Source du Lison (Lison Spring), Creux Billard (Billard Hollow), Grotte Sarrazine (Sarrazine Cave)

This hike allows you to discover the geological and karstic curiosities which are the source du Lison (the Lison spring), the creux Billard (the Billard hollow) and the grotte Sarrazine (the Sarrazine cave).
The great advantage of this route is that overlooks the creux Billard and offers natural uncovered lookout points from the upper plateau.

Technical sheet

48529
A Nans-sous-Sainte-Anne walk posted on 18/01/14 by mart1. Last update : 19/03/20
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 7.74 km
  • ◔
    Calculated time: 3h 45 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Return to departure point: Yes
  • ↗
    Vertical gain: + 526 m
  • ↘
    Vertical drop: - 521 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 604 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 376 m

Description

Leave from the sources du Lison car park, signposted from the village of Nans sous Sainte Anne.

From the car park, take the only path leaving the bridge over the river to your right.
After about a hundred metres, you will arrive at the main source of the Lison.

Follow the same path straight ahead, leaving the path (starting with a sharp bend) to your left.
From here, there is a short circular route which allows you to discover:
- the source du Lison porch from a cave balcony, after several dozen metres,
- the Creux Billard (lost chasm) feeding the source of the Lison, by continuing to climb the path for around 250 metres.

After having admired these geological curiosities, turn around and return to the path which you left "on the left hand-side" on the outward leg.
Then take this path to the right, it will take you alongside a quite remarkable oak tree.
At the first crossroads, take the path to the right which bends sharply and continues to climb. (The path to the left takes you back to the village of Nans sous Sainte Anne).
Follow the path until you reach the RD103 heading to Crouzet Migette.

Take this RD to your right and follow it.
This is not the most interesting part of the hike, but there aren't many cars and it's a more gradual climb.
A few hundred metres later, a covered lookout point enables you to look out over the valley and the village of Nans sous Sainte Anne.

Keep going along the RD103 until the next sharp bend and then take the stony path on the right.
This quickly takes you to the hamlet of Migette.
At the farm, turn to the right and take the stony path until you reach a small bridge.

(1) This crosses the Lison Haut stream which only flows for a few days a year.
Cross over the small bridge and follow the stream on the left bank along a not very clear path.
After several dozen metres you will look out over the Creux Billard and can admire the waterfall from the top if the stream is flowing.
Attention: natural site with an unsecured ledge.

After having enjoyed the landscape, retrace the path back to the small bridge.
Take the stony path again to the right which quickly turns into a Chemin de Pré (a grass path).
Follow the edge of the woods to the right until you re-join the more obvious path (GR590).
Take this path to the right.

Follow this path for quite a while through the wooded area until you meet a point with many paths coming off it (like a crow's foot), where you need to take the path on the right.
This path/track will take you on a gradual descent down to the first houses in the village of Nans sous Sainte Anne.

When you've arrived at these houses, take the small road on the right which quickly turns into a path running alongside the left bank of the Lison, heading upstream.

After following this path a good way, you cross a tributary (often dry) bordered by a path starting on your right.
In just a short circular route, this is an opportunity to go and see the majestic Sarrazine porch and cliffs.

After this little detour, it only remains for you to re-join the path, which you left to the right, in order to quickly return to your point of departure, by crossing the bridge.

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 387 m
  2. 1 : km 3.2 - alt. 498 m
  3. S/E : km 7.74 - alt. 387 m

Useful Information

Some viewpoints are natural and therefore not secured with a barrier.
Preferably following heavy rainfall and/or snowfall (when the streams are flowing heavily).

Always stay careful and alert while following a route. Visorando and the author of this walk cannot be held responsible in the event of an accident during this route.

During the walk or to do/see around

Vallée de la Loue, Ornans, Mont Poupet, Salins les Bains, etc...

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The GPS track and description are the property of the author.

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