The terrain: valleys, gorges and streams around Saint-Laurent-sous-Coiron

A long but very beautiful hike offering varied landscapes and superb panoramic views. This route follows paths and tracks leading from greenhouses to gorges, with small fords and abundant little streams to cross.
Please note, however, that some sections of the circuit are unmarked and require a good knowledge of map reading and orientation.

Details

588976
Creation:
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 19.21 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 7h 05 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 549 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 550 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 689 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 321 m

Photos

Description of the walk

In Saint-Laurent-sous-Coiron, park in the belvedere car park, near the war memorial.

(S/E) Follow the white-yellow markings (yellow arrow, wooden post with a sign depicting two pedestrians).
Walk along the rampart, facing the Lussas plain. Head towards the Romanesque chapel (10th century). Walk back up towards the houses. Pass in front of a house built in 1834 (inscription on its pediment). Turn right. Pass in front of the cemetery and an amphitheatre-shaped square that serves as a car park.
At the Impasse sign, turn left just behind the house opposite the sign for a return trip to the castle ruins. Back on the main road, follow it to the left until you reach the village exit. Go through the gate in the old surrounding wall (east gate).
Turn immediately left and climb the path with large stones until you reach a cement road. Turn right and follow it. At the end of this cement section, continue straight ahead, passing between two hedges. Pass in front of a water tank.

(1) About 500 m further on, just before a barrier, turn left (yellow arrow signpost). From now on, follow the yellow arrow markings. Cross this small deforested area and go up the red dirt track. At the top of this track, after about 200 m, turn diagonally to the left.
This is the most difficult part of the route until you reach the road. The track is inconspicuous and winds its way through the bushes. You must therefore pay close attention to the trail left by previous hikers, the yellow arrows painted on rocks, and sometimes the red and white plastic ribbons tied to branches.

(2) When you reach the road, turn left and walk along it until you reach information board no. 5 on the theme of local flora. Then take the track on the right behind this board. This shaded path, between low black stone walls, faces north and leads to the karstic cave of the Combe Rajeau.

(3) Continue westwards until you reach a beautiful track. Turn left. 100 metres after educational panel no. 8, look for a small cairn on the left, an arrow made of stones and a small wooden sign with the word "Menhir" on it: take the path on the left and, after about 50 metres, you will reach the Menhir de Peyregrosse.

(4) At the menhir, retrace your steps and turn left to continue on the main track, heading south-south-west. After a slight descent, you will reach a first 90° right-hand bend, immediately followed by a 90° left-hand bend.

(5) Shortly after this S-bend, two large cairns on the right-hand side of the track mark the start of a path. Leave the track and follow this unmarked path: there are just a few cairns and ribbons in the trees. A little further down, the path splits in two. Take the left-hand path, marked by a cairn and a ribbon, descending to the Ruisseau de la Louyre.

(6) The path runs along the stream on the right until you reach a metal gate secured with tensioners. Go through it (close it properly) and continue for a few dozen metres until you reach the stream. Cross it and climb up opposite, keeping to the right. The path crosses a small meadow and arrives at a fork. Leave the track on the left and take the path climbing to the right. Do not leave it. Cross two streams (which may overflow their banks).
Higher up, just before reaching the hamlet of Louyre, you will come to a small fork. Take the left path, which climbs up to a small road.

(7) At the fork, follow the small road to the right. At the first hairpin bend, turn left and cross the hamlet. The road continues along a path that widens and gradually climbs to the ridge. Continue to the next crossroads.

(8) Turn left twice and continue along this wide ridge path, heading south, then south-southwest, ignoring all other paths branching off to either side.

(9) You will reach a large crossroads of tracks (clearly visible). Turn left, taking a hairpin bend onto a path that is very well marked in yellow and white, heading east at first, then south.

(10) At the first crossroads, turn 90° to the left, then continue. Do not leave this marked path. A little further down, it changes direction and heads east-northeast, then descends into the Ruisseau de Louyre gorges. Ignore the various small paths that join the marked route.

(11) Reach the Louyre stream. Cross it (choose your route depending on the water level), then climb up opposite on a well-marked and clearly visible path. Climb up towards the plateau on this main path, without leaving it (ignore two small paths to the left and right of the path), until you reach the foot of a rocky outcrop.

(12) At the start of the rocky outcrop, you will reach a small fork. Leave the marked route on the right, which climbs to the hamlet of Sévenier, and follow the unmarked path on the left along the rocky outcrop (at the start of this path, on a small rock on the left at the corner of the path, there is a cross, a trace of old yellow and white markings, and a little further on, another cross). This path, which is a little exposed at the start and not fully marked on the IGN map, is very well marked and easy to follow. (Please note that hikers have reported that this trail does not follow the GPS route. You must cross over via a well-marked trail on the ground). Do not stray from it. At a small fork, ignore the path leading down to the Louyre stream and continue on the same path, heading east, which now overlooks the Eyrolle stream.
Cross the plateau without changing direction.

(13) At a small fork, continue straight ahead on the same path. Keep a close eye out for the small path on the left leading to the Grotte du Loup.

(14) At a tiny crossroads, marked by a cairn at the foot of a box tree (and currently by a large branch across the path), turn left and follow the well-marked path, which is flat at first and then descends towards the Eyrolle stream. At the first crossroads, leave the path on the right and continue downhill to the left. The entrance to the cave (which is closed and prohibited) is about 50 metres away. Retrace your steps back to the crossroads.

(14) Take the main path lined with box trees on the left. When you reach a track (sign explaining the Grotte du Loup), continue straight ahead until you reach the road and the Comparent farm.

(15) At the hairpin bend, take the road on the left and follow it to the next junction with the D324.

(16) At this junction, go up the road on the left until you reach an electrical transformer located just in front of a farm. Turn right and go up to Saint-Laurent-sous-Coiron, through a passage between two low walls (one of which is partially demolished). Return to the car park by following the yellow and white markings (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 561 m - War Memorial car park
  2. 1 : km 1.93 - alt. 666 m - Turn left before the barrier
  3. 2 : km 2.74 - alt. 605 m - Turn left at the road
  4. 3 : km 4.66 - alt. 567 m - Towards the west
  5. 4 : km 5.49 - alt. 529 m - Peyregrosse menhir
  6. 5 : km 6.55 - alt. 487 m - In the left-hand bend, turn right
  7. 6 : km 7.69 - alt. 426 m - Louyre stream
  8. 7 : km 8.21 - alt. 493 m - Crossroads, path, road, right, towards hamlet
  9. 8 : km 9.17 - alt. 554 m - Crossings, twice to the left
  10. 9 : km 12.37 - alt. 463 m - Crossroads: left
  11. 10 : km 12.88 - alt. 434 m - Crossroads: turn left at 90°
  12. 11 : km 14.91 - alt. 322 m - Crossing the Louyre stream
  13. 12 : km 15.16 - alt. 362 m - Path on the left, under a rocky outcrop
  14. 13 : km 15.83 - alt. 400 m - Crossroads, straight ahead
  15. 14 : km 16.07 - alt. 405 m - On the way back, take the small path on the left
  16. 15 : km 16.66 - alt. 433 m - Hairpin bend to the left
  17. 16 : km 18.7 - alt. 519 m - Crossroads with the RD 324, on the left
  18. S/E : km 19.21 - alt. 561 m - War Memorial car park

Notes

- Avoid this hike after heavy rainfall, as crossing the streams can be unpredictable
- Wear suitable footwear
- Bring IGN maps suitable for this route (necessary on unmarked sections)

- Before setting off, it is useful to consult the Visorando satellite map, which allows you to locate certain points.

The very last part of the hike takes place on small, quiet roads. The beauty of the landscape makes you forget the tarmac!
However, it is possible to shorten this last part slightly, starting from point (15). At the Comparent farm, leave thePR® and continue straight ahead on the small road leading up to the intersection with the D324, which you should follow to the left until the next intersection, where you will reach point (16). It is just a little steeper.

Worth a visit

(S/E) Village of Saint-Laurent-sur-Coiron.

(7) La Louyre: a very pretty hamlet on the route.

(9) At the crossroads, near the Croix de l'Houme mast, are the remains of a dolmen (see the hike: The Louyre Canyon via the Dolmen de l'Houme) .

(14) The Grotte du Loup is located in the commune of Saint-Laurent-sur-Coiron and was cleared around 1950. Schematic black drawings representing two figures with raised arms, relics from prehistoric times, were discovered there. These same drawings were used to mark the educational trail, which is very well described by RAABSPDC.
The entrance to the cave is closed and off-limits for safety reasons (rockfalls, among other things); it is also strictly forbidden and inadvisable to venture inside the numerous pits and crevasses that exist throughout the cave.
However, it is still instructive to learn about its environment and geomorphology.

Nearby:
- The hilltop village of Mirabel
- Balmes de Montbrun: troglodytic caves

 Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

Reviews and comments

4.7 / 5
Based on 16 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.7 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.5 / 5
Route interest
4.9 / 5
Adryan
Adryan

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 11, 2025
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very beautiful paths and trails—lots of interesting sights to see along the way.
Thank you for this wonderful discovery hike!

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Kwiss07
Kwiss07

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

A magnificent walk, with no particular difficulties and, at this time of year when everything is in bloom, a real treat! After point 5, I didn't see any cairns or tape to cross, but the grass was very tall, which may be the reason. That said, the GPS track is reliable, so there's no need to worry about following it. Thank you for this really nice track!

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Julie LABBE
Julie LABBE

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 28, 2023
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

I went with three friends to run this route. We had a great time. There are some really beautiful views. However, we couldn't find the entrance to the wolf cave. The final section on the road is long, but I looked at the IGN map and couldn't find a way to shorten it. Thank you for sharing this beautiful route.

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noir
noir
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 04, 2021
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hello, hike completed on 04/11/21; beautiful panoramic views and very pleasant trails. There are no longer any problems starting from the point (1), as the trail is very well marked on the ground.
At the point (2), the trail starts 20 metres further than Ardechom's route.
At the point (5), there are no more problems; the trail is very well marked on the ground all the way to La Louyre.
The Houlme dolmen is well hidden under the trees almost in the centre of the crossroads, but the roof of the dolmen is missing, so we are not sure (see photo).
Between the point (11) and (12), just after crossing the Louyre and climbing up some rocks, you must turn left, otherwise you will end up back in Sévénier.
At point (12), follow the well-marked path on the ground; there's no choice anyway. The route joins the dotted path that returns to point (13) (see screenshot
and follows the OpenStreetMaps base map trail perfectly; https://www.openrunner.com/r/13907171
To see the entrance to the Grotte du Loup, the trailhead is 30 m upstream from the trail on the map. There is a small, somewhat collapsed cairn. Do not wait to see the trail marked on the map, as there is an animal park and it is a jungle, making it impossible!
To avoid the monotonous and steep climb at the end of the route, we left a vehicle at the bottom of the village, near the rubbish bins, and opted to return via Comparent.
A beautiful hike with autumn colours. Thank you

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gerard mounier
gerard mounier

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 29, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

lovely walk, thank you

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cindysign
cindysign

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 22, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very nice route! We did it in two stages. We started in the afternoon, camped (leave no trace) on the ridge after the beautiful hamlet of Louyre, and did the second half the next morning.
We ended up walking a few extra kilometres because we weren't paying enough attention, ha ha ha, but we easily found the right path again thanks to the route map.
The only slightly less enjoyable part was the end of the route, which was on a rather monotonous road (but with no cars).
Thank you for helping us discover this area!

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mic07
mic07

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 20, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful route through the village of St Laurent sous Coiron, with magnificent panoramic views along the way, including the menhir, the Louyre stream and the charming village of the same name, a dolmen at Croix de l'Houme (without its capstone) and some very pleasant footpaths.
The final section is on small roads, with no traffic today, so no bother.
Between points 12 and 13, I think it's better to follow the path that is clearly marked on the ground and shown on the "OpenStreetMap randonnée" map.

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gaygei
gaygei

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 08, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A very beautiful walk on this first Sunday of hunting season (phew, no hunters!)
Magnificent scenery all along the route.
Difficult points for us:
At point 6: once you've crossed the river, you have to climb up the opposite bank and take the small path that branches off to the right. Don't be tempted by the first path on the right that follows the river!
Between points 12 and 13: stay on the path even when there is a cross (freshly repainted!) on the left under the rocky outcrop.
The road at the end is a bit long, but that's really the only minor inconvenience on this magnificent circular.
Thank you very much for sharing.

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Guy jardin
Guy jardin

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 10, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A very beautiful hike with stunning views. From the village of St Laurent sous Coiron, you can see 13 bell towers. From Mirabelle, the Aubenas basin to the Col de l'Escrimer, the route is very beautiful. We did this hike with 16 people and they were very happy with the route

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Kassiahchat
Kassiahchat

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 21, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

An easy hike with great views, with the village of Saint Laurent in sight throughout the route. There is a bit of road towards the end, but fortunately the small path that leads back to the village mitigates this slight negative point.
Thank you for this beautiful hike.

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fr.simon
fr.simon

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 12, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

if you have the option of leaving a second vehicle at "LA FERME DE COMPARENT", this will save you the tedious return journey along the tarmac road
Otherwise, it's a superb, varied walk for the start of the season.
Be careful during hunting season! They shoot to kill in this area

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gazok54
gazok54 ★

Thank you Maryma and michel.dussere@gmail.com.
I have added a warning in the wpt12 paragraph.

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Maryma
Maryma

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 25, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Nice hike.
I'll repeat two comments made in the comments section. Namely,
- i couldn't find the dolmen. The description "go to the Croix de l'Houme mast and the nearby dolmen" is too vague. Since we are at a crossroads, there is a lot of ground to cover. I gave up the search, thinking that the dolmen was probably just a pile of stones...
- the path described between points 12 and 13 does not follow the GPS route. I went over it via a well-marked path on the ground. As gazo54 said, "between wpts 12 and 13, there is no path visible on the map. It is therefore impossible for us to recalibrate the route". OK, just mention it in the description. That way, we don't have to wonder why we got lost... when we didn't get lost... ;-))
- finally, my personal comment is that the tarmac road between points 15 and 16 is long. This prevented me from giving the route a "very good" rating. If you have to walk on the road, turning right after the Comparent farm seems shorter to me.
In conclusion, this hike made me want to do the one that goes through the Louyre Gorges. I'll wait until it's a bit warmer!

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gazok54
gazok54 ★

Thank youmichel.dussere@gmail.com
The problem is that between waypoints 12 and 13, there are no trails visible on the map. This makes it impossible for us to recalibrate the route.

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michel.dussere@gmail.com
michel.dussere@gmail.com

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 18, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Beautiful view, interesting tourist attraction, but difficult to find the trail at point 5 between points 12 and 13. The GPS route does not follow the trail; it is completely hidden by vegetation. Please be careful.

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