Saint-Laurent-de-Vaux - Haute Bruyère

This fairly easy circuit from Saint-Laurent-de-Vaux will take you on a pleasant trail mainly in the forest. If the weather is clear, the view from the Plat Saint-Romain plateau offers a panoramic view of the Alps.

Technical sheet

173338
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 8.56 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 25 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Return to departure point: Yes
  • ↗
    Vertical gain: + 335 m
  • ↘
    Vertical drop: - 335 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 607 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 419 m

Photos

Description of the walk

The town hall car park at the entrance to the village on the left coming from Vaugneray.

(S) Back at the church, leave the car park down the street that goes up on the right.

(1) Approximately 250 metres before the bend in the road, take the trail on the left at the foot of a big house. Continue on this path which climbs gently near the forest and the Bois de Taconan.

(2) When you arrive in a valley in the forest in the middle of which flows the Goutte Lais stream, take the path down to your left along the stream. Follow this path through the woods to cross a dirt road

(3) Take this road to the right to pass above a large farm in Chatanay.

(4) Just past the farm, a small path leads to the right. Follow it.

(5) Shortly after arriving in the fields, the path crosses a dirt road. Turn right on this road leading to a small road that takes you left to the viewpoint.

(6) A very steep trail descends to the left of the table. Take it. It leads you to the farm of Haute Bruyère. Turn right here and return to the road.

(7) Take the road uphill to the right. Ignore the first path which starts on the left and around the next bend, veer onto the trail on the left of the road. Follow this path up above orchards before beginning to run alongside a forest.

(8) At the crossroads at the exit of the forest, take the first path up on the right. Continue to and cut across a small road that you take on your right. The road leads you to a crossroads on the plateau.

(9) Take the road in front of you that leads to the farm of Plat Saint-Romain. Walk along this farm ignoring all other trails.

Reach the farm, take the path that leads off opposite you in the turn. Immediately after this, take the small trail on the left that takes you to point (1) and go down the street to find your car in the car park (F).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 419 m - Town Hall car park
  2. 1 : km 0.25 - alt. 436 m - Carrefour de la boucle - Yzeron (rivière)
  3. 2 : km 1.59 - alt. 532 m - Creux de la combe
  4. 3 : km 2.46 - alt. 465 m - Carriageway
  5. 4 : km 2.88 - alt. 447 m - Big farm
  6. 5 : km 3.19 - alt. 487 m - To the right in the fields
  7. 6 : km 3.73 - alt. 527 m - Orientation table
  8. 7 : km 4.21 - alt. 458 m - La Haute Bruyère
  9. 8 : km 5.86 - alt. 517 m - Crossroads at the forest exit
  10. 9 : km 6.96 - alt. 601 m - Rating 601
  11. S/E : km 8.56 - alt. 419 m - Town Hall car park

Practical information

Parking: you can leave your car in the car park outside the town hall. If it is full you can park before the bend a little higher up.

Reviews and comments

4.8 / 5
Based on 27 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.8 / 5
Clarity of route map
4.8 / 5
Route interest
4.8 / 5
AgnèsDess73
AgnèsDess73

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Apr 13, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

Very pleasant walk with very little tarmac and a small difference in altitude, but done without any difficulty in 2 hours 15 minutes without hurrying.
Lovely views and very few people (it was a Monday 😉 )

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baboutravel
baboutravel

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Dec 29, 2024
Reliability of the description : N/A
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Lovely route! invigorating with climbs and descents! very little tarmac. lovely views. a perfect walk for us! thank you!
not very busy on 25 december

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Thabor
Thabor

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of walk : Nov 02, 2024
Reliability of the description : N/A
Clarity of route map : N/A
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

On 3 November, we narrowly avoided the fog and were able to see a bit of Lyon and nearby Vaugneray.
The terrain was fairly damp, but nothing more, which is normal at this time of year.
The walk was pleasant, with several gentle ascents and descents.
Mountains of mushrooms and chestnuts! A must for enthusiasts.
It takes 3 hours to complete, not including breaks.
3 bikes and one hiker crossed paths.
There were 6 of us, and all the participants were happy!

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liliane.clarens
liliane.clarens

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Oct 01, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : Yes

A pleasant, varied walk with a panoramic view of the Lyon conurbation, the Monts-Lyonnais and the Pilat Massif.
Nice woodland crossing with chestnut trees, hazelnut trees, oak trees, trees with unusual shapes and lots of ferns.
Many hikers crossed in connection with the Telethon.
Thanks to the author for this nature trail close to the town.

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lesgreffieres
lesgreffieres
• Last modified:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Jan 04, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

A very pleasant walk with few tarmac roads. Beautiful panoramic views at this time of year.
Best done in spring when the buds are coming into bloom, or even in summer as much of the route is wooded.
This walk is classified as medium, probably because of the difference in altitude and/or the presence of stony paths. I would recommend the use of poles and good footwear, especially after a period of rain.
In the description I would have mentioned the different markings (yellow and red at the start of the route, yellow then white and blue before the orientation table) and the signs along the way.
All in all, a very pleasant walk that can be completed in less than 2 hours.

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Patrixdemex
Patrixdemex

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Oct 30, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : Yes

Very nice walk. Nothing to complain about.
However, the "medium" difficulty rating does not seem appropriate. The route has no change in altitude, is less than 10 km long and has no technical difficulties, so the classification is "easy".
A hike to be recommended.

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annie_12
annie_12

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Oct 23, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

It was a lovely walk on an autumn Sunday, and all the participants were delighted!

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VALERIELYON
VALERIELYON

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of walk : May 09, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : N/A
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

The hike was very enjoyable, but it was a shame that the view was average due to the overcast conditions.

Note on the times given:

The time given for the "Saint-Laurent de Vaux - La Haute Bruyère" hike was 3 hours 30 minutes, but we did it in 2 hours 10 minutes, including the 10-minute break at the orientation table.

For the hike to Savigny, the time given was also greatly overestimated.
These overestimates are unfortunate because, for longer routes, we can assume that if the time indicated is very high, this may discourage hikers, whereas a more accurate time would motivate those who hesitate.

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Briancon1
Briancon1

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Jan 31, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : Yes

A short walk, with beautiful views, not too much tarmac, lots of hikers trying their hand at reading maps and other instruments, which is a pleasure.

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Sofree
Sofree

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Dec 14, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

Well-described walk, which exceptionally allowed me to do it without making a mistake and in its entirety.
Thank you, very nice

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Caroline73
Caroline73

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Dec 18, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : Yes

Lovely ride on a fairly easy route, mainly through undergrowth. On the other hand, it's a route used by motocross bikes, quad bikes and mountain bikes, so it's quite busy and even noisy at times ...
We got lost on the last signpost, not seeing the road that turned into a track to get back to St Laurent de Vaux.

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Muriel Vatan
Muriel Vatan

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : May 31, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Beautiful views. The route is generally wooded, so it's perfect when it's very hot.
The time indicated corresponded well to reality, for those of us who like to take photos and take breaks (but not too many).
Quite physical: hilly route with fairly steep, stony climbs and descents, but no major difficulties. The 'medium' level is adequate.
A little hesitant at the start, as there's no stream in sight. I agree with Momo5338's comment and suggestion.
We really enjoyed this hike. Thank you very much.

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yvesdaru
yvesdaru

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : May 30, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

A very pleasant walk, with lots of forest and protection from the sun. Undulating route with few visitors on this Sunday.

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Stéphanievisiorando
Stéphanievisiorando

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : May 24, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

A very pretty, natural walk. Varied landscapes, forest, plateau, beautiful views. Very few people but done during the week after the lockdown.
On the other hand, done in less than 3 hours without a real break but at a leisurely pace.
Would recommend

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Noemie des Colines
Noemie des Colines

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : May 05, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

This was a really pleasant walk with no particular difficulties, alternating between wooded areas and lovely views over the hills of the Monts du Lyonnais.

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