This is the walk I suggest when you have two hours to spare and want a forest without leaving Gex. The Creux de l’Envers follows the Journans stream up to the foot of the Haute Chaîne du Jura, through a gorge, past a waterfall and into the woods. Here is everything you need to know before you go.
At a glance
- Start: place Perdtemps in Gex, opposite the old wash house, with parking on site.
- By bus: lines X33 and TPG 60.
- Distance: a 6.1 km loop, part of the return on the same path.
- Climb: between 170 and 250 metres depending on the source, 233 metres according to the Haut-Jura Regional Nature Park.
- Time: 2 h 15 to 2 h 30 of walking.
- Altitude: from 612 to 736 metres.
- Difficulty: easy, with a few steeper sections.
- Waymarking: yellow, like the other short hiking trails.
The route
The path soon leaves the streets of Gex for the forest. The first highlight is the Portes Sarrazines, a narrow gorge the Journans has cut into the limestone, which you reach by a footbridge. Higher up, the waterfall comes into view from two viewpoints. The tourist office finds it even more beautiful in autumn.
The Séblines viewpoint then opens a 180-degree view over the Jura. A hut with a picnic table marks the Creux de l’Envers itself, and the “Au fil du bois” interpretation trail, with its mill and woodcutter sculpture, runs alongside part of the loop.
The terrain
The route alternates forest paths, quiet lanes and steeper sections with rocky steps. It is not a path for pushchairs. With young children, bring a baby carrier, and wear shoes that grip well on wet rock.
When to go
Sources disagree: some say the trail is open all year, others from April to November. In winter, check for snow and ice before setting off. Autumn remains the tourist office’s favourite season for the waterfall.
Part of the trail is in a nature reserve
The Creux de l’Envers partly crosses the Haute Chaîne du Jura National Nature Reserve. Dogs are not allowed there, even on a lead, nor is picking plants, collecting fossils and minerals, lighting fires or using sound-emitting devices. I have explained what is allowed with a dog around the massif in dogs and hiking in the Haute Chaîne du Jura.
After the walk
Back in town, the Maison de la Réserve, at 135 rue de Genève, presents the wildlife and plants of the Haute Chaîne free of charge. For more ideas around the town, here is what to do in Gex and the Pays de Gex.
And if you would rather walk with a guide, alone or in a group, every option is on the Group hiking in the Pays de Gex page.