13-day Stevenson Trail trek in Cevennes National Park, France
Join Emma, a UIMLA-certified mountain leader, for this 13-day trip that follows a trail created by classic author Robert Louis Stevenson! You will enjoy the same breathtaking views of Cevennes National Park as Stevenson, all while enjoying the local hospitality and cuisine of the French countryside.
13 Days
Apr - Oct
High
Intermediate
Description
Follow the trail blazed by the writer of Treasure Island and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: this trek follows the route taken by Robert Louis Stevenson in 1878 as he trekked through Cevennes National Park!
While he is best known for his fictional works, Stevenson wrote the travel narrative Travels with a Donkey in the Cevennes to commemorate the solo trek he undertook in the French countryside after the married American women he was courting broke off their affair. We will use his route as the basis for this 13 day/12 night trek, as we cover 156 miles (251 km) exploring the beauty of Cevennes National Park while enjoying the quaint charm of traditional French villages. While historic, this route is under-the-radar, so it is a perfect opportunity for you to complete a unique long distance trek on a less crowded route.
We will start in the UNESCO World Heritage village of Le-Puy-en-Velay and finish in the town of St. Jean du Gard. Each day, we will trek for 4-8 hours. In general, the trail is relatively flat. While there are some steeper climbs and sections that are more technical, with loose terrain underfoot, for the most part the paths are old tracks and mule trails that are relatively easy to walk on. Participants should have a decent level of fitness and the endurance to complete long back-to-back days of walking for two weeks.
We will make nightly stops at local auberges or similar accommodations, allowing us to experience the hospitality, not to mention the gastronomy, of the local countryside. Please see day-by-day itinerary below for more information on accommodations. I will coordinate your luggage so that it is transferred to our lodge each day, so that you only need to bring a day pack during the walk.
Book this trip now for a unique opportunity to follow in the footsteps of a legendary writer! This adventure will give you a unique glimpse of rural France, as we explore the Cevennes National Park and the charming villages of the surrounding area.
I invite you to check out my other long distance trekking trips: 10-day Monte Rosa trekking tour, 9-day West Highland Way Trek through Scotland, or even Secret Tuscany Trek 7-day guided hike!
Price includes
- Accommodation included
- Guiding fee
- Breakfast
- Dinner
- Transport during the trip
- Luggage transfer
Price details
- Price for joining a group of 410 people. Price includes: Professional guiding services, all accommodations on a twin-share basis, all breakfast except day 1, 10 dinners (as outlined in day-by-day itinerary), all transports during the trek, luggage transfers.
- Not included: Insurance (mandatory for every participant), lunches, 2 dinners, personal drinks and snacks, airport transfers, travel insurance, tips.
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival: Le Puy en Velay
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
Day 2: St Martin de Fugères to Le Bouchet St Nicolas
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
Day 3: Le Bouchet St Nicolas to Pradelle
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
Day 4: Langogne to Cheylard l’Evèque
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
Day 5: Cheylard l'Évêque to La Bastide Puylaurent
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
Day 6: La Bastide Puylaurent to Chasserades
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
Day 7: Chasserades to Le Bleymard
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
Day 8: Le Bleymard to Finiels
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
Day 9: Finiels to Florac
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
Day 10: Florac to Cassagnas
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
Day 11: Cassagnas to St Etienne Valley Française
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
Day 12: St Etienne Valley Française to St Jean du Gard
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
Day 13: St Jean du Gard: Departure
After breakfast, our trip officially ends.
Details
More info
Insurance
It is compulsory that you take out adequate travel insurance, and it is a condition of booking with us that your insurance covers the following as a minimum: medical expenses, injury, illness, death, repatriation, personal accident, mountain rescue including helicopter evacuation, along with cancellation and curtailment. Your insurance must be valid for the duration of your tour.
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About the guide
-Emma & Guides' team
4.8
(17)
Mountain Leader
I'm a qualified International Mountain Leader (IML) and I have been leading expeditions for the last 15 years. I have led the Tour du Mont Blanc over 40 times, the Everest Base Camp trek 27 times, Kilimanjaro 10 times, and I have also led trips in Nepal, Peru, Cuba, India, Bhutan, Cambodia, Thailand, the Alps, the Pyrenees, Russia, Uzbekistan and Madagascar, amongst others. I work together with qualified mountain leaders like me, If I'm not available to guide you, one of my colleagues will take care of you.
I'm a passionate skier, in 2009 I made the first ski descent of Manaslu, the 8th highest mountain in the world (8156m).
Fluent in French, Russian and Spanish, I also work as an interpreter and love to chat.
Languages
Russian | French | English
Certificates
UIMLA
What people are saying about -Emma & Guides' team
The service Emma provided us was outstanding. Everything went well and as planned. Trip descriptions, route informations and Emma's recommendations was all provided in the App and hard copy. All we had to do was show up and hike. No worries about booking hotels and transportations. Hotels booked for us were all clean, comfortable with full breakfast. The dinners that some hotels provided was very delicious. I highly recommend Cloud 9 Adventure to anybody. Thank you Emma for an unforgettable trip!
We had an amazing day hiking with Jason admiring views of Mont Blanc, the Bionnassay glacier and waterfalls. Jason was knowledgeable about the history and geology of the area, and tailored the hike according to what we wanted to see as well as our physical capacity. We are grateful he brought us on a trail we wouldn’t have known about otherwise! Emma was also a great help with coordination and brainstorming ideas with us in the lead-up to the hike. Highly recommend!
Emma Jack- You are incredible. Nothing I can say here would justify the experience you gave us. I will just say thank you and we’ll be reaching out to you again to plan our future adventures.
Cloud 9 fit everything we were searching for. You can not find a better team with experience and care for service than Cloud 9. If you are looking for the hiking trip of lifetime, I urge you to look at the web site and send an email to Cloud 9 to learn more about their services for The Tour du Mont Blanc.
I had the time of my life on a Tour du Mont Blanc Trip organized by Cloud 9. I took the trip with my sisters and we were guided by Ronan, an experienced French guide. I could not have asked for a better experience. All of the accommodations were lovely, and Ronan helped ensure each day was magical regardless of the weather. I would highly recommend this tour company to anyone considering the TMB.
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