blog post
5 ideas for hikes with children in Puy-de-Dôme (from 6 years old)
Florian • March 07, 2021
Advantage of our region: hiking is accessible with children!
Here are 5 ideas for walks for ages 6 and up within 30 minutes of the campsite. Remember to take suitable equipment and especially to resupply the troops :-) Discover 6 other ideas for hikes of the same level (cave, waterfall, puys...)
- Puy de la Vache and Puy de Lassolas
: two beautiful twin craters, glowing pozzolan and fantastic panoramas over the chain of puys! To enjoy it you will have to face two beautiful hills and quite a few steps, but accessible with children following their pace.
Our little advice: go up via the Puy de Lassolas, because its path is pozzolan, very slippery on the descent.
Our little advice: go up via the Puy de Lassolas, because its path is pozzolan, very slippery on the descent.
Departure 10 minutes from the campsite
- Grande Cascade du Mont Dore
: this 30 meter waterfall, one of the highest in Auvergne, is worth the detour! It is a round trip walk, on a very passable path but with a bit of elevation gain (uphill on the way out). Once at the waterfall, you can go past it and take the metal stairs to access a very beautiful view point over the Mont Dore valley.
Departure 30 minutes from the campsite
Hike map on Sancy.com (with children, prefer a closer start from the Besse route)
- Gorges de la Monne
: a real pleasure, especially on very hot days! The path takes us down to the banks of the Monne which we then follow for several hundred meters, before crossing it on the Riberolles bridge and going back up to Olloix. Some passages are more perilous than others which will require helping the children but which will leave a great feeling of adventure!
Departure from Olloix, 15 minutes from the campsite.
Details of the hike on Balirando.
- Guéry lake and waterfall : a lovely 1h45 walk, quite easy with children and very well signposted (information panels at the start). It offers beautiful views of Lake Guéry, you can also approach its magnificent waterfall against a backdrop of basalt organs! The rest of the hike is very pleasant with clear panoramas, passages in the woods... Be careful, this walk is at altitude with temperatures which can quickly become cool.
Departure from Col de Guéry, 15 minutes from the campsite.
The walk on the Randos de Caco site.
- Puy de Dôme
: if it is of course possible to climb the giant of the domes using the rack railway, you can also climb it on foot with your children! Allow a good hour's walk to go up from the Col de Ceyssat via the mule track, plus a few breaks to admire the panorama. Be careful the climb is sometimes steep, but by adapting the pace the children manage to climb. The return is done either by the same path, or by the start of the goat path then going around the Puy de Dôme to the west (longer, allow 3-4 hours in total).
Departure 25 minutes from the campsite.
The route on the tourist office website.
Our ideas for activities and visits to do when it rains around the campsite in Aydat, in Puy-de-Dôme. Vulcania, Aventure Michelin, castle, swimming pools, climbing... You can continue to enjoy your vacation despite the rain!
Ideas for day hikes around Les Volcans campsite. Sancy ridges, Puys de Dôme and Pariou, Guéry plateau, waterfalls...
- Shaded hikes. Several hiking trails are well suited to very hot days thanks to the shade offered by the undergrowth. Among the easiest hikes (from 3 years old), the tour of Lake Pavin, the Puy de Vichatel or the Queureuilh and Rossignolet waterfalls are recommended. Slightly longer and shaded hikes are also possible such as the Dent du Marais loop in Murol (2h15), the three waterfalls of the Chaudefour valley (3h) or the Roches Tuillières and Sanadoire loop (3h). Remember to take water, there are generally no refueling points on the paths. - Hiking near the water. On hot days it is also pleasant to hike along a stream and have a picnic stop in the cool. The Gorges de la Monne (15 minutes from the campsite) are ideal for this type of getaway, the walk lasts 2 hours and it is possible to stop and play at the water's edge without difficulty. Be careful though, the end of the return path is not very shaded. Another possibility: the Chiloza waterfalls, a 2-hour walk near Besse which leads to the edge of multiple small waterfalls where children can play, build dams, make boats... Possibility of shortening the walk by doing a round trip to avoid the somewhat long second part of the loop. - Swimming at the lake. Although many lakes are close to the campsite, only Lake Aydat and Lake Chambon are allowed for swimming. It is even monitored there during the summer on the developed beaches. It is also possible to rent pedal boats, canoes, paddles... In July and August, we advise you to go there in the morning to enjoy the calm. - Adventures at the Forêts des Arboris (5 minutes from the campsite). This eco-citizen leisure park is located in the Aydat forest and offers activities suitable for all ages: treasure hunt for the little ones, game experiences (a sort of escape game in the countryside) or laser wood (laser game in the woods) for older children and adults. We then enjoy the freshness of the forest and the refreshment bar with its local drinks. The adventure also continues into the evening with Auvergne legends that come to life between land art and incredible light shows. We recommend +++ - Visit to the Grotte de la pierre de Volvic (35 minutes from the campsite). Freshness guaranteed in this old quarry from which Volvic stone was extracted, this dark volcanic rock found on many buildings including the Clermont-Ferrand cathedral. We also discover the daily life of the workers who worked there as well as the works made from this stone. Information on the Volvic stone cave site.
Our advice for hiking with young children (from 3 years old) in the Puy de Dôme: Puy de combegrasse, Lac Pavin, Lac de Servière, Mont Dore waterfall...
Discovery of vineyards and wine tastings in Puy-de-Dôme, AOC Côte d'Auvergne, from the Les Volcans campsite in Aydat.
- Puy de la Combegrasse, the must in one hour! This is the walk to do even if you only spend one night at the campsite. Count a good hour including a nice little hill to climb the puy but without major difficulty. And the climb is worth the detour: at the top you will have a 360° panorama of the chain of puys and the Sancy massif (with 2 orientation tables). It is also a very beautiful place to admire the sunset (provide warm clothes)! This hike is accessible to children, from 3 years old, taking their time. As a bonus: the brochure "I discover the Puy de Combegrasse" (available at the reception of the campsite) The Puy de Combegrasse hike (be careful here the departure is not from the campsite) Want to prolong the pleasure? Add the puy de l'enfer and the narse d'Espinasse after the puy de la Combegrasse. That is about 3 hours of walking (10km, yellow markings) always from the campsite. This hike offers beautiful discoveries with in particular the astonishing narse of Espinasse, an old crater at the foot of the Puy de l'enfer, which was long believed to be haunted! You will also be entitled to sublime panoramas on the chain of puys. Details of the hike on Balirando. - Puy de Vichatel, a magnificent crater in 2h30! It is the second deepest crater in the chain of Puys after the Puy Pariou), and it is possible to go down inside, a great experience! A large part of the hike is in the undergrowth (very pleasant on sunny days) with beautiful viewpoints at the top. The walk lasts about 2h30 or 3h with children, on a very passable path. The route is not marked from the campsite but you cannot get lost with an IGN map or a GPS application. The course is available is line. - Puys de la Vache de Lassolas, twins in one day! Go with the picnic to discover these two beautiful twin craters. On the menu: glowing pozzolan and exceptional views of the Puys chain! To enjoy it you will have to face two beautiful hills and a lot of stairs. Our little advice: go up by the Puy de Lassolas, because its path is in pozzolan, very slippery on the way down. On your way you will also cross the puys of Charmont and Rodde. To discover these puys with young children, prefer to leave the car park provided for this purpose. Suggested hiking route from the campsite (18.5 km loop). - Lac de Servières, a one-day discovery! This lake was formed in a volcano crater and offers a still wild landscape. The hike to get there from the campsite is a round trip without any particular difficulty with several beautiful viewpoints. It is possible to eat along the way in Pessade. The hike of about 19 km is done by following the white and red markings of the GR from the campsite.
Campsite The Volcanoes ***
11 chemin de la Rodde, La Garandie, 63970 AYDAT
+33 (0)4 73 79 33 90
Use our secure platform to book your pitch or rental
Book online
