Crêt Monniot variant

Crêt Moniot, with one or two "n"s, is well known for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, but the site is also ideal for hiking and mountain biking.
It offers typical Jura landscapes with sinkholes and sharp limestone pavement, snow all year round in the La Neigère valley, abundant wildlife and superb views of the Alps.

Details

2791070
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 6.63 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 25 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 175 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 176 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,141 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 1,015 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Park in the car park at the start of the cross-country ski trails.

(S/E) Take the small road that climbs towards Crêt Moniot behind the (former) inn, arrive at the first orientation table, take the time to look at the Alps if the weather permits, then take the path that passes to the right of the antenna to the second orientation table. From there, descend to the corner of the barrier opposite (explanatory panel) and follow the fence to the path before Les Œillettes farm.

(1) Turn left onto a sort of farm track, follow it through the pasture to a barbed wire fence marked Sentier du Crêt Moniot.

(2) Turn right and follow the fence to the path before the forest, keeping it on your right.
Turn right, still following the Sentier du Crêt Moniot signs into the fir forest, continue along the path, do not take the snowshoe path on the right. Climb up into the woods, arrive at the forest path and follow it straight ahead until the next sign.

(3) Leave the marked trail by turning right, staying on the main road. About 500 m away is La Neigère, a curiosity where it is said that snow remains all year round. Having visited in autumn, the site was covered with leaves. A little further on is La Glacière, which is much more modest.

(4) At the end of the road, climb up to the left towards a shed, leaving it on your left (the view from here is also worth seeing), and descend the field to the small stone path that branches off to the left. Descend a little, then take the grassy path slightly to the left that does not serve the farms below on the right.

(5) Turn left into the woods and go up the path. Pass an isolated house, continue on and at the next intersection, turn right and rejoin the marked trail. At the edge of the woods, you will see the Grange Nicod. Follow the path and return to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 1,089 m - Car park at the start of the cross-country ski trails
  2. 1 : km 1.19 - alt. 1,061 m - Les Oeillettes
  3. 2 : km 1.66 - alt. 1,061 m - Closure
  4. 3 : km 2.47 - alt. 1,069 m - Fork to the right
  5. 4 : km 3.53 - alt. 1,077 m - Climb left towards the shed.
  6. 5 : km 4.7 - alt. 1,017 m - Turn left into the woods.
  7. S/E : km 6.63 - alt. 1,089 m - Car park at the start of the cross-country ski trails

Reviews and comments

4.4 / 5
Based on 16 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.3 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.4 / 5
Route interest
4.4 / 5
PERRET Alain
PERRET Alain

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

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

A beautiful route with exceptional panoramic views from the summit of Crêt Monniot. A varied route alternating between woodland and open areas with views.
As the route was completed in December (almost completely free of snow), there were no crowds, except for more people around Crêt Monniot itself.

A few details:

after point 2: the climb through the woods is via a wide path towards the starting car park (after the fork with the snowshoe path, which you do not take).

At point 3: the path taken to the right is a large, unmarked road suitable for vehicles.

After point 3: the hut you are climbing towards is covered with sheet metal and is located on a high, open point on the left. This climb is practically off-trail.

After point 4: descend off-trail towards a large stone path that winds to the left. Do not go back up it, but pass the bend downhill and continue to the grassy path that you take. It is fairly flat at the start, passes to the right of a small farm building, then descends a little (no longer grassy) to reach the crossroads at point 5, where it is signposted again.

Machine-translated

robal1
robal1

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 19, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A nice little hike to get us started, with beautiful views of the Alps and Mont Blanc in good weather.

Please note that from point 2 onwards, you should not cross the designated path but enter the field by opening a barbed wire gate to walk along the edge of the forest. The path is not visible during hay season. Walk along the edge of the forest in this field until you reach another barbed wire gate, which you can open.

Machine-translated

ghislaine25360
ghislaine25360

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 10, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Very beautiful hike. Many points of interest: orientation tables, panoramic views, the Neigère and Glacière sites, beautiful forest. Very pleasant hike.

Machine-translated

Fifi25000
Fifi25000

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 12, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

This walk took place during a heatwave, which allowed us to appreciate the coolness of the undergrowth. Descend (with caution) to the bottom of the snowdrift. There is no ice this summer, but the place is worth a visit. The ice house a little further on is difficult to access. Don't miss the path through the fields towards the shed

Machine-translated

laurent.tournier
laurent.tournier

Just head straight towards the antennas

Machine-translated

AlexandraVincent
AlexandraVincent
• Edited:

Hello, I don't understand the departure point.
I parked correctly at 1 Route du Ski, at the start of the ski lift.
However, I couldn't find the road that goes up behind the old inn (??).
Is the road towards Crêt Monniot?
Thank you for your reply.

Machine-translated

françois petite
françois petite

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 13, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Fairly easy hike, varied landscapes and views of Mont Blanc and the Alps on a clear day!

Machine-translated

dadou25
dadou25

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 26, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

advantage of being able to skip the hike at point 3 because my wife was tired that day

Machine-translated

meet-and-see
meet-and-see

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 28, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Well-marked route, essential in the mountains. Pleasant scenery and beautiful views of the Alps.
Disturbed twice by the same quad bike, disrupting the peace and quiet of the owner of the isolated house in the forest described in 5. If only these motor enthusiasts could respect the nature and serenity of the place.
There was still snow in the Neigère. But we found a few patches of snow in the forest along the route.

Machine-translated

scostille
scostille

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 27, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Very easy and interesting hike, varied landscapes. (Approximately 1 hour 55 minutes for 2 adults)
The route could be improved by indicating the distance between certain points in some places (e.g. start of a gravel path, after a hundred metres, turn left, etc.). Apart from a few minor hesitations on this point, very good.
Thank you.

Machine-translated

romin
romin

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 02, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

After the ice house, there aren't many traces left, so someone who doesn't hike much will get lost... The lodge will remain invisible when there are leaves, but otherwise there are beautiful panoramic views

Machine-translated

VieuxScout
VieuxScout

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 04, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

At 4 "At the end of the path" on the ground, the path does not end. There is a fence with an electric wire. There is no trace of a path on the left and the shed is not visible. We continued for a few hundred metres and then retraced our steps. On the way back, we spotted the shed. It is therefore useful to use the Visorando app with route tracking. We are now doing so.
I note that the Visorando user "janb" made the same observation.

Machine-translated

janb
janb

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 09, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Description for arriving at the car park too vague; at number 4, at the end of the road, it should have been indicated that you had to cross the field on the left, as this was not signposted and the sign was difficult to see in the vegetation.

Machine-translated

encore1matin
encore1matin

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 01, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

Easy hike with beautiful panoramic views

Machine-translated

balmadier
balmadier

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 03, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely, easy walk with beautiful panoramic views.

Machine-translated

Other walks in the area

For more walks, use our search engine .

The GPS track and description are the property of this route's author. Please do not copy them without permission.