Le Roux consists of four hamlets between the Cévennes and Montagne Ardéchoise, at an elevation of 750 to 1,250 metres. You can plan hikes here along routes with different distances and estimated durations, while also discovering traces of Gallo-Roman and more recent history. The route that suits your day depends above all on its duration, difficulty and starting point.
Three routes, different time commitments
The Vestide du Pal circular hike is 6.34 kilometres long, rated easy and listed as taking two hours. It starts at the Géototem in the hamlet of Fontaulière. Along the way, it runs around the edge of one of Europe’s largest maar craters and takes in both woodland and high-altitude pasture. You can park for this hike on the gravelled roadside of the D536 in the Fontaulière area; check local parking conditions beforehand.
Au pays des Sources is a 12.13-kilometre route with a listed duration of three hours and 30 minutes. It starts and finishes in Le Roux. Leaving from the town hall, it climbs along a calade beside a stream; it also crosses the Rieugrand stream at a ford. Water levels can affect conditions at the ford, so it is worth checking trail conditions before setting out.
The Col de la Marugier – Le Roux circular hike is listed as 11.4 kilometres and four hours and 15 minutes, and is rated difficult. It starts and finishes at Le Roux town hall. The route follows the watershed between the Mediterranean and Atlantic basins. This means there are different time commitments to choose from: two hours for the easy Vestide loop, three hours and 30 minutes for Au pays des Sources, and just over four hours for the difficult Col loop. Distance alone does not reflect this difference.
Traces of history
Sainte Abeille in Le Roux was the site of a Gallo-Roman temple dedicated to the sources of the Loire. The Col de la Marugier also has historical traditions associated with it: a small shrine to the Gallic god Abellio is said to have been built along the route. According to tradition, the pass was formerly called Col Abellio and later, in the Middle Ages, Col de Sainte-Abeille. These names and the possible dedication give the route its own historical significance without changing its stated difficulty or duration.
Another chapter in the history of the area concerns a 3,300-metre-long tunnel in Le Roux. It was built in the early 20th century for a planned railway connection between Le Puy-en-Velay and Aubenas; the project was abandoned after the war. The historic Route du Pal also passed through Le Roux. These details add different forms of cultural heritage to the hiking trails: an ancient temple site, traditional names and an unrealised railway project.
Combine hiking and cultural heritage
The Rando-patrimoine Le Roux is one of a series of fun routes designed to help visitors discover the cultural heritage of several communities in the area. Before setting out, you can download the Rando-patrimoine Le Roux game booklet as a PDF via the Geotrek app; check that the app is available beforehand. When planning, this lets you weigh up the specifically listed hikes against a route focused on cultural heritage, rather than treating all the trails as similar outings. The factors to consider are each route’s duration, stated difficulty and starting point. Finding a holiday rental in Le Roux can start with this question: which of these hikes or historical themes should shape your stay?
Discover more destinations: Saint-Péray, St. Barthelemy Le Plain, Saint-Étienne-de-Serre, Saint-Romain-De-Lerps, Gluiras, Chazeaux, Malbosc, Lachapelle Sous Aubenas.
Back to the main travel overview: Ardèche.
