Sénéchas walks

Perched on a ridge between the steep-sided valleys of the Cèze and the Homol, the village of Sénéchas lies with its feet in the reservoir created by the dam that bears its name. The suggested route takes you down from the heights of the village to the shores of the lake, and on to an old medieval tower that stands watch over the lake’s meandering waters. Along the way, you’ll discover some marvels of the earthworks that once shaped this corner of the Cévennes.

A short route, suitable for families, on decent paths with good signposting. A lovely apiary at Les Bouchets and superb views of the Monts de la Lozère. It’s (relatively) cool in the morning.You can enhance the walk with a meal at the little restaurant opposite the church (closed on Wednesdays).

Une randonnée proposée par le Parc Naturel des Cévennes. Le sens de la randonnée a été inversé pour éviter une fin de parcours en forte côte, et très chaude.

A round-trip hike, much of which follows the ridge, offering magnificent panoramic views of the peaks of the Cévennes in the Gard and the Monts d’Ardèche. Route along theGRP® Haute Vallée de la Cèze and the Cévenol.

Les Chams de Bonneveau, Cassenade and Malbosquet, and the hamlets of Malbosquet and Les Escoussous as seen from the Col de Peras. Beautiful views of the Cévennes, the Alps, Mont Ventoux, the Tanargue Massif and, closer by, the Berrias Plain. Varied terrain on this fairly demanding hike.

A very pleasant hike in Malbosc among chestnut trees, taking paths and pretty paved slanting streets. Moderator's note Please note that the red bridge appears to have disappeared. See reviews

Set off to explore ancient drovers' roads (transhumance routes for herds) across arid, windswept plateaus. Chestnut trees (almost) everywhere, broom a little higher up, and then high-altitude moorland covered in heather and pine trees – that’s what this hike has in store! As well as magnificent views of the surrounding countryside. There are also quite a few stones on the ascents (up to the junction with theGRP® 4) and descents – take particular care between (8) and (9).

La Vernarède is a small mining village between Portes and Chamborigaud. It's a lovely, easy walk with plenty of water points for our furry friends to drink from, at least in spring (in summer this may not be the case). The trail stretches under the pine trees and a few chestnut trees and runs alongside the Broussous stream. Numerous flowers dot the water sources, such as magnificent columbines and daisies.

This is a challenging circular route with an elevation gain of over 1,000 metres, starting from Chamborigaud and climbing up to the Route des Crêtes, with superb views of the surrounding mountains, including the ruins of the old castle of Verfeuil, from the south of Mont Lozère to Mont Ventoux. There are various places between the points (7) and (15) that also offer beautiful views. From Vialas to Chamborigaud, you will come across numerous streams that flow into the Luech, which you will follow, with a superb spot that is ideal for a break or a swim, even if there are still 6 km to go to reach the starting point, with a steep hill to leave the Luech. But overall, it is a very beautiful route for lovers of good, challenging hikes.

A short walk for a winter’s afternoon in the land of Jean-Pierre Chabrol. You pass under the magnificent Luech viaduct before climbing gently for a circular route through the Cévennes forests and returning to Chamborigaud. Please note: On Monday 18 March 2024, the stone bridge spanning the Luech at the edge of the village collapsed. The start of the walk can be moved to Le Martinet: Chemin Jean-Pierre Chabrol.

A short walk along pleasant Cévennes paths. A route that begins with a magnificent staircase made of splendid schist slabs, and a series of small steps allowing you to cross the various accols (or faïsses: terms meaning terraced farmland) once maintained for cultivation. Also worth noting is a distinctive feature of the Malbosquet Bridge, where one of the parapets has a pointed section in the middle, into which a slab has been set to form a seat.

This challenging loop starts at Col de Portes and descends to Peyremale via the beautiful medieval village of Le Puech. After Peyremale and Saint-Herm, the route climbs back up to higher ground, offering superb views of the meandering Luech river below, which you eventually reach and follow along the beautiful hamlet of Chareneuve, which seems cut off from the world.Follow the Luech to Martinet Neuf after Chambon. Take a path that climbs steeply to Dieusses. Towards the end of the climb, you can clearly see the Château de Portes on the other side of the Luech, which you will have to reach. You are now about halfway there.Descend towards Chamborigaud, with beautiful views of the viaduct, which the path passes under. After the Chamborigaud bridge, take the GR®700, which climbs up to the Col de Portes. This is the thousand-year-old Régordane path. Although it stays close to the road, which you cross in a few places, this road, which starts off as a road but later becomes a path, is very pleasant.

The Château de Portes is nicknamed the "ship of the Cévennes" as it overlooked the old Regordane Way, which pilgrims and crusaders used on their way to the Holy Land. Through the woods, this hike will introduce you to another, more recent past of the Cévennes: the mines, with the discovery of the Peyrerol tower and its inclined plane. 09/10/2023 Moderator's message: the route has been modified and shortened to avoid private sections between (3) and Le Tour.

Short walk, about an hour, around Château de Portes. It's not difficult, the route is easily accessible, you just have to climb a little to reach the château.

A circular loop without difficulty, with panoramic views to enjoy with the family. The Chemin des Vignes follows an old route that was once used for terraced farming and then for exploiting the pine forest to support the mining galleries. The vines disappeared in the 1960s.

Starting from the village of Génolhac, the walk crosses the Col de l'Ancise and Col de la Banlève passes, heads towards the remarkable Tomple garden and crosses the Cévenol railway line, which still connects Clermont-Ferrand to Nîmes.

One of the most beautiful routes in the Vans region, both in terms of scenery and heritage. Balcony paths, chestnut groves and drying rooms, a gold-bearing river, low walls and beehives carved into chestnut tree trunks: everything invites you to discover this enclave of the Ardèche and its hamlets, which were once only accessible on foot. Be careful, there are steep and very steep ascents and descents. Allow 5 hours for the route, plus extra time for wandering around.

An easy walk that allows you to discover the isolated hamlets typical of this region of the Cévennes, as well as its vast chestnut groves.

A very pretty walk, through trees at the bottom and broom at the top. Allow a good half day to a full day to complete the circuit. I recommend this walk to experienced walkers who are used to walking in the mountains.

This is an easy hike that takes you to the summit of the Pays des Vans at an altitude of 910 metres. Beautiful 360-degree panoramic views.

A gentle start along a straight, slightly downhill forest track, before climbing again and passing through some charming hamlets. Don’t hesitate to make a round trip to see the curious Grotte des Baumes. The path, which is steep in places, will take you to Besou, or you can easily reach the car park via the road.

A short walk along the Luech, following an old irrigation canal. Return via the road. A few short steep sections mean that this walk is classified as moderate, despite the short distance.

A fairly challenging route as the bulk of the climb comes at the end, and therefore in the heat. Walking along the old drovers' road is a real pleasure, as it is so unspoilt (apart from a few watchtowers...). From the point (11), the route is magnificent, with a succession of paths and the crossing of Bournaves, which has some lovely houses.

A moderately challenging walk leading to the highest peak of the Serre de Barre, where a watchtower is manned during the summer months for fire surveillance. From the summit, you can enjoy a beautiful view over the plain and the Ardèche mountains.

Short circular loop in a cirque near the charming village of Naves, next to Les Vans. You can combine this outing with the Cirque du Bourdaric. A great outing for geology enthusiasts.

A very beautiful walk from the charming village of Naves. This walk can be combined with the Malarce cirque.

A circular with varied landscapes that uses the beautiful paths created and maintained by the municipality of Gravières.This route is impossible in heavy rain as the Chassezac river can cover La Pontière. On 29 May 2024, there was quite a lot of water at La Pontière, but it was still possible to cross (I preferred to take my shoes off anyway). The weather forecast is looking better, so conditions should improve.

Contrasting landscapes between the southern scrubland and the deep gullies in the clay-limestone marl. Fossil footprints, botanical path, abrupt change of vegetation between limestone strata and Cevennes shale, and return by a path overlooking the Chassezac river. Very pretty and picturesque village of Naves. That's what's on the menu of this spectacular hike which takes you around the west of Les Vans.

A beautiful hike in the Auzonnet valley, with stunning scenery but also the constant presence of the region's industrial past, linked to coal, which is sure to captivate you. The medieval village of Saint-Jean-de-Valériscle is also worth a visit. The route is well marked and does not present any particular difficulties.

This is a challenging hike that allows you to discover different aspects of the southern Cévennes countryside, passing through forests and superb panoramas, as well as villages and hamlets. The climb from Robiac to the Chapelle Lacham is challenging, with some steep sections, but the scenery is well worth the effort. The descent from the chapel to Saint-Florent-sur-Auzonnet is also challenging, due to the large unstable rocks typical of the Cévennes over much of the descent.