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Nearest River: Chassezac - Direct Access
Nearest Town: Ruoms 8km
There are outdoor sports a-plenty here - try your hand at rock climbing, mountain biking, canoeing and even pot-holing in the many caves. The famous Pont d'Arc is just 8km from the parc, and the town of Ruoms also 8km away. For something a bit different there's paintballing in the town of Aubernas about 30km away.
If you want the adventure of sightseeing trips of the local towns, start with the medieval stronghold of Balazuc. From there sleepy St Alban is only a short drive away.
A stunning cave attraction is ‘Grottes de St Marcel’, not too far from the site. The caves of St Marcel contain an underground network of rivers, rock formations, waterfalls and their most impressive feature, rimstone pools. The stunning natural beauty is augmented with a sound and light show which is well worth seeing.
Jump in a canoe explore the famous Pont d’Arc. It's a magnificent limestone gorge with an entrance an amazing 80 metres high. There are local centres which have organised trips to show you the best places and can teach those who are new to the canoeing.
Sleepy St Alban is only a short drive away and then a little further out is the lively town of Ruoms, which is also worth exploring. It's a walled, medieval town with a charming network if narrow streets and historic churches, as well as plenty of shops and restaurants.
Travel back in time 36,000 years at Pont d’Arc Cavern, an incredible replica of the earliest-known and best-preserved cave on earth: the Chauvet Cave. Carefully crafted over 12 years, the new 29-hectare site recreates every detail of the original cave, including thousands of amazing prehistoric artworks and bear footprints too!
With gruelling routes covering some of France's most beautifully scenic regions, the Tour de France is an iconic cycle race, attracting huge crowds along the route. The Grand Départ of 2018 takes place on the 7th July starting on the Island of Noirmoutier. The early stages of the race go through the Vendée and Brittany regions. As usual there are exciting mountains stages in the French Alps and the Pyrenees.The races finishes in Paris on the 29th July.
Every summer Labeaume hosts a music festival. ‘Labeaume en Musique’ fills the pretty cobbled town with the sounds of opera, classical and other genres of music as delicious as the local food and bubbly. Don’t forget your cushion for the pebbled beach.
Pays Ruomsois hosts lots of events during the summer months. For example, in early August there is the ‘Fête des Vignerons Ardéchois’ at Ruoms, which celebrates the wine making traditions of the Ardèche. 2018 dates to be confirmed.
One of the most popular activities on this site is canoeing on the River Chassezac because there is direct access to a small river beach from the parc. If you prefer your adventures on the water to be a little faster paced then you can try water rafting 10 km from the site. Or if you would prefer to be on dry land then you can hire bikes 10 km or go quad biking or karting 3 km away.
For a different activity try paintballing at Aubenas. They offer both indoor and outdoor playing fields and you can play with any group size from 2+.
| Sports | |
|---|---|
| Quad Biking | 3 km from site |
| Activities | |
|---|---|
| Horse Riding | 2 km from site |
| Cycling | 10 km from site |
| Karting | 3 km from site |
| Rafting | 10 km from site |
The Ardêche is the perfect setting for a wide range of outdoor activities, including many natural cliffs to tempt climbers. This ruggedly beautiful region has been shaped by the mighty Ardêche river, which has created narrow gorges as well as forming the colossal Ardêche canyon. The Grotte des Branches cave on the banks of the river is definitely worth a climb and offers shade all day to make summer climbing here even more of a pleasure. You’ll also find that the Ardêche river and streams, which are at the base of many climbs, provide the ideal place to take a dip and cool off, giving those tired muscles a welcome treat at the end of a challenging climb.
CLIMBING AREA | DISTANCE FROM PARC (km) | NUMBER OF CLIMBS | ORIENTATION | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Chauzon (Cirque des Gens) | 3.2 | 335 | South |
 | Fontgarnide (Salavas) | 6.6 | 110 | North-West |
 | Balazuc | 7 | 128 | South |
 | Les Barasses | 7 | 63 | South |
 | Grottes des Branches | 7.7 | 50 | North-East-North |
 | Chantadu Lanas | 8.8 | 35 | East |
 | Baume Escure | 12 | 30 | North |
 | Chaulet | 12 | 191 | South |
 | Les Actinidias | 13 | 60 | East |
 | Mazet | 13 | 112 | West |
