The ochres of Mormoiron

Walk between Mormoiron and Villes-sur-Auzon in the footsteps of old quarries that were once used for ochre mining.
GPS or the Visorando app are useful for this hike.
Moderator's message: You are entering a majestic site. Please respect this sensitive natural area and do not take any samples from the ravines.

Technical sheet

117032
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 10.29 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 40 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Return to departure point: Yes
  • ↗
    Vertical gain: + 243 m
  • ↘
    Vertical drop: - 239 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 372 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 237 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Start from the car park at the Salettes lake in Mormoiron.

(S/E) From the first car park, head to the lake and follow it on the left (south-east) along a path. It passes in front of the main car park and heads towards the tree-top adventure park.

Yellow markings
At the end of the lake, ignore a path on the right and take the access road to Parc Ventoux Aventure on the right. This sandy path climbs up the Vallat de Marquetton between ochre cliffs and various tree-climbing workshops.
The path narrows, leave a trail on your left and continue climbing, following the signs. The trail climbs more steeply and passes through trenches carved out by erosion, emerging onto a small plateau.

(1) Turn left onto the flat path. After 100 metres, ignore a path on the left leading to a shed and continue on the main path, ignoring several paths on the right and left.
At a crossroads, turn right (south) at a 90° angle with a shed on your right. The path becomes a paved road and descends between vineyards, cherry trees and olive trees.

(2) At the junction with another road, keep left and continue downhill on the tarmac. 500 m further on, at a T-junction, take the left-hand road. It makes two successive S-bends, goes around two ruined huts between the vineyards and then becomes a dirt track again.

Yellow signpost
(3) Continue on the right-hand path, which continues through the vineyards and descends into the woods. Stay on the main path, ignoring the other paths to the right and left. You will come to a fork where the sand on the path changes from brick red to beige.

Green markings
(4) Turn left onto a smaller path, then left again at the next junction to reach an old mining area. Feel free to walk back and forth to see the old quarries and cavities dug into the cliffs.
The trail runs along the cliffs for a while, veering to the right (southeast), then resumes a northeast direction. Follow a vineyard on your right, and at the end of it, turn left into the woods. Here too, don't be afraid to explore the various access points to the old quarries, but always return to the marked trail.
Continue along the trail heading northeast, which will slope slightly to the left (north). It climbs steeply to reach a plateau and a large quarry at a hairpin bend.

There are no markings or the old markings are unreliable.
(5) Continue along the tarmac road opposite. 300m further up, the surface changes as you join a track; continue straight ahead on the track until the next junction with another road. Enjoy the views of Mont Ventoux and the Dentelles de Montmirail on your left.

(6) Cross the road and take the path that descends to the right. After 200m, it crosses a road and continues to the right into the woods. Just after an olive grove, the path forks to the left (north-west). 50m further on, leave the path that branches off to the right (not shown on the map) and continue left on a faint path that crosses a clearing and slopes to the right to reach a crossroads.

(7) Keep left on the path that leads to the hamlet of Les Sourds. Just before the first house, turn right to descend into the woods. A little further down, leave a path on the right and continue on the path on the left.
About 400m further on, the path joins another coming from the right and continues south-west, running along the top of the vineyards.

(8) At the junction with a wide path, turn right and the path will veer left, going around a water reservoir. After the cherry orchard, leave the path on the right and continue left (west). Pass Les Rassades and rejoin a good sandy path.
Leave two paths on your left (not very visible) and turn left at the next fork.

(9) At the crossroads, turn left to approach an old quarry. Here, you can also make a round trip to this former ochre mining site, where vegetation has reclaimed its rights.
Leave two paths on your left, then go around the site on the main path, heading uphill (north-northwest). When the path reaches the top of the quarry, it turns left and continues uphill for another 50 metres.

(10) In a small bend, leave the path and find a small trail that plunges left into the woods. It runs along a beautiful ochre cliff and rejoins a trail at a crossroads. Turn right and continue for 200 m until you reach a road at a bend. Continue right on the road until the next crossroads.
Turn left to return to the car park where you started (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 244 m - Salettes lake in Mormoiron
  2. 1 : km 0.84 - alt. 292 m - On the left on the plateau
  3. 2 : km 2.62 - alt. 266 m - On the left on the road
  4. 3 : km 3.41 - alt. 252 m - To the left towards the Ravin des Sitos
  5. 4 : km 3.86 - alt. 253 m - Turn left at the green signpost.
  6. 5 : km 4.84 - alt. 331 m - Opposite on the road
  7. 6 : km 5.86 - alt. 357 m - On the right on the path
  8. 7 : km 6.92 - alt. 365 m - On the left along the path
  9. 8 : km 7.9 - alt. 317 m - On the right along the path
  10. 9 : km 8.75 - alt. 294 m - To the left towards the old quarry
  11. 10 : km 9.17 - alt. 310 m - On the left on the path
  12. S/E : km 10.29 - alt. 244 m - Salettes lake in Mormoiron

In the nearby area

Les Salettes lake, with lifeguards on duty in season.
Tree-top adventure course.

The Sablon ochre deposit was mined by the Malavard company of Villes-sur-Auzon between 1887 and 1928. The "Compagnie des Ocres Française" then took over mining until 1967.
It is composed of 90% sand and 10% ochre. It is therefore less rich than those of Roussillon or Gargas.

The site is unique in that it has preserved the remains of the entire ochre extraction chain. I didn't find these remains, but maybe you'll have better luck than me...

Reviews and comments

4.2 / 5
Based on 237 reviews

Reliability of the description
3.9 / 5
Clarity of route map
4 / 5
Route interest
4.7 / 5
Karenlucas
Karenlucas

Overall rating : 2 / 5

Date of walk : Apr 05, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Clarity of route map : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Busy trail : No

Family hike, children aged 4 to 14. It was very difficult to follow the route as suggested (from point 2 we went straight to point 6) on the Visorando website. It was impossible to find the way to point 3.
The signs are not well marked.
Even if you followed the application, it was very difficult to find your way and take the right path.
We took paths that were not at all suitable for children, with steep, slippery slopes.
It took us 5 hours to do the whole circuit.
The route description said it was easy, but it wasn't. We were all exhausted. We were all exhausted 😩

Automatically translated

bernard coulomb
bernard coulomb
• Last modified:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Mar 19, 2025
Reliability of the description : N/A
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

A particularly complete itinerary for discovering one of the remarkable sites of the Vaucluse; a palette of beautiful ochres against a backdrop of green pines and blue skies make this route a real feast for the eyes.
Don't hesitate to leave the suggested path and explore other colourful trails, as the author suggests.
You'll need a torch to work your way through the maze of galleries, some of which are cut by drainage channels used to separate sand and clay when they were mined.
An unmissable hike! No problem with GPX
Huge free car park above the lake.

Automatically translated

baca
baca

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of walk : Mar 16, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

A short stroll through the old ochre quarries, with a beautiful view of the Ventoux.

Automatically translated

Noêlle
Noêlle

Overall rating : 3 / 5

Date of walk : Feb 23, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Clarity of route map : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

It was impossible to find our way around the unmarked section, even with GPS.
It's a pity, because it's a very nice, easy walk that's not very popular at this time of year.

Automatically translated

clopruvot
clopruvot
• Last modified:

Hello, the site has changed a lot.
Parking is very limited now. I imagine that at the height of the season, there won't be enough space in the only car park above the chemin des hautes Briguières.
As for the Ravin des Sitos, access is now forbidden. The offence is now punishable by a fine of 135 euros.
I suppose that the owners have given up because of the incivilities and damage caused by hikers (yes, yes, I know some of them)!
It's a shame, this was a nice spot.

Automatically translated

Mr Moustache
Mr Moustache

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of walk : Nov 08, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

Rather pleasant walk with a few viewpoints. Arriving at the Ravin is a nice discovery.

Automatically translated

doizy francois
doizy francois

Overall rating : 2.3 / 5

Date of walk : Nov 03, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Clarity of route map : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : Yes

Be careful, the signposts are very hard to find and the GPS track is not very accurate.

Automatically translated

Marc-BERRY
Marc-BERRY

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Oct 27, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Many thanks to the author.
A very pretty walk, with no major difficulties. We did it at the end of October with the start of the autumn colours, which didn't spoil anything. I can confirm that it's advisable to have a GPS, as it allows you to venture off the track in the ochre sector.
We followed the author's advice and visited a few galleries. We saw the remains of rails.
Please note: the car park at the start is no longer accessible to everyone; it is reserved for the disabled and the car park at the end of the lake is limited to 3 hours. There is one just before you go down to the lake.

Automatically translated

13sisyphe
13sisyphe

Overall rating : 2.3 / 5

Date of walk : Sep 23, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Clarity of route map : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Busy trail : Yes

The Visorando route is difficult to follow. At point 3 the canyon is now forbidden. At point 5 it's very confusing, and at point 9/10 we preferred a more secure parallel path. The ochre is often degraded and that's a shame!

Automatically translated

myrtille soleil
myrtille soleil

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of walk : Sep 15, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : Yes

Lovely walk. You'll need GPS for this hike.

Automatically translated

le meou
le meou

Overall rating : 3 / 5

Date of walk : Sep 05, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Clarity of route map : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

Without a GPS or a Visirando route recorder, it's a nightmare. Forestry work and heavy rain (recent downpours) have damaged the trails. Between points 4, 5 and 6, we made several 1/2 turns before finding the right path. Now is not the time to set off again with young children! It took us 1 hour longer than planned. It's a shame.

Automatically translated

Cris1313
Cris1313

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of walk : Aug 25, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

A parish specific to Brittany
average signposting, I did part in the opposite direction
quite shady

Automatically translated

Jeanne21
Jeanne21
• Last modified:

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Aug 04, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Very pleasant walk in early July.
Very pretty ochre, but a "private property" sign at the entrance to the Silos site (probably due to damage).

Automatically translated

jYp2496
jYp2496

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Jul 03, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

GPS essential!

Automatically translated

VIDAL2
VIDAL2

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : May 29, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Walk made on 23/05/24. Beautiful ochre and yellow landscapes. Beautiful views of the Ventoux and the Dentelles de Montmirail. However, you'll need a GPS as the route is sometimes capricious, particularly in the ochre quarries where some rockslides throw the route off course. We didn't go to the Silos site because it's private property!
We'd love to do it again!

Automatically translated

Other walks in the area

For more walks, use our search engine .

The GPS track and description are the property of the author. Do not copy them without permission.