 2023. In the meantime, DO NOT GO THERE...
or avoid the passage through: Les Gouttes and Niblat
and go via: Les Croix, (Poupier), Le Rassel, Ladrayt
Best regards, Pascal 07300

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Netra
Netra ★

Hello galoche0756, and thank you for your response.

Please modify the route of your hike according to the information you have just provided: Actions/Modify route/Modify. Then, adapt the description accordingly: Actions/Modify description. Thank you in advance!

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galoche0756
galoche0756

Hello Pascal07300, I did part of this route on a reconnaissance hike on New Year's Day.
Between Les Gouttes and Nibla, the trail is no longer maintained at elevation 540 (tall grass, branches across the trail before Nibla).
After Nibla, the farm is being restored, and the owner is installing a wrought iron gate. In a few days,
we will no longer be able to pass through, or we will have to climb over the gate, which is over two metres high.
Apparently, he wants to be left in peace.
At the Gouttes farm, it's scary; abandoned cans, equipment scattered everywhere. My wife, who was with me, wanted to turn back and was not reassured.
It's best to forget this part of the route and take the tarmac road further on, passing through Les Croix and Poupier to reach Ladreyt.
Via Les Croix and Poupier, it passes by the path below, I checked.
All the best with your hiking itineraries. Kind regards.

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désapointé26
désapointé26
• Edited:

Overall rating : 1.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 04, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Route interest : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Very busy route : No

Much of the route was unmarked, which meant we had to follow passages marked with several crosses to stay on track. We had to cross farmyards twice to get back on the marked route after asking locals if we were on the right track. The path exists but should no longer be considered a hiking trail.
Strongly not recommended.

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Defajune
Defajune

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 09, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

It was nice, the weather was good, we had lunch at Nath's on the terrace despite the slight breeze, good food, not expensive, we'll do it again.

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Pascal07300
Pascal07300

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 06, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Route update: October 2021: The route no longer passes through the steep path above the village and the beehives (reported on Sunday, 18 April 2021 at 12:23 p.m. by GR3G0713).

I have corrected the route and description. Result: a little more tarmac (crossing the village and then a short stretch of road).

Enjoy your walk!

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Pascal07300
Pascal07300
• Edited:

Hello

Please clarify: The route for point 5: Before point 5? After? Could you circle it on the map and send it to me privately: pascal.eynard.01 AT sfr.fr

I will try to modify the hike.

Thank you, PASCAL

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GR3G0713
GR3G0713

WARNING: the path at point 5 is now INACCESSIBLE!!!!
I spoke with the owner of the land, who no longer wishes people to walk on his property. He has reportedly asked the Visorando team several times to remove this path from the walk, but apparently nothing has been done.

:!(!)!(!)!(!)!(!)!:

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