Pélussin walks

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 walk starts in Pelussin (in the heart of Pilat) and offers a gentle climb (just under 600m) to keep you in shape, rising steadily throughout. You will arrive at the Dentillon hut, with its arboretum and orientation table. You can then continue on to the 3 dents, which takes an additional 45 minutes and 250m of elevation gain.

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

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

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

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.

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.

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.

Hike through the forest from one pass to another via Mont Ministre, alternating between panoramic views of the Pilat massif and the Rhône valley. Along the way, there are a few remarkable sites: Grotte des Fées (Fairy Cave) and the Old Chapel. There are places to eat at both passes, or you can stop for a picnic at Col de Grenouze. Take care on the descent from the forest track to the Vieille Chapelle: it is a narrow, fairly steep path that can be slippery in wet weather.

In the footsteps of Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Doctor Odouard, a circular eight between the Cols de Pavezin and Doizieu. The first part leads to the Croix de Montvieux via the ruins of the Château de Bélize and the Crêts des Quatregrains, with a beautiful view of the Pîlât mountains. The second part goes to the Collet de Doizieux via pleasant forest tracks and views of Pélusin and the Rhône valley. The return route passes through the Neufond woods with two beautiful screes and the Baronnette trails.

More than fourteen crosses to discover on this hike around Pavezin.

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.

Most of this hike takes place in beech forests. It is perfect on sunny or windy days. It overlooks the village of Pavezin.

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.

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.

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

Magnificent panoramic view of the Alps on a clear day. Partially shaded return route through the woods. Somewhat strenuous climb but no technical difficulty.

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.

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.

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

This hike takes us to Les Roches de Marlin, which is somewhat overgrown with broom and other vegetation, and the beautiful flower-filled village of Longes. Don't forget to enjoy the beautiful views of the Gier valley and the crosses at almost every crossroads.

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.

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

A long route along the panoramic ridges of Mont Pilat.

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

Walk in the hills above Longes with magnificent panoramic views of the Alps, the Pilat massif and the Monts du Lyonnais. Car park with a beautiful table and two magnificent wooden deckchairs from which to admire the Rhône valley and the Alps.

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 very beautiful hike that allows you to discover some very interesting places, especially the beautiful village of Sainte-Croix-en-Jarez, with magnificent views along the entire route.

Walk in the Pilat, 6 km from Rive de Gier, around the beautiful Lake Barrage du Couzon.

Walk to the Roches de Marlin and return along the Lac du Couzon. On the way, you can visit the former Chartreuse de Sainte-Croix-en-Jarez.

Discover Sainte-Croix-en-Jarez and its Chartreuse in the Pilat region, starting from the dam on the Couzon.

This is a beautiful hike that allows you to see different landscapes: lake, forest, path and, finally, the river bed as you pass over a pretty aqueduct. This hike is a shorter variation in the opposite direction to the hike I found on this website, called 'Around the Couzon Dam'.

This hike around Crêt de Montieux offers beautiful views of Mont Pilat, the Couzon dam and the Col de Pavezin.

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.

Hike in the Pilat Massif with views of the Rhône Valley.

A short walk to do with children (but not with a pushchair!). The start is quite steep for little ones, but the rest is fairly easy.

A pleasant circular walk starting from Farnay. Fully marked in white and yellow as Farnay 3 route. Two other walks start from behind the town hall and are signposted. This is the longest, but it is possible to shorten it by 3 km.

A hike with a very varied route. Discover the Lônes with nature observatories in the protected area of Île du Beurre. The banks of the Rhône (with the Port des Roches de Condrieu opposite) and a very pleasant arrival in Condrieu (restored residences). Visit the old town of Condrieu, climb up to the village of Semons and enjoy the view over the market garden plain of Ampuis. Descent into the vineyards of the Côtes Rôties to discover the intertwining terraces and low walls.

An easy hike (reasonable distance and elevation gain) offering views of the northern slope of the Pilat Regional Nature Park, the hillsides of Jarez and the Monts du Lyonnais. Alternating meadows and groves, with a few sections on very quiet roads.

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