Roche Blanche on the circuit

A family trail starting from Les Rousses, offering views over the peat bog on the edge of Lac des Rousses.

Details

n°121328

Creation:
19 May 2015

Last update:
24 Jun 2025

Last review:
20 Sep 2025

Activity: Walking
Distance: 12.34 km
Average duration: 4h 30
Difficulty: Moderate
Back to start: Yes
Ascent: + 337 m
Descent: - 338 m
Highest point: 1,273 m
Lowest point: 1,058 m

Country: France
Areas: Jura mountains, Haut-Jura
District: Les Rousses (39220|39400)
Start/End: N 46.483281° / E 6.061408°
IGN map(s): Ref. 3327ET
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Photos

Description of the walk

Park in the large car park at the Tourist Office (OT).
(S/E) Head north on Rue Pasteur and continue until you reach the cheese dairy.

(1). Turn right onto the downhill road that follows the^GR®5. Stay on the paved road, following the red and white^GR® markings until you reach the junction with the path climbing up to the right.

(2) Continue along this path, passing a large building powered by solar panels.
N.B. Be sure to follow the marked trail, which is the^GR® trail, contrary to what is indicated on the map, as the^GR® trail has been moved.
You will reach another junction.

(3) Take the path on the left (sign) to reach the summit of Roche Blanche.

(4) Return to the previous crossroads.

(3). Continue north-east and you will soon come to a tarmac road. Take it on the right. You will come to a barn and then, at the crossroads, the Combe du Ver car park.

(5) Take the path to the left of the sign, reach a large meadow and join the^GRP® du Tour de Haute-Bienne, marked in yellow and red (JR). Reach the crossroads before Fort de Risoux.

(6) Ignore the track opposite (incorrectly marked^GRP® on the map) and head south on the wide track that joins the^PR® trail at La Roche de Lavenna.

(7) Head left (northeast) to reach this rock and continue along the^PR® to rejoin the^GRP® at the crossroads.

(8) Descend to the right and rejoin the D29E2 road along the edge of Lac des Rousses. Continue on the^{GRP® trail}, following the duckboards, rejoin the track and turn right to reach the D29E2 road again. Stay on this road for a few metres before returning to the GRP® junction^.

(9) Turn 90° to the left. Continue along the path, still marked JR, pass the Collège des Rousses and cross the meadows to reach the car park (S/E) via a final descent ending at the banner of the famous cross-country race: the Trans-Jurassienne, more commonly known as the "Transju".

Waypoints

S/E : km 0 - alt. 1,112 m - Les Rousses tourist office car park
1 : km 0.14 - alt. 1,108 m - Les Rousses cheese dairy
2 : km 1.26 - alt. 1,074 m - Trail junction
3 : km 3.13 - alt. 1,242 m - Roche Blanche crossroads
4 : km 3.96 - alt. 1,210 m - Bélvédère de la Roche Blanche
5 : km 5.6 - alt. 1,229 m - Combe du Ver
6 : km 6.5 - alt. 1,256 m - GRP crossroads
7 : km 7.43 - alt. 1,156 m - Roche Lavenna crossroads
8 : km 8.13 - alt. 1,162 m - PR - GRP crossroads
9 : km 10.12 - alt. 1,069 m - Crossroads D29E2 - GRP - Orbe (rivière)
S/E : km 12.34 - alt. 1,112 m - Les Rousses tourist office car park

Notes

There are no water points on this circuit.
Shelter available at the barn before the Combe du Ver car park.

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

Grand tétras - more information

Worth a visit

The beautiful expanse of water at Lac des Rousses.
The boardwalk trail is dotted with information panels explaining this protected area.

Reviews and comments

4.1 / 5

Based on 33 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.1 / 5

Ease of following the route
4 / 5

Route interest
4.2 / 5

cra

20 Sep 2025 at 19:28 7200

Overall rating : 3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 20, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : Yes

yes, I see the comments. The route is almost entirely through the woods. I couldn't find Fort du Risoux, and the paths were partly destroyed by forestry machinery because there was so much of it. The most enjoyable part is the return from Lac des Rousses to Les Rousses

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les bubus

01 Sep 2025 at 17:35 7200

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

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

a beautiful walk in parish-specific to Brittany weather, as most of it is in the shade. No spectacular views, as it is often in the woods, but as you descend towards Lac des Rousses, you can glimpse it from time to time. The arrival at the water's edge is very pleasant, walking on the duckboards is great, and the return to the centre of Les Rousses offers a final nice little climb
we enjoyed it. This hike is recommended

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pouget yves

30 Jul 2025 at 08:38 7200 • Edited: 30 Jul 2025 at 09:03 7200

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 30, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very nice walk, but there is a question mark at point 8, where there is a line without passing through this point. Surprising, isn't it? I think this needs to be reviewed.

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Samuel P.

23 Jun 2025 at 09:05 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 23, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Well shaded for walking on a hot day. Beautiful view of the white rock, less clear from the viewpoint over the lake. Very satisfied with my hike.

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kaolak1

04 Oct 2024 at 15:41 7200

Overall rating : 3.5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 02, 2024
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

The route was taken in reverse, which was not particularly challenging.
It was a pleasant walk to discover the surroundings, but there weren't many views.

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choupy40

23 Sep 2024 at 18:22 7200

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 23, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Hike in the woods without much difficulty, except for the climb at the start (not insurmountable, however). We stayed on the GR just before Roche Blanche and took the path that allowed direct access, avoiding a long detour. This hike is classified as difficult by the tourist office. This is not the case. The return via the water sports centre and the village of Les Rousses offers a change of scenery.

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Dom2limoges

16 Oct 2023 at 10:24 7200

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 24, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A pleasant walk in warm weather, well shaded, but few interesting views.

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JPNOVES

23 Aug 2023 at 18:47 7200

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 18, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Very busy route : No

The viewpoint at Roche Blanche offers a partial view of Les Rousses from above. Not very interesting.
The hike is in the shade but you remain surrounded by vegetation, which is a bit monotonous
We cut the hike short, going from 6 to 8, following the GRP, as there wasn't much to see.
We bypassed point 9 via a path, as point 9 took us back to the road.
We were not bothered by the forestry work.

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PVarin

17 Jul 2023 at 10:29 7200

Overall rating : 4.5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 17, 2023
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant hike with two beautiful viewpoints, a section near the old Risoux fort and an interesting trail through the wetlands at Lac des Rousses (wooden footbridge, information panels). Some sections of the trail have been damaged by forestry machinery.

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VTRP

29 Jun 2023 at 17:26 7200

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 15, 2023
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

We did the circuit in the opposite direction to the description, which led to a fairly steep climb between the lake and crossing point No. 8, then between the Lavenna rock (a little disappointing: too many trees!) and the Risoux fort - but the descent was then pleasant and comfortable. The paths are indeed quite rough and muddy at times, or not very clear, but the GPS on the mobile app helps you find your way. Beautiful view at Roche Blanche. At the fort, a path invites you to walk around the moats, but it is often exposed and requires sure footing, as well as a lot of attention and caution.
N.B.: parking in Les Rousses town centre is limited in time and/or subject to charges. Free parking is available at the car park on the corner of Route Royale (parallel to the RN5) and Rue des Champs de Neige, 150 metres south of the Tourist Office.

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chris07marcheur

22 May 2023 at 10:02 7200

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : May 22, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Nice hike, lovely view of Les Rousses.
We had some difficulty following the route because at the end of the trail, the path was torn up by forestry tractors and impossible to use. Fortunately, the GPS helped us find our way back.

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cmb

29 Aug 2022 at 18:49 7200

Overall rating : 2 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 29, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

We lost track between 5 and 6: We never found the Risoux fort or the Lavenna rock. We found the lake at its north-eastern end.

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gigine57

19 Aug 2022 at 20:15 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 04, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

No change

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pon39

18 Jul 2022 at 15:21 7200

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 13, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

The tourist office car park is in a blue zone, so it is best to park opposite on the other side of the road in the sports centre car park. A beautiful walk with lovely views and pleasant temperatures at this altitude in hot weather.

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TAVIAN Anne

15 Jul 2022 at 17:48 7200

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 12, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very shaded route. Best done during hot weather for the coolness.
signage is average at point 7 on the route.

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