# Climbing to the Puy de Pariou crater from the Les Goules car park

Walk · About 2 h · Free access · All year

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/france/auvergne-rhone-alpes/chaine-des-puys/things-to-do/puy-de-pariou · Revisado: 2026-11-12

Dónde: Chaîne des Puys

If you are only going to climb one volcano on foot, make it this one. The Pariou is just north of the Puy de Dôme and is the crater that appears in all the photos: a round, green, clean funnel, which you walk round along the rim.

## What it is and why it is worth it

The Puy de Pariou is a young Strombolian volcano, about 8,000 years old. Its cone holds an almost perfect, very round crater. From the rim you see the Puy de Dôme just to the south and the line of volcanoes to the north. It is one of the best-known walks in the chain, and that is why it fills up: on summer weekends there are plenty of people.

The climb is pleasant and has stretches of wooden steps, put there so footsteps do not cut furrows in the loose ash. Access is free and open every day of the year.

## The route

You set off from the Les Goules car park, on the D941, in Orcines, which is free. From there a signed path crosses the forest, climbs the slope of the Pariou and reaches the crater rim, which you walk round completely before going down. Depending on the route, the full loop from the car park is around 6 km with about 200 m of ascent; allow about two hours, or a little more with children or stops for photos. There are no fountains and no shade in the upper part.

## Rules

Dogs may come, but always on a lead. Do not leave the path: volcanic ash is fragile and every shortcut leaves a scar that can be seen from afar. The site is part of the UNESCO World Heritage property Chaîne des Puys–Limagne fault tectonic arena.

## When to go

All year, but the best time is May to October. Go early: before ten there are fewer people and the morning light enters the crater. In winter there can be snow and ice on the steps, and in fog you will not see the crater from the rim.

## Paso a paso

### 45 min · Climb
From the Les Goules car park to the crater rim, through forest and wooden steps.

### 30 min · Round the crater
You circle the crater along the rim, with the Puy de Dôme in front of you.

### 45 min · Descent
By the same path or by the other side of the cone, always on a marked path.

## Qué llevar

- Mountain footwear or trainers with a good sole

- Water: there are no fountains on the route

- A layer for the wind on the rim

- A lead for the dog

## Consejos

### Arrive before ten
The Les Goules car park fills up on summer weekends.

### Combine it with the Puy de Dôme
The crater in the morning and the summit by train in the afternoon, or the other way round.

### Eat nearby
L'Auberge de la Fontaine du Berger is a few minutes from the car park.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### How long does it take to climb the Puy de Pariou?
About two hours round trip from Les Goules, including the circuit of the crater.

### Is it hard?
No. It is a short climb, with wooden steps on the steepest stretches.

### Do I have to pay anything?
No. Access and the Les Goules car park are free.

### Can I take a dog?
Yes, on a lead along the whole route.

### Is there shade?
In the forest on the climb, yes; on the crater rim, no.