Hiking and trekking
There are over 9,000 kilometers of trails in natural areas to suit all tastes, accessible to families and beginners or offering great challenges for the more athletic.
In the Camargue, the Espiguette beach at Le Grau-du-Roi, with its 2 km-wide sand dunes, can be explored over a distance of 7 km, interspersed with swimming in the sea. Around the Marais de Cougourlier, south of Saint-Gilles, over 6 km, you'll encounter bulls, herons and ducks. Climb the escalassoun for a panoramic view of the Scamandre ponds.
In the Rhône Valley, the hike from Camp de César to Orsan is more demanding: 23 km, 750 m ascent, 7-hour walk. It skirts the cliffs, passes through an ancient town via the Passage du Loup and plunges into the Combe de l'Enfer. The ancient town can be reached via an easier 4 km loop. The Sernhac hills loop offers a shorter but at times vertiginous itinerary over the cornices of the Gardois scrubland.
North of Nîmes, towards Saint-Anastasie, you'll discover the Baume Latrone, one of the oldest known troglodyte dwellings in Europe. From the village of Collias, follow the river for just over 10 km up the Gardon gorges, between rocks and undergrowth. The Concluses de Lussan offer an astonishing, almost lunar, family walk, between potholes and portals in the hollow of the cliffs, and the path joins the impressive menhir of La Lèque. Further west, towards Corconne, Le Pont du Hasard, a natural arch linking two cliffs, can be reached by loops of between 3 and 12 km, depending on your mood. A little further west in the Garrigues, the mer des Rochers loop starts from the village of Sauve on the banks of the Vidourle, and takes you on a 13 km labyrinthine lapiaz.
Towards Anduze, you can start at the ruins of the Château du Tornac and its beautiful view, and continue on a 7 km trail that can be difficult at times, especially on its descents. Below Saint-Jean-du-Gard, the 7 km loop through Corbès and the Grotte de Valaurie passes under the trees and can be very pretty in autumn colors. On the other side of Alès, Mont Bouquet, culminating at 613 m, offers magnificent views from the Cévennes to the Ventoux, as well as numerous itineraries. From Seynes, a challenging 18 km trail offers a real spectacle after the effort. Nearby, from the village of Bouquet, you can follow the Séguissous for 12 km, passing by the Aiguières waterfalls.
In the northern tip of the department, it's best to set off early in the morning for the 24 km Crêtes d'Aujac, starting from Bordezac, for a hike of around 8 hours for experienced walkers. For those who prefer remarkable heights, the must-do is in the eastern Gard, on the sentier des 4000 marches, from Valleraugue to the Mont Aigoual observatory at 1567 m altitude, over 14 km and 1200 m of ascent.
On the trekking side, the Chemin de Régordane, GR700, is a 240 km itinerary that starts in Le Puy-en-Velay in the Haute-Loire, to reach Saint-Gilles-du-Gard. It begins in the Gard at Concoules, just north of Génolhac. An old pilgrims' and Crusaders' route, as well as that of merchants and muleteers, it offers a historic route that also passes through the Château de Portes, once the guardian of the route. From east to west, you can follow the Gardon from Anduze to the Pont du Gard for 78 km, with several bivouacs along the way to welcome you.
Mountain bike and road bike
The department abounds in cycling itineraries, on footpaths, crests, trails and paved roads, many of them waymarked. The garrigue, Costières plateau and Cévennes massifs are ideal for mountain biking, with the Challenge gardois VTT, a multi-stage competition held from January to July. The Étoile de Bessèges - Tour du Gard is a major cycling race that has always sought to showcase the Gard's natural heritage. Whether you're an enthusiast or a weekend cyclist, you can bring your own bike, or easily find one to rent, including electric bikes.
Starting from L'Espérou, 4 circuits ranging from 12 to 50 km allow you to discover the Aigoual. The Cèze valley is also ideal. At Méjannes-le-Clap, a 22 km loop takes in beaches, megaliths and the Maison des Fées dolmen. Near La Grand-Combe, the area around the fossil forest and old mines offers all kinds of possibilities for adventurers. At Pont du Gard, a variety of routes are available, for families and elite mountain bikers alike. In the Vidourle valley, forest and farm trails wind their way through the landscape, and in the Rhône valley, 16 circuits criss-cross through orchards, vineyards and olive groves, from the voie verte to the voie Domitia. For a challenge and a spectacular view, a loop from Le Vigan takes you all the way to the Cirque de Navacelles, with an altitude difference of 1327 m and a short but intense distance of 37 km.
For road biking, the 243 km Circuit Cévenol takes you over 24 cols with an altitude difference of 1700 m. Start and finish in Anduze, via Mont Aigoual and Lozère. The Vauvert-Gallican greenway, closed to motorized vehicles, offers views of the Pic Saint-Loup and the Cévennes on the Vauvert side, and marshes, reedbeds and ponds on the Gallican side. The loop is linked to the Camargue Gardoise cyclo-discovery loop, with a further 17 km shared with cars, but with little traffic. All in all, there are 5 Cyclo Découverte loops, each around 30 km long, which promise some great rides on wheels in the Gard. Greenways are springing up everywhere.
Horseback riding and donkey rides
Horseback riding is certainly a must in the Camargue, but there are stables all over the department and rides are available on steeper terrain. Traditionally, it was the donkey that was better able to traverse the landscape, and it has come back into fashion in recent years.
In the Camargue, the horse allows you to get closer to the fauna and flora in these wide open spaces than any other. For a one-hour ride or a week-long equestrian stay, several professionals share their passion for the "Monte Camargue", originally a working equitation. In and around L'Espiguette, Saint-Gilles or Aigues-Mortes, there is no lack of stables to choose from.
In the Vidourle Valley, around the Sommières, Quissac and Sauve areas, several circuits intended for horsemen have been developed on the 300 km of hiking that the region offers. Here, we dive into the scrubland, just like for the rides in Uzège and towards the Pont du Gard. Around Champclauson and La Grand Combe, you can see the Mont Lozère or go around the castle of Portes.
Donkeys are well suited to families or quiet adventurers. You can rent them for a free or accompanied walk, for half a day or a week, around Nîmes or in the Causses at Montardier, but also in the Cévennes. In Saint-Jean-du-Gard, you can even find a storytelling walk through an intimate show. This village is a stage of the famous path of Robert Louis Stevenson, the GR70, which ends in Alès. One can wish to the visitors an easier collaboration with a donkey than that of the author of the Journey with a donkey in the Cevennes, but which will be undoubtedly quite as endearing.
Climbing - Caving - Canyoning
At Mont Bouquet, the Seynes cliffs offer over 300 routes from 3b to 9a. South-facing, the climbing is most enjoyable from October to May. Nearby Pont d'Auzon and Tour Gisquet are also worth a visit. Rochefort du Gard has 50 routes ranging from 3 to 7c. In Aubais or on the old site of Brassargues, short routes are available for beginners. Further north, from Génolhac, you can reach superb sites in Lozère, near Vialas and Villefort. In short, the Gard has plenty to offer rock-climbing enthusiasts!
While tourist caves (Salamandre, Trabuc, Soustelle, Cocalière...) often offer underground safaris for beginners, there are also enthusiasts' clubs where you can safely explore an undeveloped network of caves and avens. A wide variety can be found in the Causse de Blandas to the west, and in the center, at the edge of the Cévennes, the Méjannes-le-Clap plateau boasts 30 sites.
The Orgon waterfalls are 4.5 km long, and take around 5 hours to descend in successive levels. In the Gardons around Saint-Jean-du-Gard, there's no shortage of aquatic hikes. Between l'Estrechure and Peyroles, the descent is extremely interesting and challenging.
Paragliding
Mont Bouquet is also a great place to take your first paragliding lesson, or to get your fix of the thrill of paragliding. Access to the take-off area at 629 m altitude is via a road from Seynes, where a number of paragliding schools are located. Just 30 minutes away, in Courry, a small site with a 180 m vertical drop, and in Gagnières, the 350 m vertical drop await you. For a more intense experience, parachute jumps are available at Avignon-Pujaut, and for small groups, hot-air balloon flights leave from Blauzac, for a different view of the Pont du Gard and the Uzège region.
Canoeing
From the Cévennes to the Rhône, one of the most beautiful regions of the Gard is crossed in the Cèze valley. The river is navigable from Peyremale to Bessèges (class 2 and 3) and from Bessèges to Goudargues (class 2) in spring and autumn. Along the valley, several embarkation areas have been set up at Saint-Ambroix, Tharaux and Saint-Bres. At Lac des Cambous, 10 km from La Grand Combe, you can canoe and even sail on two lakes equipped with buoys to mark out the sailing circuit. The Gorges du Gardon massif is a UNESCO World Heritage site. From Collias, you'll find a number of rental offers that will make you see the Pont du Gard in a different light.
Winter sports
The family resort of Prat Peyrot offers 60 km of cross-country skiing, 15 downhill ski runs (green, blue and red) with snow cannons, as well as snowshoeing and tobogganing, with equipment rental on site. On the heights of Mont Aigoual, winter awaits you!
