The Deer Trail (long version)

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This route offers a wide variety of landscapes: fields, meadows, rivers and forests. Numerous crossings of valleys through which tributaries of the Dadou flow make this hike quite physically demanding. The villages on the hilltops, ridges or valley floors bear witness to farming and livestock rearing that is still active amidst unspoilt nature.
This route combines the Chemin des Bergers in the north with the Sentier du Chevreuil in the south, already described on Visorando, returning via theGR® 36.

Details

n°2487298
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 11.32 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 7h 05 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Difficult
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 2,110 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 2,103 ft
  • ▲
    Highest point: 2,162 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 1,398 ft
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Description of the walk

Start at the car park opposite Paulinet Town Hall.

(S/E) From the car park, walk past the church and continue along the lane towards the west.

(1) Turn right onto a path lined with tall trees (do not turn left: this leads back to the Sentier du Chevreuil).

(2) Turn right towards the north to join theGR® 36, leaving the ridge path behind.

(3) Junction with theGR® 36: head down to the left along a wide forest track. Cross the Oulas, pass in front of the Moulin du Cadet, then head back up towards the D53 and continue straight on along a small tarmac road that climbs.

(4) At the bend, turn right onto a path leading up towards the hamlet of Notre-Dame d'Ourtiguet, which you cross until you reach the vicinity of the cemetery.

(5) At the cross, turn right onto the small tarmac road signposted "La Maynoubié". You leave theGR® 36 at this point: thePR® "Chemin des Bergers" signposting is rather sparse!

(6) Turn right into the farmyard, then quite soon left between the buildings onto a slightly overgrown path that leads downhill.

(7) Cross the D53 again and follow the path opposite into the woods. This path crosses the Oulas, follows it for a while, then climbs back up into the forest.

(8) At a crossroads, take the ridge path on the left.

(9) At the Masnau farm, follow a small road then take the path opposite across the fields.

(10) Turn right onto the second country lane towards Connac.

(11) Walk through the village of Connac and follow the newPR® “Sentier du Chevreuil” signposting straight ahead.

(12) Turn left onto the tarmac road: the D79, which you follow to Plagnes.

(13) At the entrance to the hamlet, follow the road down to the bottom of the village on the right.

(14) Turn right onto a path that descends into the valley.

(15) At the entrance to Saint-Jean de Jeannes, follow the D53 to the right as far as a football pitch.

(16) Turn left and go round a lake on your right. Follow theGR® 36 signposting and keep right until you reach Paulinet.

(17) Cross the D53 road and take the path that climbs into the woods.

(18) At the junction, turn left onto the D79.

(19) Just after the junction with the D53, turn right onto a stony path. This descends towards a stream then climbs back up through the fields to Paulinet.

(1) Continue to the right towards the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 2,142 ft - Town hall car park
  2. 1 : mi 0.11 - alt. 2,129 ft - Alleyway on the right
  3. 2 : mi 0.28 - alt. 2,087 ft - Tree-lined path on the right
  4. 3 : mi 0.57 - alt. 1,998 ft - Junction with the GR 36, on the left
  5. 4 : mi 1.8 - alt. 1,588 ft - Path leading uphill to the right
  6. 5 : mi 2.67 - alt. 1,985 ft - On the right, the Route de la Maynoubié
  7. 6 : mi 2.85 - alt. 1,896 ft - Turn right at the farm
  8. 7 : mi 3.04 - alt. 1,755 ft - Crossing the D 53
  9. 8 : mi 3.9 - alt. 1,837 ft - On the left, a ridge path
  10. 9 : mi 4.51 - alt. 2,067 ft - Crossing Masnau: opposite
  11. 10 : mi 5.02 - alt. 2,142 ft - Rural path on the right
  12. 11 : mi 5.65 - alt. 2,162 ft - On the right, signposting for the Chevreuil Trail
  13. 12 : mi 6.63 - alt. 2,087 ft - Turn left onto the D 79
  14. 13 : mi 7.15 - alt. 2,126 ft - Entrance to Plagnes: on the right
  15. 14 : mi 7.37 - alt. 2,024 ft - Path on the right
  16. 15 : mi 8.14 - alt. 1,401 ft - D 53: turn right
  17. 16 : mi 8.79 - alt. 1,552 ft - Turn left at the sports ground. GR36
  18. 17 : mi 9.47 - alt. 1,739 ft - Forest track opposite
  19. 18 : mi 10 - alt. 2,051 ft - Turn left onto the D 79
  20. 19 : mi 10.55 - alt. 1,900 ft - On the right: stony path
  21. S/E : mi 11.32 - alt. 2,142 ft - Town hall car park

Notes

Public toilets in the village.
From (5) to (11), the signposting is barely visible and often absent: a GPS device is recommended.
Between (6) and (7), the path is poorly maintained and sometimes muddy.

Worth a visit

Numerous wayside crosses, small churches and chapels in the villages.

The Deer Trail

Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

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Reviews and comments

4.6 / 5
Based on 4 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.7 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.8 / 5
Route interest
4.5 / 5
Frala
Frala
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.5 / 5

Date of your route : May 22, 2026
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A varied route through fields, grazing pastures, deciduous forests and numerous streams. The extensive livestock farming—involving calves and cows in the Segala region and sheep in the Roquefort area—has a profound impact on village life, which is dominated by large-scale farms. It’s worth noting that these austere, deserted villages, built mainly from black stone, lack any particular charm, and in my view, this is what this hike is missing. Thanks to the route planner, who is in no way responsible for this comment, as the hike is generally very pleasant.

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Luc GUINCHARD
Luc GUINCHARD

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 27, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

The undulating route is very well described, and the step counter is accurate. The difficulty of the route lies more in its length than in its technicality. The paths are generally wide and passable, and the gradients are steady with no major problems. I would actually rate it as moderate rather than difficult. The route took 5 hours excluding breaks. There were no other walkers when I did it. You pass through a few hamlets and a few farms, but there are no views or specific sights to see.

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ha-thai81
ha-thai81

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 09, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Beautiful trails and varied scenery!! We didn’t find this hike difficult—let’s say it was of moderate difficulty—
(we’re two 70-year-old walkers with a dog) and the signposting is now perfectly clear all along the route. However, our pedometer recorded 20 km
Thank you, JAB, for this lovely walk.

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Roland Roque
Roland Roque

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 25, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

I enjoyed this route; it was very well signposted and very pleasant, with relatively few roads.
The paths are well maintained.
I reversed the direction of the walk and the starting point. (Saint Jean de Jeanne at the lowest point of the route.)

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