A circular in Valmasque

This is a very pleasant hike that alternates between pine and oak forests. There is a picnic area at the starting point.

This hike can also be done by mountain bike.

Details

1363387
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 6.60 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 10 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 87 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 84 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 226 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 138 m
  • ⚐ Country: France
  • ⚐
    Area: Alps
  • ⚐ District: Mougins (06250)
  • ⚑
    Start/End: N 43.60218° / E 7.03463°
  • ❏
    IGN map(s): Ref. 3643ET
  • Hour-by-hour weather

Photos

Description of the walk

The start is from a picnic area at the small car park in the forest along the D35.

(S/E) Take the Blue/Yellow marked trail to an intersection with a trail junction.

(1) On the right, begin the descent, still on the blue/yellow trail, until you reach a dirt track junction after 300 metres. The trail continues after crossing the dirt track and descends until it crosses a tarmac track. Cross this to find the trail opposite (check the blue/yellow markings). Continue to the right and descend until you cross a tarmac track. Cross it to find the path opposite (check for the blue/yellow markings). Cross a second tarmac track and take the path that branches off to the right towards the south-east, marked in yellow. Follow this path for most of the hike: Follow the path and continue through the oak trees until you reach a track at an intersection.

(2) Do not take the path on the left marked "promenade du carton". Cross the track and continue on the yellow-marked path through a pine forest for 500 metres. You will reach another tarmac track.

(3) Cross and rejoin the path opposite (the yellow markings will only appear after about 50 metres). Continue through the pine forest until you cross a dirt track and reach a hill.

(4) Be careful, after 200 metres the path splits in two: do not take the right-hand path (Les Bouillides) but continue left on the yellow-marked path. At the top of the hill, cross a tarmac track and then a dirt track, continuing straight ahead to rejoin the yellow-marked path.

(5) After 500 metres under the oak trees, cross a dirt track and continue straight ahead to take the blue and yellow marked path. This is the path you will take for the rest of the hike.

(6) In the oak forest, continue until you come to a tarmac track. The trail continues on the other side of the road.

(7) After 700 metres in the forest, you will see a tree on the left that has been sawn off at a height of about two metres (it has a circular yellowish moss stain and is marked in blue/yellow on the back). About ten metres after this, do not go straight ahead, but turn left to continue on the path (blue/yellow), which is quite steep.

(8) During the climb, you will see two 40cm stone markers with a pyramidal top. Reach the summit where there is a 1.20m dome-shaped marker. Begin the descent on the blue/yellow trail that leads back to the starting point (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 185 m - Car park
  2. 1 : km 0.13 - alt. 199 m - Trail intersection
  3. 2 : km 1.75 - alt. 153 m - First trail junction
  4. 3 : km 2.28 - alt. 139 m - Second track junction
  5. 4 : km 2.85 - alt. 142 m - Third track junction
  6. 5 : km 3.85 - alt. 169 m - Blue/Yellow marked trail
  7. 6 : km 4.4 - alt. 162 m - Tarmac track junction. Near the - Bouillide (rivière)
  8. 7 : km 5.69 - alt. 194 m - Sawn tree
  9. 8 : km 6.15 - alt. 223 m - Dome-shaped marker
  10. S/E : km 6.6 - alt. 185 m - Car park

Notes

The start is at the Valmasque stadium on the left when arriving from Mougins via the D35.

Reviews and comments

4.1 / 5
Based on 21 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.1 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.2 / 5
Route interest
4.1 / 5
cosmios06b
cosmios06b

Were the paths too waterlogged with all the rain we had at the beginning of the year and which we still have?
I haven't been back because I'm afraid the area is too wet.
Thank you for your opinion.
Best regards

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User 11861217

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 15, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant walk on a bed of oak leaves
Magnificent colours, invigorating air, mostly flat and easy paths

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clcognet
clcognet

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 04, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A short walk, just the way we like it when we're short on time. The route is shaded and very pleasant, nothing extraordinary, but this outing is still very enjoyable.

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Myriam Meyer
Myriam Meyer

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 23, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

Shady route, nothing special except walking in the shade between two busy roads.

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cosmios06b
cosmios06b

I completely agree! I'll be doing it again soon...
Thank you.

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Val06510
Val06510

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 04, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Forest route, completed with three dogs. Quite a few mountain bikers and joggers on the route. A few spots where you have to be careful not to take the wrong path, but with the app open, no real problem! Lovely walk through the woods.

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cosmios06b
cosmios06b

I agree with you, I had to do it several times before getting it right, and in the right direction...
Otherwise, I've been back there recently, and the mosquitoes have disappeared... Has the Park done something? i don't know, but they wrote to me saying they were notifying the ARS (Regional Health Agency). With the resurgence of tiger mosquitoes in the PACA region, they must be taking these kinds of reports seriously. In any case, I'm glad it wasn't tiger mosquitoes that bit me, otherwise I'd be dead!

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Nathpatr
Nathpatr

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

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

Route of hiking not always well marked

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cosmios06b
cosmios06b

I'd like to add to my comment about the swarms of mosquitoes!
I wanted to come back and do this hike, but earlier in the afternoon, thinking there would be fewer mosquitoes at that time of day: not so! There are just as many, if not more, because in April I only encountered them down below, before turning off the cardboard trail... I quickly turned back, and within three minutes I was already badly bitten. I wanted to persevere and take the tarmac forest track with no water nearby, but it was the same! All I could see were walkers waving their arms about to keep them away... I've decided I won't come back until autumn to see if it's safe again! I got back in my car and drove to the Croix des Gardes massif, less than a kilometre from my house, where I was able to walk without getting bitten.
Last time, I sent a message to the departmental parks' contact email address to report this invasion and ask if it was normal. I'm still waiting for a reply...

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cosmios06b
cosmios06b

Honestly, I often take this route at different times of day. The two roads are visible on the map and only affect a small part of the route; the rest of the time, it's quiet. However, having returned there on Saturday, I have two new comments:
- at the moment, avoid after 5.30 p.m., as it is infested with very aggressive mosquitoes. I gave up after 2 km because I had been bitten so many times (20 times on each arm), but there must be fewer of them now because I squashed quite a few on myself. Too bad for the toads whose food I took away!
- on the Carton trail, two large trees were uprooted by the recent storms. For small people like me, it's impossible to go over or under them, so you have to go around them and climb the hill above. Take walking sticks or turn back.

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FredLestic
FredLestic

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 15, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

Route sandwiched between major roads. This means significant noise pollution along much of the route.

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petite chose
petite chose

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 16, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Pleasant hike in the forest
At point 4, instead of following the yellow markings, we took the bridle path that runs near the golf course and along the river
We then continued with the "Le parc de la Valmasque et l'étang de Fontmerle" hike (14 km in total)
Both the description and the markings were perfect

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cosmios06b
cosmios06b

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 11, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Hello, this is the third time I've tackled this route and I've finally managed to complete it. Mainly because of the improved network connection... things are improving in this area.
From point 4, it says "continue straight ahead to take the blue and yellow marked trail. This is the trail you will
used for the rest of the hike." => In fact, I only found the blue/yellow markings once, on a rock, and they were almost completely faded! However, I followed the yellow markings the whole way, which were clearly visible and noted on the tracking image. I think that in a new edition, this point will need to be corrected or the park will need to be asked to update it.
However, as the yellow markings were redone at the end of 2021, you can't miss them.

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MISAV
MISAV

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 25, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Pleasant hike. The start was a bit difficult, but all the yellow markings have been updated recently. We went round in circles a bit towards the end, but the GPS was a great help.

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frank1
frank1

The best thing for you is to stay in town😉that's the only negative opinion it's time to re-evaluate yourself

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