In the footsteps of the dinosaurs

The Loulle dinosaur trail,the third largest site of footprints in France, was discovered by J.F. Richard in 2001. More than 1,500 footprints, corresponding to 21 tracks of peaceful herbivorous sauropod dinosaurs and six less friendly carnivorous "bouffozaura", were studied. Along the way, there are no fewer than five viewpoints, the last and most beautiful of which is the Surmont viewpoint over the upper Ain valley, the Loulle sharp limestone pavement and, finally, on the way back, beautiful paths crossing karstic sinkholes.

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 14.39 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 5h 00 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 305 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 302 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 797 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 535 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Parking is available next to the church in Ney.

Yellow-red and yellow markings.

(S/E) Head towards the entrance to Saint-Martin Church to visit it, then go around it to reach the "Place Kreiss" signpost, passing in front of a glass painting workshop. Turn right onto Chemin de la Chapelle, heading towards Le Vaudioux. Pass the first forest path on your left and continue straight ahead until you reach the next signpost, "Sous le Puits," after the stop sign. Climb left up the stony path to the Chapel of Notre-Dame du Perpétuel Secours.

(1) At the nearby fork, continue straight ahead, then turn left at the next fork. The path then becomes a trail that turns left, becoming rocky and steep, and not easy to climb. At the top, you will be helped by a rope handrail at a passageway on the side of the rock where you must tread carefully. You will arrive at the first viewpoint over Champagnole, topped by Mont Rivel. Set off again along the path on the left (with your back to the viewpoint) for a second viewpoint, then on to the more open jumping area. At your feet is a huge dinosaur drawn in the fields.

(2) Continue, with your back to the viewpoint, along the wide forest path on the left. At the nearby fork, take the leftmost path down the gravel track towards the Belvédère de Bénégand viewpoint with its picnic tables. With your back still to the viewpoint, turn left onto a beautiful gravel path. At the "Bénégand" signpost, which marks a fork in the road, go straight ahead (right-hand lane, towards Vaudioux - Pistes des Dinosaures).

(3) You will soon arrive at a circular gravel car park. Continue along the beautiful gravel road opposite (mountain bike route 61) until the next fork (signpost for "Surmont de Loulle").

(4) Turn right, still following the dinosaurs (yellow markings) on a gravel forest road that crosses beautiful wooded areas, but is a bit long. When it turns to tarmac, you will arrive at the Piste des Dinosaures site (on the right), painted in bright colours!

(5) Walk down to the bottom of the car park and take the path that starts there. You will cross a pasture (close the metal gates behind you) and arrive at the departmental road.

(6) Head down to the right for a round trip of about 400 metres to discover the sharp limestone pavement de Loulle on the right.

(7) After enjoying the site, turn back.

(6) On your return, continue along this road (I know, it's tarmac, but there's no other option) until you reach the big hairpin bend. Turn left onto the more pleasant Surmont Forest Road. At the sign for Forêt Communale (Communal Forest) and the Cruchière marker, continue straight up this small tarmac road towards the Belvédère des Trois Clochers viewpoint. At the next fork, turn right for a round trip to the Belvédère des Trois Clochers viewpoint.

(8) Retrace your steps and continue right along the stony path until you reach another fork, where the path widens, at the large rock slabs. Then turn left onto the gravel path that leads to the Belvédère de Surmont, the most beautiful viewpoint on the walk.

(9) Carefully turn left onto the cliffside path. You will cross beautiful sharp limestone pavements, but be careful as they can be treacherous for your ankles. The path becomes a stony track which you continue to follow downhill. Leave it when it turns left and continue straight ahead on the path lined with more beautiful sharp limestone pavements and passing through beautiful sinkholes. Stay on the path to avoid the pitfalls of possible crevices hidden under the leaves.

(10): The path comes to a step of about one metre formed by a rock, which is best descended carefully by sitting on the edge. You will arrive at the Bois au Salpêtrier signpost, leaving the path on your left and continuing straight ahead. Further down, at the crossroads, turn left onto the well-paved path for about 50 metres to rejoin the route you took on the way there.

(4). Turn right to return to the circular car park.

(3) Go down to the right, despite the crosses, along the beautiful stony path. At the first crossroads, go straight down. At the next junction (mountain bike sign), continue downhill along the sunken path on the left. You will come to a downhill path (the stones roll underfoot) which you will take on the left, still downhill, to reach the village, following the bell tower to find the car park and Saint-Martin Church (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 536 m - Ney, Saint-Martin Church
  2. 1 : km 0.6 - alt. 588 m - Our Lady of Perpetual Help
  3. 2 : km 1.41 - alt. 705 m - Bénégand jumping area
  4. 3 : km 2 - alt. 691 m - Ney Woods
  5. 4 : km 3 - alt. 698 m - Surmont
  6. 5 : km 4.54 - alt. 658 m - Dinosaur Trails
  7. 6 : km 5.78 - alt. 677 m - Tarmac road, on the right
  8. 7 : km 6.34 - alt. 682 m - Loulle sharp limestone pavement
  9. 8 : km 9.07 - alt. 734 m - Belvedere des Trois Clochers
  10. 9 : km 10.03 - alt. 794 m - Surmont viewpoint
  11. 10 : km 11.52 - alt. 740 m - Bois au Salpêtrier
  12. S/E : km 14.39 - alt. 536 m - Ney, Saint-Martin Church

Notes

The route includes unsecured ledges. Rocky and slippery paths in places. Sturdy footwear is essential and walking sticks are recommended. Not suitable for young children or walkers with unsteady footing. The climb to the first viewpoint on the rock face, aided by a handrail, requires caution. At point (10), there is a rocky step of about one metre to descend.

Worth a visit

Highlights: the Surmont viewpoint over the upper Ain valley and paths criss-crossing the sharp limestone pavement of beautiful rocky sinkholes.

Cons:
- The footsteps of our poor dinosaurs, whose bones must be shaking with indignation, covered in fluorescent paint. It's a bit like putting a moustache on the Mona Lisa (minus the humour)!
About 1.7km of departmental road, fortunately with little traffic, connecting the sharp limestone pavement of Loulle to the small Surmont Forest Road.

Reviews and comments

4.4 / 5
Based on 11 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.4 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.7 / 5
Route interest
4.1 / 5
toyzoul
toyzoul

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 14, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The hike is as described, pleasant with some nice views.
The start is a little technical, so not everyone will be able to get through. If you have people with you who are not very sure-footed or a dog, it is better to take the path indicated for the return journey (which is also quite steep) (it was difficult and dangerous for my dog). You won't miss much, and the views you missed by not taking the indicated path on the way there are easily accessible by making a simple detour from point 3 to point 2.

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fcmimi
fcmimi

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 21, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

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Fée Néant
Fée Néant
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 30, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful walk, but the first climb, from the chapel to the viewpoints, is particularly steep. After that, it's easy going with lovely views of Champagnole and the surrounding area.

As for the dinosaur footprints, the "garish" colours that fade over time make it possible to see some of the prints. However, the commentary mentions carnivorous "bouffozaura" that are said to be "less friendly" than sauropods... These are theropods, which are not necessarily "less friendly" than sauropods because they are carnivores, otherwise the lynx would be "less friendly" than the chamois. It should be noted that there are still many theropods alive and well today in Champagnole and the surrounding forests, some of which are even domesticated in the villages. All birds are theropods.

The explanatory panels are good, but I find that there is a lack of information about the species that are thought to have left the tracks, or even representations by palaeoartists to give an idea of the animals that roamed the atolls of what is now the Jura.

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VTRP
VTRP
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 13, 2023
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Due to time constraints, we only did the route on the plateau: starting at point 7 (sharp limestone pavement, worth seeing up close), then passing through points 6, 8, 9, 10, 4, 5, 6 and 7. Approximately 9 km and 160 m of elevation gain. The route is mostly shaded, except for the tarmac section (at the start of our itinerary, from point 7 to altitude 685), and is very quiet.
A pleasant walk, interesting for the views (particularly from Surmont), and especially for the sharp limestone pavement and dinosaur tracks. There is little explanation about the former, but plenty about the latter.
For less experienced walkers, there is an obvious shortcut that reduces the distance and elevation gain: it starts at altitude 706 (before altitude 8) and rejoins the route between altitude 754 and altitude 10.

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Michel des Courtils
Michel des Courtils

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 24, 2021
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 under sunny skies. Warm-up necessary before the first climb. We enjoyed everything about this hike: the views, the tranquillity and variety of the trails, the presence of a pair of ravens near Loulle, and the sharp limestone pavement where we picnicked barefoot, following Tonnoguh's wise advice.
In short, highly recommended for hikers who love nature.

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domy39
domy39

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 30, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Only part of the route was completed (from the start to the viewpoints) due to lack of time.
Very well described.
Only comment: at point S/E, the path to the chapel, at the signpost "sous le Puits" (under the well), is located 30 metres BEFORE the stop sign, not AFTER it.

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Valentine MICHEL
Valentine MICHEL

Overall rating : 2.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 13, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Very busy route : Yes

The dinosaur footprint site is actually tiny and accessible by car (there is even a large car park next to it). The hike, which is more like a walk in the forest, is pleasant but very ordinary, and a large part of it follows the tarmac road. Not really enjoyable.

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Sylvie39
Sylvie39

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 12, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

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didierlefebvre
didierlefebvre

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 15, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A pleasant hike with beautiful views and an interesting dinosaur site. No particular difficulties for experienced hikers.

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cuzcodom
cuzcodom

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 19, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Perfect description. But one path disappears into the undergrowth after point 8. No matter, we find another one.
In any case, it's a superb hike, with a very moving visit to the dinosaur tracks and the magnificent sharp limestone pavement (don't hesitate to see it up close).
The rest is not particularly difficult for an experienced hiker, although it's true that the first climb is steep...
(You can see the snow-covered Dole with its three bell towers).
Thank you, Tonnnoguh.

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tonnoguh
tonnoguh
• Edited:

Hello bene39,
There is a passage, yes, but which one? It is clearly indicated in the description: The route includes unsecured ledge paths. Rocky and slippery trails in places. Good footwear is essential and walking sticks are recommended. Not suitable for young children or walkers who are unsteady on their feet. The climb to the first viewpoint on the rock face, aided by a handrail, requires caution. At the point (10), there is a rocky walk of about one metre to descend.

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bene39
bene39

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 11, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Please note that there is a passage that may frighten some people.

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