Marvel at nature and recharge your batteries: that’s the ideal holiday programme. The good news is that it’s exactly what awaits you in the Ardèche! Among the Ardèche’s natural wonders, one deserves very special attention: the Cascade du Ray-Pic (the Ray-Pic waterfall). Set in the heart of the Monts d’Ardèche Regional Nature Park, it’s a must-see on any camping holiday in the Ardèche.
Beautiful and breathtaking
Majestic and breathtaking: two adjectives that fit it like a glove. With its 35-metre drop in the heart of the Ardèche countryside, it impresses everyone who sees it for the first time. In fact, talking about “the” Ray-Pic waterfall doesn’t tell the whole story: right next to it, some sixty metres higher up, another waterfall gushes out. A little more discreet but just as impressive, it carves its way down the basalt rock. Side by side, the two waterfalls put on a striking show for visitors and make it one of the finest attractions in the Ardèche.
The Monts d’Ardèche Regional Nature Park
180,000 hectares of forests, hills and green plateaus: that’s the exceptional natural stage of the Monts d’Ardèche Regional Nature Park. Nestled in this green setting lies the Cascade du Ray-Pic. The result? The hike that leads you there is just as beautiful as the waterfall itself! And all just a few kilometres from your luxury campsite in the Ardèche.
Created in 2001, the park’s mission is to protect and preserve the natural flora and fauna of the Ardèche, a unique ecosystem with some endemic species. By mountain bike, on foot, by canoe or kayak and even by paraglider, the Monts d’Ardèche Regional Nature Park offers breathtaking panoramas during your family camping holiday in the Ardèche. For photography lovers, it’s one of the best spots for landscape photos in the Ardèche.
The most beautiful walks near the waterfall
By choosing one of our campsites near the Cascade du Ray-Pic, you’re ideally placed to set off on a walk that leads all the way to it. Here’s our selection of the finest hikes in the area:
- Walk from Péreyres: a popular hike along a well-marked route. It leads to the ultimate reward, the Cascade du Ray-Pic.
- The waterfall trail: a total immersion in the unspoilt nature of the Monts d’Ardèche Nature Park. Along the way you cross the impressive Pont du Diable, a stone bridge with an evocative name (the Devil’s Bridge).
- The Eyrieux Gorges loop: a route through the rolling landscapes of the Eyrieux Valley, where the Eyrieux river puts on a striking show. More lovely memories in store during your stay at a campsite near the Cascade du Ray-Pic.
- Mont Gerbier de Jonc hike: a walk through the Monts d’Ardèche, not far from the Cascade du Ray-Pic. It takes you to another iconic spot in the region: the Mont Gerbier de Jonc, birthplace of France’s longest river, the Loire.
