Maclas walks

fairly easy hike on the foothills of Mont Pilat, facing it and the Rhône plain

A route between hills and foothills, between forests and orchards. Some sections are on roads, which are unavoidable but not very busy.

A very pleasant hike. It offers varied landscapes, on ancient mossy paths, dotted with houses typical of the Pilat region. You will have beautiful views of the surrounding and even distant peaks on numerous occasions.

This hike allows you to discover the Trois Dents rocks, which give this area of Pilat an alpine character and offer magnificent views. As an option, the Saint-Sabin chapel offers a beautiful view of the Véranne area. The Pilat Natural Park's signposts and directional signs will be a great help in following the route.

This hike takes you through several different landscapes in Pilat. It starts at the foot of the hills, rich in orchards, and reaches the highest point of the massif, where the view is spectacular.

Another original way to get to this beautiful viewpoint that is the Saint-Sabin chapel on a small bluff in the heart of the Pilat Park, pouring into the Rhône Valley, with some of the best views of the Alps and pre-Alps (especially across the south). At the chapel, many signs and indications tell the story of the place and its flora.

A walk that leads along paths via the Col du Fayet to Lake Ternay, where you can, if you wish, enjoy the pleasant surroundings and take your lunch out of your rucksack.

Start by exploring a botanical cactus trail, then climb up to the cemetery and enjoy the view. Follow the cool Épervier stream upstream. Discover wooded paths followed by sunny trails with superb 360° views, then descend through the vineyards. Finish by discovering the Saut de Laurette. Return via the old village (church, salt storehouse, former commandery) and the trails.

This is an easy hike between the village of Roisey and Malleval. At the start of the hike, you can see the Saut de Lorette waterfall when there is water in winter and, on the way back, before arriving in Malleval, you will pass through the woods along the Ruisseau de l'Épervier stream, which will provide welcome refreshment if you are hiking in summer. (!) Please note: access is prohibited along the stream at (8) due to a municipal by-law. Reported on 31 July 2025.

An easy route to discover some of the attractions of the commune of Bessey in the Pilat Regional Nature Park.

A very short, easy stroll (apart from the rocky path). At the chapel, you can enjoy an exceptional view of: - the Rhône Valley, - the Pre-Alps (Chartreuse & Vercors), - the Alps (on a clear day, you can even see Mont Blanc...) ... and when you turn around, you'll see the peaks of Pilat: Les 3 Dents, Crêt de l'Oeillon, etc.

This route, consisting of three circular loops, is one of the most beautiful hikes in Pilat. You will discover the Chapelle Saint-Sabin, a viewpoint over the Rhône valley, the Pic des Trois Dents and the Crêt de l'Œillon, dominated by its television transmitter.

A lovely hike in the Pilat hills offering 360° views of Pilat, the Alps, the Monts du Lyonnais and the Monts du Forez.

The Mont Pilat massif is very popular and criss-crossed by numerous trails. This circular loop combines several of them to pass by the site of the Chapelle St Sabin, then climb up to cross the Trois Dents on a fun route, before reaching the ridge and following it through the various crests stretching from the Œillon to the Perdrix. The return journey is via a descent that favours paths through the woods.

A gentle hike on the slopes of the Pilat massif. You will pass through orchards and vineyards with views of the Rhône and the foothills of the Vercors.

The route of this hike will take you from the hamlet of La Ribaudy to the village of Pélussin. Sometimes along wooded paths, sometimes across fields, you will reach the valley of the Rivière du Régrillon. You will cross the Pélussin Viaduct, the former Tacot railway line.

An easy hike starting from the village of Limony. Once you have climbed to the top, weather permitting, you will have a beautiful view of the Alps to the east. The return journey will take you along the Limony.

This hike will take you to the Col du Fayet via the paths, starting from the small village of Félines.

This easy walk allows you to stroll around the beautiful village of Pélussin before plunging into the wooded valley of the Scie stream.It partly follows the Priel trail (Pelussin 1, yellow/white markings).

This walk starts from Pelussin (in the heart of Pilat) and involves a slight climb (just under 600 m) to keep you in shape, which rises continuously. You will arrive at the Dentillon hut, with its arboretum and orientation table. You can then continue on to the 3 dents, which will add another 45 minutes and 250m of elevation gain.

At the start and end of the route, this circuit follows the Tacot, a local railway line that connected the two sides of the Pilat Massif, the Loire and the Rhône, until 1930. Magnificent views of the Pilat Massif, but above all of the Rhône Valley and the Alps, with Mont Blanc visible on the left when the sky is clear. Most of the circuit is in the forest.

This hike will take you on a journey through the Pilat mountains but also into the past, to a unique site resulting from the former lead mines.

Walk through the orchards of Chavanay. Best done in April when the fruit trees are in bloom. As a bonus, you'll see the charming village of Malleval and the Epervier valley. Please note: read carefully at marker No. 8

Long snowshoe hike on the Pilat ridges with little elevation gain. Can be done on foot in the right season. If there are no tracks, GPS or an app can help in addition to the map.

This is a lovely hike for exploring the Pilat ridges, with superb panoramic views of the entire Alpine range. The route takes you through a variety of landscapes, from scree slopes to coniferous forests and heathland covered with heather and broom. In season, you can pick wild raspberries and blueberries. This route offers a return via a less frequented path through a deciduous forest.

An easy hike along the ridges of Pilat linking three major summits, via trails through forests and moors. Along the way we discover magnificent views of the Alps, the Massif Central and the Rhône Valley.

Saint-Julien-Molin-Molette is a village located in the heart of the Pilat Regional Park. The hike takes you along streams and wooded hills to the Menhir du Flat, then to the Croix de Sainte-Blandine on the Way of St James. Along the route, in certain places, weather permitting, you will be treated to beautiful views stretching all the way to the Alps.

In the Pilat Mountains, this walk will take you through fields and wooded paths to Lac du Ternay.

This short hike is an opportunity to discover the valleys north of the commune of Pélussin, while enjoying numerous views of this beautiful little village (two churches and a castle!), stretching along a ridge that slopes gently down towards the Rhône valley. You can also enjoy beautiful views of the Pilat peaks (Les Trois Dents, Le Crêt de l'Oeillon).

An easy walk with views of the Rhône valley and the Alps on a clear day.

A short hike in the Pilat Massif with plenty of shade. The route is not too difficult and offers beautiful views of the Rhône Valley, the Vercors and the Alps, weather permitting, as well as the Monts du Lyonnais in some places and the Gier Valley.

Hike to the outskirts of Saint-Julien-Molin-Molette along part of the Way of St James.

Come and explore the paths of the commune of Colombier-sous-Pilat as you pass through some of its hamlets.

Enjoy the atmosphere of northern Ardèche with this exceptional hike in the heart of Pilat. Pass through the main ridges of Pilat to discover breathtaking views and small steep paths.

An easy walk to enjoy as a family. Very popular in summer, it is worth the detour to admire the panoramic view over the Alps and the summits of Mont Blanc, the Lyonnais mountains and the Giers valley, the Vercors massif and those of northern Vivarais. With a wealth of flowers in spring, you can gather bilberries in August and raspberries in September. Unless you choose to go ski touring or cross-country skiing here in winter.

A lovely circular route that takes you through a magnificent beech forest and then along a balcony path where you can admire the Monts d'Ardèche and the Alps.

The Pilat massif on its southern slope with a passage at its highest point, the Crêt de la Perdrix.

A long walk to a magnificent viewpoint on the border between the Loire and Ardèche regions. In good weather, you can see as far as Mont Blanc, the Alps, the Vercors and even Mont Ventoux.

Walk in the hills around Peyraud and Serrières. The climb up the Crémieux stream valley will take you to the small village of Bogy. The hike offers numerous viewpoints overlooking the Rhône valley and the Alps, visibility permitting.

An easy route to discover the Crêt de Baronnette and the Celtic site of the Château de Bélize, in the Pilat Regional Nature Park. A half-day walk, perfect before or after lunch.

The hike combines the Odouard and Jean-Jacques Rousseau trails, starting from Chuyer. The first part, to the south-east, on the Odouard trail, offers beautiful views of the Rhône valley. At the Col de Grenouze, the small loop takes you up to Mont Monnet: orientation table, beautiful view in good weather over the valley, the Vercors and the Alps (Mont Blanc). Forest paths then follow the Jean-Jacques Rousseau trail to the Col de Pavezin, and return via the Odouard trail.

Discover some of the crests and passes, often marked with a cross, on this part of the eastern slope of the Pilat Massif. This large circular route passes through Crêt de Quatregrains, Crêt de Montivert, Croix de Monvieux, Croix du Mazet, Croix du Cerisier, Sainte-Croix-en-Jarez, and Crêt de Baronnette.Route change between (3) and (4). See the notices at the bottom of this page.

A long route along the panoramic ridges of Mont Pilat.

This is an easy, short walk on good stony paths. There are beautiful views of the surrounding mountains. Tip: best done in mid-May when the broom is in bloom. Be careful, there is little shade, so avoid the hottest times of day.

An easy walk in the countryside on the heights around Condrieu. This hike offers beautiful views of the Rhône valley and the Pilat mountains.

A very pretty little tour that allows you to discover the Rhône Valley and Pilat from a slightly different perspective than usual. The hike is very accessible, even in bad weather. A good part of it is on tarmac roads.

Car park at the foot of the trail. A short, easy circular loop with low walking shoes, a rucksack and often my daughter on my shoulders.

A walk to discover beautiful views of the Dorlay valley, an opportunity to explore an old Roman road and an old railway line.

Circular route in the Pilat massif starting from La Terrasse-sur-Dorlay, climbing up to Collet de Doizieux and passing by Croix de Montvieux and Croix du Mazet. Along the route, there are beautiful views and panoramas of the Dorlay Dam, the rolling hills of Pilat, the Lyonnais and Forez mountains, and the Rhône and its valley. Discover the craft of shoeing horses and, if you have time, visit the Maison des Tresses et Lacets (house of braids and laces).

A relatively easy walk to a viewpoint overlooking the Rhône valley, the Pilat and Ardèche mountains, and a superb view of the Alps on clear days.