After many hikes in northern Gard we decided one day to make the 18 kilometer trek around and over Mont Bouquet. The trailhead is just 15 minutes from the house! What we discovered was the most complete panorama in the area with views from the Cevennes mountains on one side to Mont Ventoux in Vaucluse on the other. Why we didn’t explore this peak sooner I’ll never know. Note that you can also drive to the top as it is a popular picnic spot and launch pad for para-sailing.
The trail is blazed yellow and easy to follow. You can shorten the loop by taking the road up to the peak rather than the trail through Puech and up the north side of the ridge.
From Le Gard…a pied, #33 Le mont Bouquet. Starting point: parking lot in Seynes, off of D6 19 kilometers east of Alès. The trail starts on the ancient chemin du Bouquet (Bouquet road) near the center of town.
18 kilometers with about a 700 meter total ascent.
May 2013
For links to all the posts in this series see the South of France page.