Tour of Lake Montbel

A pleasant walk around Lake Montbel. You will pass several dams with beautiful views.
Enjoy the activities around the lake: swimming, water sports, fishing.
A lovely shaded walk in the coolness of the lake during the summer months.

Details

3525557
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 15.38 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 30 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 30 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 30 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 422 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 399 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Car park at the Montbel d'en Bas seaside resort, walk around the lake in an anti-clockwise direction.

Marked trail: yellow line or mountain bike trail no. 16.

(S/E) Head north on the tarmac road, pass the Fort farm on the right until you reach the barrier and continue along the road.

(1) At the bottom of the descent, turn right onto mountain bike trail 16, follow the trail and cross the dam.

(2) At the dam control tower, turn left onto the path through the woods and follow the lake shore to the next dam. Cross the dam and arrive at the Léran leisure centre.

(3) Turn right onto the tarmac road, ignore the turnings on the right and descend to the canoe hire centre.

(4) Pass the reservoir and continue along the path beside the lake. You will arrive at a picnic area.

(5) Turn left towards the dam, follow the lake and the edge of the field.

(6) Pass a dam and continue along the riverbank.

(7) Cross another dam, cross a peninsula through the undergrowth to the next dam to cross.

(8) Turn left at the end of the reservoir to reach the Montbel d'en Bas car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 402 m - Montbel d'en Bas car park
  2. 1 : km 1.54 - alt. 401 m - On the right, mountain bike trail 16
  3. 2 : km 2.77 - alt. 403 m - Dam control tower - Lac de Montbel
  4. 3 : km 6.54 - alt. 403 m - Léran leisure centre
  5. 4 : km 7.03 - alt. 404 m - Canoe hire
  6. 5 : km 11.69 - alt. 404 m - Picnic area
  7. 6 : km 12.51 - alt. 401 m - Dam
  8. 7 : km 13.64 - alt. 402 m - New dam
  9. 8 : km 14.54 - alt. 402 m - Turn left
  10. S/E : km 15.38 - alt. 402 m - Montbel d'en Bas car park

Notes

Water and hat in hot weather, muddy path in wet weather.

Worth a visit

An easy walk along the lake shore.
Swimming, water sports, fishing, picnic area, bar and restaurant in season.
Château in Chalabre.

Reviews and comments

4.4 / 5
Based on 25 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.5 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.7 / 5
Route interest
4.1 / 5
chevreuils
chevreuils
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 12, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Sunday, 12 October 2025. The hike took place under beautiful sunny skies and went smoothly despite the length. Lovely scenery, thanks to Visorando, where the explanations are clear

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User 8241196

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 13, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Trail off-route for motor vehicles, cars and motorbikes, along almost its entire length. Diverse, beautiful scenery, completely flat. Very good.

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ESCUR CORINNE
ESCUR CORINNE

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 15, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant outing, a little long (16 km) but relatively easy as there are very few hills

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User 2459813

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 20, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

completed in 3.5 hours... enjoyable and not too difficult, especially when camping by the lake

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Véronique B
Véronique B

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 30, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

An easy route around the lake with very clear signposting. In hot weather, it is best to do it in the opposite direction as the last part is exposed to the sun, whereas the first half is shaded. You can swim at Leran and Montbel, which is very pleasant!
Took 3 hours and 40 minutes, not including breaks.

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GIGI09
GIGI09

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 04, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

The walk around the lake is very relaxing. It's 15 km long, but that's no problem as there are no hills. There are beautiful views of the lake. You pass several open-air cafés, so if you feel like stopping for a drink, there are plenty of places around the lake.

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User 26695853

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 28, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A beautiful walk around the lake, easy, relaxing and always close to the lake (if you feel like going for a swim).

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Christian GRANDEMANGE
Christian GRANDEMANGE

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 28, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Despite the chronic water shortage in Lake Montbel, the path through the deciduous woods is truly beautiful and well maintained. Zigzagging around the different corners of the lake is very pleasant. Apart from the path being muddy and clayey in places, there are no particular difficulties, except for its length of 15 km for those who are not used to walking. Allow a good four hours at a leisurely pace.
Note the two beautiful two-metre-high cairns before point N⁰5, to the left of the Pourcatières headland.

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bouffil
bouffil
• Edited:

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

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

Hike completed on 09/09/2024. We encountered a problem on the way back, having left from the Léran leisure centre. On the way back, there were no more markings on one section, but we managed to find the route somehow. Despite everything, it was an enjoyable hike. The hike route needs to be reviewed in certain sections where it is poorly marked.

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Dominique Gente
Dominique Gente

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 31, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

A gentle but somewhat tedious walk, part of it shaded and part of it sunny.
The lake is very pretty.

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Crayon11
Crayon11

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 07, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Tour of the lake completed in good conditions, route, signposting, everything was in place to make this hike a success!!!!

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chephilor
chephilor

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 24, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

Taken at the very beginning of spring, in mixed and cool weather, this hike was a good warm-up for our week-long stay in the Aude region. A good fifteen kilometres, but with no elevation gain, it was the right choice!
We were disappointed to see the obvious lack of water at the end of winter 2024 (6 metres below the maximum level).
It was a Sunday and we came across several walkers, mainly families, on foot or mountain bikes... more people than on our trails in Lozère, anyway!

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fred09300
fred09300

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 02, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

We did the hike in average weather with strong winds. The route was very well marked. The landscape was a bit dull at times as there were a lot of forest crossings, but that's part of the circuit.
The distance is as stated. We really enjoyed the walk and plan to do it again.

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Marmaamic
Marmaamic

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 04, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : Yes

Beautiful walk. Marked as 15 km but the GPS showed 19 km at the end. Beautiful views, even with the lake not completely full.

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Ailesdange31
Ailesdange31

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 12, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

We started this hike at the car park of the Léran leisure centre (at point 3). It is easy to park there and the spaces are shaded.

This route is very pleasant to walk and presents no particular difficulties. Most of it is shaded. I highly recommend it.

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