A short tour of Les Gras de Perret

The gras are limestone plateaus characteristic of southern Ardèche. Here you can see low vegetation or trees: picards, junipers, Mediterranean shrubs, old mulberry trees left over from silkworm farming, various oaks and Montpellier maples. You will cross a karst landscape that is sometimes spectacular. This hike also offers a view from the top of the Beaume cliffs. You can stray from the path in search of karstic caves ( be careful at Réméjadou) and dolmens, sometimes lost in the woods.

Details

n°514288

Creation:
19 Mar 2017

Last update:
17 Jul 2023

Last review:
02 Jun 2025

Activity: Walking
Distance: 9.11 km
Average duration: 2h 55
Difficulty: Moderate
Back to start: Yes
Ascent: + 101 m
Descent: - 101 m
Highest point: 296 m
Lowest point: 205 m

Country: France
Area: Massif central
District: Joyeuse (07260)
Start/End: N 44.468248° / E 4.247439°
IGN map(s): Ref. 2839OT, 2938SB
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Photos

Typical appearance of an area of Les Gras

Description of the walk

From the RD104 south of Joyeuse, head towards Les Gras. After the hairpin bends at the top of the hill, turn right towards La Lauzette. Shortly after the pylon, you can park near the Côte de Freyssinet hiking signpost.

(S/E) Continue towards La Lauzette. You will reach the hiking signpost just after La Lauzette.

(1) Keep to the right and continue to a trail junction in the Plaine des Mures.

(2) Turn 90° to the left, continue south, find a house, cross the courtyard and take the path opposite.
Note: to avoid disturbing anyone when crossing the house's courtyard, either go around it through the fields or take a detour to the right to join the path further west. You will come to a wide path.

(3) Take it to the left, heading south-east, following the yellow and white markings. You will come to a series of ponds linked to the presence of clay, called Font (fountain) Merdouse.

(4) Gradually enter the woods, where the karstic landscape appears, sometimes surprising. Arrive at a well-marked T-junction.

(5) Leave the yellow and white marked trail, which continues to the right. Take the trail on the left, ignoring the yellow and white cross. This trail to the north-east, which is not shown on the IGN map, is nevertheless clearly visible and well used. An old red marking on the slabs on the ground now seems to have disappeared. Use the Visorando GPS tool. In any case, the path is wide, well-marked and often lined with walls, so its general direction is reliable. Cross the Ranc des Biols and reach a well-marked hollow to the right of the path that resembles a karstic cave.

(6) Observe a water reservoir under a double vault. Be careful, the water is very close.
Continue along the path to reach a wide, almost carriageable track overlooking the Beaume.

(7) Take it on the left at the top of the cliff (opposite, a path descends to Garel, by the river). Before the first houses, on the left, you will find another surface water reservoir. Follow the yellow and white markings, turn left to reach Guilhaumon.

(8) Leave the road and take the path on the right to reach Lauzette.

(1) Turn right to return to the car park where you started (S/E).

Waypoints

S/E : km 0 - alt. 295 m - Côte de Freyssinet
1 : km 0.53 - alt. 260 m - La Lauzette
2 : km 1.31 - alt. 264 m - La Plaine de Mures
3 : km 1.8 - alt. 260 m - Chemin de Bourbouillet
4 : km 2.45 - alt. 251 m - Font Merdouse
5 : km 4.55 - alt. 205 m - Les Combes
6 : km 5.71 - alt. 217 m - Water reserve
7 : km 6.03 - alt. 217 m - Viewpoint over La Beaume
8 : km 7.42 - alt. 244 m - Guilhaumon
S/E : km 9.11 - alt. 295 m - Côte de Freyssinet

Notes

There is no drinking water along the route, so bring your own as it can get hot here on sunny days.
Good footwear is recommended, as there are some stony or uneven areas, alongside much more comfortable sections.

Be careful of hunting parties during the hunting season. If necessary, ask the first hunter you see.

It is possible to start from the Lablachère swimming pool (access at the D 104 roundabout). This route is slightly longer (10.5 km) but has a little less elevation gain (70 m) and avoids crossing the courtyard of the house at (2). For this modified route, see the longer hike Le Chemin de Bourbouillet.

Worth a visit

Variations:
- just before (5), take a wide path on the right to find the Dolmen de la Grange aux Pères,
- at (5), follow the yellow and white marked trail to the right (be careful, there is another fork to the right fairly quickly) to reach the Aven de Réméjadou (caution, fatal fall in July 2023), which is on the left, a little way off the trail after a slightly steep descent between the rocks. If you listen carefully, you can hear the underground water flowing before you get there
- finally, still starting from the (5), head into the woods in search of another dolmen and the Aven du Puits du Mort.
A GPS is recommended for these variations. Please note: all these variations can take you... the whole day!
Admire the landscape, the vegetation and the rocks.
Hunt for dolmens and karstic caves.

In January 2018, the box trees were affected by moths, but their condition is less dramatic than in the Païolive woods. This situation needs to be monitored, in the hope that a balance will be restored.

In December, it was unfortunately observed that all the box trees had been affected, with some timid regrowth in places.

Reviews and comments

4.2 / 5

Based on 18 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.2 / 5

Ease of following the route
4.1 / 5

Route interest
4.3 / 5

yaelemahe

02 Jun 2025 at 08:13 7200

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 02, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

be careful in hot weather, as there is no shade or very little. Above all, bring plenty of water

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LittleCherry10

08 Jan 2024 at 13:50 3600

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 08, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

I completed this hike alone in 2 hours and 10 minutes instead of the advertised 2 hours and 50 minutes, and I only encountered one person during the entire trip. I had some trouble between points 5 and 6, unable to find the right path despite the GPS coordinates. In the end, I took another trail, which was probably just as pleasant, and I reached point 6 without any problems .
Afterwards, I didn't find the hike particularly breathtaking in terms of scenery; it's quite flat, but the weather was nice and the tranquillity did me good 😊.

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PatPros

03 May 2021 at 12:49 7200

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 29, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

An easy hike despite its length, with beautiful discoveries along the way.

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PatPros

19 Apr 2021 at 11:06 7200

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 14, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk despite a rather chaotic start. Wonderful encounters and stunning views of La Beaume, despite the presence of caravans from the campsite

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PatPros

19 Apr 2021 at 10:51 7200

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 19, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A somewhat chaotic start: not sure I found the right farm!
A lovely walk with some interesting encounters: a beautiful green lizard, a few hikers (two couples), and very pleasant surroundings.
To be repeated.

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patpros07

13 Apr 2021 at 13:48 7200

A mistake at the start of the hike, but it turned out to be a lovely trip across the plateau. I plan to do it again, following the directions more closely, and I will give my opinion.

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faurie/jeanclaude

23 Aug 2020 at 10:09 7200

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 23, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

No problems with the route, the directions are clear, and if any information is missing, you just need to use common sense.
I like this type of hike.

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boninmi

24 Dec 2019 at 15:45 3600

Hello JeanJean07,

Need we remind you (see above) that Visorando is in no way responsible for the signposting, nor is the author of the hike? Mountain bike tracks are common on many paths and do not necessarily indicate that you are on the right route...

To improve a description, the author needs more specific information. At what point in the text did the description fail to help you find the correct path? Where was the route of the hike incorrect? Characteristic features (indications on the trail, the environment, the landscape) would be useful.

Whether the route is marked or not, using the Visorando app on a smartphone allows you to know at any time whether you are, within a margin of error, on the route. This does not prevent you from also using the description and the IGN map.

Best regards.

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JeanJean07

24 Dec 2019 at 06:58 3600

hello
indeed, 'average' refers to the route, not the walk. We were able to find our way thanks to the mountain bike tracks. The part we took was a farm track, which I then lost. We arrived at the 'Guilhaumon' lodge when we should have arrived on the old Bourbouillet road...
for Tuesday's hikes, we will have to wait another 15 years or so...

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boninmi

23 Dec 2019 at 18:27 3600

Hello JeanJean07, thank you for your response.

it's a shame that the route doesn't use signage...
This is only true between the points (5) and (7). And limiting yourself to marked routes is often frustrating. I (and I'm not the only one) suggest many routes that are not marked. Is the "Average" rating related to this absence, or are there areas for improvement in the hike description?

It's wild boar hunting season, and last week we came across an administrative hunt in Chapias.
In principle, there is no hunting on Tuesdays, except on public holidays and for bird hunting. Details can be found in the decree online on the Ardèche hunting federation's website.

Best regards.

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JeanJean07

23 Dec 2019 at 11:53 3600

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 22, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

partially completed
in any case, the route is nice, which is to be expected in the Ardèche...
i'll try to do it again because my goal is to make a circular loop by returning via the cliff at Labeaume.
wild boar hunt, the hunters warned me, the signs were clearly in place.
even on the plateau, you can find your way thanks to the antenna...
it's a shame that the route doesn't use signposts...

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Marinoz

06 Aug 2019 at 09:42 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 04, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

I did this little walk with my dog two days ago.
We set off at 8.30am to avoid the heat (long live the Ardèche...) and it took us just under two hours.

There were no water sources, but the dog found a little water to swim in under some rocks.

Be careful when crossing the farm at the first kilometre, as there is a large black dog running loose. He barks from a distance but is very shy and won't approach you.

Much of the walk is shaded, which is a significant advantage on this plateau...

No particular technical difficulties, the circular can be done with children without any problems

Thank you for sharing.

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boninmi

28 Apr 2019 at 16:38 7200

Change made today to clarify that all signposts between (5) and (7) have disappeared and that it is necessary to use the Visorando GPS tool.

However, many hikers had previously completed this route without getting lost.

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henri57

28 Apr 2019 at 12:14 7200

Hello,

Very poorly marked route

Visorando does not recommend signposting as it can be changed or removed, whereas information about the terrain is stable.

i even got lost and instead of taking 2 hours 50 minutes, it took me 5 hours 30 minutes to find my way back to the starting point, despite my personal hiking map and the Visorando description. What's more, as the route is mainly through woods

Who has never got lost?

Finding your way in the forest is not easy because it is sometimes difficult to match the map to the terrain. In this specific case, in addition to the description and the map, it is advisable to use virtual markings: the GPS application.

This tool, offered free of charge by Visorando, allows you to validate waypoints and thus remove any doubts about your orientation.

See you soon!

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visobourg

28 Apr 2019 at 12:08 7200

Overall rating : 1.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 18, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing

The route is very poorly marked: I even got lost and instead of taking 2 hours and 50 minutes, it took me 5 hours and 30 minutes to find my way back to the starting point, despite my personal hiking map and the Visorando description. What's more, the route runs mainly through woods with no views, and at this time of year I didn't meet a soul. It was tough going!What's more, the walk isn't particularly interesting: there are no karstic caves or dolmens indicated or marked, even in the Visorando description!

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