13-day Stevenson Trail trek in Cevennes National Park, France

We meet at the hotel in this UNESCO world heritage site, where we will review the upcoming program and enjoy dinner.

Accommodation: Hotel – dinner not included

After a short transfer to the trailhead, we set off. Easy trails take us across a river gorge and into the village of Goudet, where we will  enjoy a picnic and explore the Château de Beaufort, built in the 1200s.  We ascend a volcanic plateau to have great views of the village below us, and continue until we reach the village of Le Bouchet Saint Nicolas, where we rest for the night and enjoy a home-cooked meal.

Distance: 15 km

Elevation gain/loss: +460m / -175m

Accommodation: Auberge w/ dinner included

We trek towards the village of Arquejol, where we will marvel at  an astonishing railway viaduct. We then cross a steep ravine until we reach Landos, where we have the option to take a detour to enjoy the views from the Rocher de la Fagette. We continue on to the quaint village of Pradelle. If there’s availability, we stay in the village; if there’s no availability, we continue to a nearby town, Langone.

Distance: 21 km (Pradelle), 25 km (Langone)

Elevation gain/loss:+315m / -575m

Accommodation: Hotel w/ dinner included

Back in the 19th century, Robert Louis Stevenson got lost on the section of the trail we are about to complete today. We pass through the rustic Gévaudan countryside, trekking through woodlands, crossing streams, and admiring ancient bridges. We continue until we reach Cheylard L’Eveque, a hamlet where we will stay in a rustic auberge.

Distance: 16km or 22km depending on route

Elevation gain/loss:+320 / -150m

Accommodation: Auberge w/ dinner included

We enjoy a particularly scenic stretch of trail today.  We trek through rolling hills and woodland trails.  Eventually, the Cévennes Mountains will become visible through the trees, though still at a distance.  We then head into the Allier Valley, and continue along until we reach the hamlet of Bastide Puylaurent, where we stay in a simple yet charming hotel.

Distance: 17km

Elevation gain/loss: +240m / -380m

Accommodation: Hotel w/ dinner included

The trail takes us into remote countryside today.  We trek until we reach La Mourade (1308m), where we will take a moment to admire the view. We then hike through Forêt domaniale de la Gardille, eventually reaching the hamlet of Chasserades.

Distance: 12km

Elevation gain/loss: +330m / -160m

Accommodation: Hotel w/ dinner included

After we reach the village of Mirandol, we make the first big ascent of the trek up the wooded Goulet Massif.  We stop at La Bleymard (1413m), a village which marks the entrance to Cevennes National Park.

Distance: 16km

Elevation gain/loss: +0m / -310m

Accommodation: Hotel w/ dinner included

We continue walking toward the Cevennes mountains, following the standing stones, locally called Montjoies, that mark the way.  Near the end of the day’s section, we begin our ascent to the village of Finiels, which is located within the National Park.  If the group is too large for the local B&B, we continue a little ways to a larger town.

Distance: 14km

Elevation gain/loss: +630m / -824m

Accommodation: B&B or Auberge w/ dinner included

We transfer to Le Pont de Montvert for our longest day of the trek.  The path grows more hilly as we walk toward the Cevennes Mountains, pausing at the top of each ascent to enjoy the panoramic vista.  We will spend the night in either Florac or Cocures.

Distance: 23km or 27km depending on which town we stay in

Elevation gain/loss: +545m / -875m

Accommodation: B&B w/ dinner included

The path becomes more technical today.  We proceed with caution along a balcony ridge until we reach the village of Saint Julien D’Arpaon.  From there, we follow a railway track along a gorge.  We spend the night in Cassagnas or Cauvel depending on availability.

Distance: 21 km (Cassagnas) or 23 km (Cauvel)

Elevation gain/loss: +200m / -50m

Accommodation: B&B or Auberge w/ dinner included

We spend a little time walking through the woods of Camisards forest before we ascend La Plan de Fontmort.  This is an intersection with other major hiking routes heading toward the Col de la Pierre Plantee (891m).  We descend to the bottom of the valley and walk until we reach the village of St Etienne Vallée Française.

Distance: 22km

Elevation gain/loss: +320m / -710m

Accommodation: B&B w/ dinner included

We begin the day by climbing the Col de Saint Pierre (597m) and Signal de Saint Pierre (695), where we will be rewarded by a panoramic vista that allows us to view all the terrain we’ve just walked.  We descend and follow the trail in the picturesque valley floor.  Finally, we cross the bridge into the town of St Jean du Gard, our endpoint.  We will relax at our auberge’s pool before enjoying dinner together in a local restaurant.

Distance: 12km

Elevation gain/loss: +350m / -410m

Accommodation: Auberge – dinner not included

After breakfast, our trip officially ends.