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Hiking by department · 42

Hiking in Loire

384

routes

9.8 km

median distance

233 m

median elevation gain

The department — not the river — has its playground in the Pilat. Planfoy, Le Bessat, La Valla-en-Gier and Véranne give onto the crêts — Crêt de la Perdrix, Crêt de l'Œillon — and their chirats, the granite block streams pouring down the slopes.

The climatic contrast is striking: fir forest and peat bog on the north side, vines and orchards facing the Rhône valley on the south. You cross from one to the other over a single ridge.

Further north, Saint-Just-Saint-Rambert opens onto the Loire gorges and the Monts du Forez, a larger and lonelier massif.

When to go — April to November; the Pilat takes snow in winter and the wind stays strong on the crêts in every season.

OpenRando lists 384 hiking routes in Loire. The median distance is 9.8 km, and most routes fall between 4.8 and 16.9 km — from an afternoon loop to a full day out.

On the climbing side, the median elevation gain is 233 m, and the most demanding routes exceed 501 m. Enough range to pick your effort by season and by form.

The most common starting points cluster around: Planfoy, Le Bessat, Saint-Just-Saint-Rambert, Véranne, La Valla-en-Gier, Doizieux. Every route comes with its GPX track, elevation profile and interactive map.

Longest routes in Loire

  • Boucle Château de Rochetaillée – Barrage du Gouffre d'Enfer au départ de Bellevue28.2 km
  • Boucle Vue sur les Trois Dents – Crêt de la Perdrix au départ de Doizieux26.3 km
  • Boucle Église de Marols – Montarcher au départ d'Estivareilles26.1 km

All routes in Loire