Pic de l'Aigle and Belvédère des Quatre Lacs

From the rocky ridge that marks the transition from the lake region to the Grandvaux plateau, the Pic de l'Aigle and the Belvédère des Quatre Lacs emerge during a wooded and lakeside walk.

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 9.78 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 35 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Difficult

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 271 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 264 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 994 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 772 m

Photos

Description of the walk

(S/E) From the Pic P1 car park, walk past the eyewear factory and take a small path leading to the Pic P2 and P3 car parks ("Parking du Haut du Pic"). At the road, turn right to go around P3 and reach P2.

(1) Start on the rocky path that climbs northwards (yellow markings) to the foot of the peak through beautiful dry grasslands. Atthe fork, go straight ahead. A steep climb (white and red markings) leads to the Pic de l'Aigle.

(2) The path continues to the right, north-east, winding along the wooded ridge. It approaches a forest road twice and leads to the Belvédère des Trois Lacs (Ilay, Grand Maclu and Petit Maclu).

(3) Follow a stony path along the ridge, which leads through the fir trees to the Belvédère des Quatre Lacs viewpoint. 

(4) The path climbs up to the right to the Belvédère car park, below the Route Forestière du Bois de Ban. Follow the path to the left, which continues along a trail that runs alongside the ridge marked by a series of cliffs without ever approaching it. Via a rapid descent with hairpin bends, which can be slippery in wet weather, the path joins the edge of the D 75 at Côte de Maclu.

(5) Take the cycle lane on the left at the edge of the road(yellow markings) to reach Lac du Petit Maclu. Follow the path on the left at the bend to reach the lake. 

(6) Follow the path that runs along the left side of the Petit Maclu and Grand Maclu lakes towards Ilay. At the end of Chemin des Lacs, the road on the left leads to Les Rousselets and its chapel, which seems to be nestled between two trees.

(7) Follow the road on the left(white and red markings) and take a path on the left that crosses the D39 twice, taking care

(8) After the second crossing, take the path furthest to the right, then stay opposite and to the left. The well-marked path (former tramway) gradually climbs up to Chemin du Château. Then, at the intersection between the forest road and the path you started on (yellow markings) towards P3, continue straight ahead to reach the car park you started from (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 888 m - Pic P1 car park
  2. 1 : km 0.43 - alt. 900 m - Pic P2 car park
  3. 2 : km 1.01 - alt. 977 m - Pic de l'aigle 994m
  4. 3 : km 2.56 - alt. 929 m - Belvédère des Trois Lacs
  5. 4 : km 2.95 - alt. 906 m - Bélvédère des Quatre Lacs
  6. 5 : km 4.45 - alt. 777 m - Côte du Maclu - Lac du Petit Maclu
  7. 6 : km 4.93 - alt. 775 m - Lac du Petit Maclu
  8. 7 : km 8.07 - alt. 777 m - Les Rousselets
  9. 8 : km 8.57 - alt. 812 m - D39. Near - Hérisson (rivière) - Affluent de l'Ain
  10. S/E : km 9.78 - alt. 888 m - Pic P1 car park

Notes

This route can be very busy on weekends in May and in the height of summer. 

This route passes through a protected area, which may be subject to special regulations:

Worth a visit

There are two inns in the municipality of La Chaux-du-Dombief. 

Reviews and comments

4.8 / 5
Based on 9 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.9 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.8 / 5
Route interest
4.8 / 5
User 2152145

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 06, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

It is advisable to allow a little more time than indicated.

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User 6922124

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 10, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike to do in this direction in order to gain altitude. The views from above are magnificent.
You can also walk along the cliff while staying close to the trail.
I recommend this hike, it's a must!
There weren't too many people when I went on 10/10/25. It's the beginning of autumn, and the colours are beautiful too.
The trail has some muddy sections, but it is possible to get around them.

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Foto.phil67
Foto.phil67

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 15, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Please note: the route is very slippery in places and difficult for elderly people or young children

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Blondin01
Blondin01

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 11, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely hike with some fairly steep climbs and/or descents and rocky, root-covered ground, so not necessarily suitable for beginners.

We set off at 8.30 a.m., so there weren't too many people on the trail and we were able to enjoy the cool morning air, even though most of the trail is in the shade.

Taking in the views and different locations, the walk took us 3 hours and 40 minutes.

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User 21602062

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 27, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Very beautiful route, shaded, well described, magnificent views. No difficulty for a hiker.

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User 18433251

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 14, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A beautiful shaded route along the heights of the lakes, with a peaceful return to their shores.
After the descent, choose the path rather than the lake road, if it is dry.
There are quite a few rocks and roots.

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Camille MZO
Camille MZO

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

Hike done in June
The route is very varied, with forest at the top of the cliffs and a magnificent view of the lakes on the way back.
We were lucky enough to encounter some chamois.
And for botany enthusiasts, there are some very unusual box trees along the route.
The route is relatively slippery when it rains and there are some fairly steep descents, but it's easy if you're comfortable hiking.
I highly recommend it.

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User 9673297

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

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

Nice route with no real difficulty

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ogalo
ogalo

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : May 15, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Very enjoyable hike. Beautiful scenery. Completed in 3 hours, without breaks. Very easy to follow. Be careful, it is very muddy (May) with lots of roots in the undergrowth. Take walking sticks to avoid accidents.
However, the route is imported by the Tourist Office, which wanted to favour the start that suited them best, but if you start from P1, as they recommend, you begin by seeing the view of the Eagle Peak, then the viewpoints in the first 2 km, then you descend to the lakes so that the last 2 km are all uphill with no view at the end. My advice: follow the route in the same direction but starting from Ilay. This way, the last section of your hike will be the lakes, where you can picnic/swim.
At point 5, it is not clear from the map, but continue along the path rather than the road.

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