Camping near the Ardèche Gorges

Canoe kayak rental in Ardèche

The three-star Les Truffières campsite

offers you the ideal setting for an exceptional experience during your stay near Vallon-pont-d'Arc. For your family holiday in the Ardèche in a mobile home or on a pitch on our estate in Auvergne Rhône-Alpes you will have the opportunity to discover the Ardèche gorges in the middle of nature with all the necessary equipment.

The canoe rental can be booked directly at the reception so that everything happens directly on the spot to facilitate the transport and the organisation of your family day in the heart of this natural water park. We can prepare sandwiches for you by ordering them the day before and our bar/restaurant will be at your disposal for your evening. You can return between 16.30 and 17.30. You decide when you are finished.

Have you reached the end of the river?

 

Our free bus is already waiting for you on the beach! No long waits!!!

 

The riverbanks

The Ardèche alternates between periods of very low water levels, the étiage, and periods of high water, the floods. The plants have had to adapt to the floods, strong currents and drought. The riparian forest, a real border between the terrestrial and aquatic environment, is essentially composed of trees and shrubs such as willows and poplars. 

Most of the water in the Ardèche comes from tributaries upstream of the Pont d'Arc. Water infiltrated from the plateaus comes out in the resurgences, which are very visible all along the gorges. Some springs are petrifying and form tuff, an amalgam of limestone and mosses that develop in this very humid environment.

The fauna and flora have adapted to this changing environment. The plants can withstand flooding, strong currents and dryness during low water, whether it be the vegetation on the pebble banks or the riparian forest. This forest on the banks, a real frontier between the terrestrial and aquatic environment, is essentially composed of trees and shrubs such as willows and poplars. The animals each have their own preferred habitat, the pebbles of the rapids (radiers) for those who need a lot of oxygen, the depths of up to 7 or 8 metres of the flats (mouilles) for those who like peace and quiet, the vegetation of the banks or the sand dunes for others: all need the river to live.

 

Gorges de l'Ardèche 

The ensemble formed by the Pont d'Arc and the Ardèche gorges is one of the most remarkable natural sites in France, combining monumental cliffs covered in garrigue and holm oak forest, with geological and archaeological heritage. Since 1980, the Ardèche gorges (1575 ha) have been classified as a nature reserve protecting more than a thousand plant and animal species: Bonelli's Eagle, Percnopterus Vulture, Peregrine Falcon...

 

Who can do the descent? 

These routes do not present any major difficulty and are authorised for children aged 7 and over.

 

When can I go down the gorges in a canoe?

Generally from February to November, depending on the weather and water level.

 

What should I bring? 

In summer, shorts or a swimming costume are more than enough, with well-fitting shoes. Bring a picnic lunch and a drink. For the two days, a sleeping bag with the small tent. In cooler weather, bring jeans, trainers and a windbreaker. 

 

Where to bivouac when you do the Gorge descent in 2 days?

Wild camping is forbidden, so two bivouac areas have been set up: GAUD & GOURNIER. Barbecues are ready for use at these areas, tickets for access are required, for the night, think of booking well in advance.

 

What kind of boats are there? 

Tandem canoe: this is the recommended boat, ideal for this typical practice in our region. 

Single & tandem kayaks for the more experienced when the environment permits. 

An option for a third person from 7 to 12 years old is possible (specify when booking).

The boats are recent and of light structure.