Tour of the Chamoise Plateau

Park on Avenue du Camping in Nantua, near a sports centre (car park available) just past the level crossing.

(S/E) Continue along the street to its end: take the path on the left (towards Roche d’Au-Dela) then carry on straight ahead along a track suitable for vehicles, which climbs gently for about 500 metres.
You’ll reach a junction where four paths meet.

(1) Take the forest track straight ahead, which slopes upwards (at the signpost marked ‘Circular Trail Départ’), and follow it for about 800 metres (yellow markings).

(2) At a hairpin bend in the track, leave it by heading straight on (at the start of a trail = La Côte Force): follow the steeply ascending path until you rejoin the forest track a little further up. Continue along the left-hand side of the track.

(3) Quite soon, leave the forest track again, heading towards the transmitter at a hairpin bend (the second one you come to). Follow the path as it climbs, then rejoin the forest track a little further up at another hairpin bend (the third one you come to), where you should take another ascending path.
You’ll cross the forest track a little further up at another hairpin bend (the fourth) and continue along another path.
A little further up, you’ll rejoin the forest track: continue along it to the left.

(4) You’ll reach an unnamed pass: from here, you can take a short detour to the left (a round trip) to reach the Vierge des Monts d’Ain (15 mins) and enjoy a beautiful view.
Carry on to the right towards the Monts d’Ain (yellow markings).

(5) Once you reach the plateau, head right towards the Monts d’Ain to reach the summit, which is very close by.

(6) The summit of the Monts d’Ain is the highest point of the route (1,127 m): from here, enjoy the beautiful views (over Lake Nantua, and even Mont Blanc if the sky is clear).
Retrace your steps back to the previous crossroads.

(5) Do not follow the sign for Saint-Martin-du-Fresne on the right; instead, carry straight on until you reach a lovely meadow.
A little further on, the yellow-marked trail heads towards the forest. Follow this path, keeping a close eye on the yellow markings. At one point, you’ll need to pay attention to turn left as indicated by the markings. You’ll come to a fork in the path.

(7) Turn left towards the viewpoint (2 mins’ walk). Retrace your steps and, at the fork, continue to the left.
The path continues to descend at a steady gradient until it reaches a farm in a place called La Lachère

(8) Take the small tarmac road (leaving the yellow-marked section shortly afterwards).
At a crossroads, go straight on along the Chemin du Champs Carré (the road on the right is called Impasse de la Vierge). You’ll see the houses of the hamlet known as Les Pélissiers opposite. Walk through this hamlet, cross the Impasse de la Ferrière and reach the crossroads with the Chemin de l’Ancienne École.

(9) Turn right onto Chemin de la Mine (a slight climb): the road passes through the middle of the buildings in the hamlet of La Mine, then descends slightly afterwards. Keep left, then turn right at the junction with Chemin de la Greye. Continue to the junction in the hamlet of La Craie.

(10) Leave the road and take a well-maintained track on the right which climbs slightly. Ignore any paths you come across on the right. The path heads north and leads to the Grange de l’Ours.

(11) Carry straight on to reach, a little further down, the beautiful viewpoint known as Les Doigts du Diable.
Be careful here: the access point is only partially visible as the signpost has disappeared. The path then descends gently to rejoin the outbound route further down.

(1) Turn left to return to the starting point via the outward route (S/E)..

Good walking boots are recommended. In wet weather, walking poles are also recommended.

View the starting point.

Nature hates your rubbish. Take it home with you!

The route is generally good:
From (S/E to 2) yellow markings that are not very visible (and few signposts),
From (2 to 4) no markings, but a clearly visible path,
From (4 to 8): yellow markings (clearly visible after the (5)),
From (8 to 9): no markings apart from at the start; finding your way shouldn’t be a problem.
From (9 to S/E): no markings until the junction with the Chemin de la Greye (no problems with finding your way), then a route marked with yellow markings until the return.

Alternatives:

(2) As an alternative route, you can follow the longer forest track, which has gentler gradients, to reach the (4) at a higher altitude.

(4) At the unnamed pass, you can visit the Vierge des Monts d’Ain as a round trip (estimated time for the walk there and back = 15 mins): a beautiful viewpoint.

(8) At La Lachère, I suggest you complete almost the entire circuit of the Chamoise plateau, which offers a variety of landscapes (mostly through woodland).

Lake Nantua.

The Memorial to the Deportees of the Ain

Nearby: La Roche d’Au Delà. A walk I highly recommend.