Cascade D’Angon: Hiking Guide

Located just outside of Annecy, hiking up to the Cascade d’Angon is a great way to spend an afternoon. After a quick hike you’ll come to the impressive 35m waterfall that boasts panoramic views over Lake Annecy. This guide contains all the essential information that you need before hiking up to the waterfall, from how to get there, to the walk itself and some top tips to make sure you stay safe and dress appropriately.

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How to Get to Cascade D‘Angon

The waterfall is located between the towns of Talloires and Angon and is a short walk from either of them. The exact location of the start point is marked on the map below.

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By Car

If you’re driving, you can park in Talloires, Angon or Verel, and make your way to the start point using the ‘By Foot’ instructions below.

Please note: If you park in Verel, you will not take the same route to the start point. It is north of the waterfall. Walk the Chemin de Verel and you will join the path around two thirds of the way up. I haven’t walked this route but as far as I know you simply follow the path until you reach a T-junction, then turn left and you will be on the main path.

By Public Transport

From Annecy, take the 61 bus from the bus station. The buses run roughly every hour, and a single costs €1,50. Check out the timetable here.

From Angon

If you get off the bus in Angon, you will be dropped off on Route des Vignes. Walk back along the road that the bus drove for around 5 minutes, and you’ll reach the start point. The specific point is below.

From Talloires

There is more to see in Talloires so you might want to get off the bus here to explore before making your way to the waterfall. In this case, get off the bus at Ecoles. It is on the main route Route d’Angon, so you simply have to follow the road to the start point. Turn left off the main road once you reach the point below. It takes around 15 minutes to walk from Talloires to the start point.

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Walking to the Start Point

There is a very small sign marking the start point of the route so I’ve included a google street view map so you’ll be sure you’re at the exact spot. The path that you want to turn onto is shown on Google Maps and is called Chemin Rural d’Angon À la Pirraz

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Discover the top things to do around Annecy and Cascade d’Angon

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The Route to Cascade D‘Angon

Basic Information

As a round trip, the Cascade d’Angon hike is around 3km long. It takes around an hour to climb and significantly less to descend, naturally. I would set aside around 2 hours for the hike, to give yourself plenty of time to enjoy the views at the top. The elevation gain is around 300m metres over 1.3km.

Access to the hike and waterfall is completely free and there is no time restriction. However, of course I would recommend avoiding this hike at nighttime, and if you are hiking in the evening make sure you have plenty of time to descend before nightfall.

Ascending to Cascade D’Angon

Once you arrive at the start point the route is straightforward, simply follow the path. You will reach a turning at one point (where the path from Verel joins) but you should simply continue straight. There is a signpost so you can be sure that you’re going the right way. The path is not too difficult but it is steep. Take your time and drink plenty of water.

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The Top

Safety is key once you reach the waterfall. Due to the close proximity to the waterfall the ground gets muddy and slippery. It is still very accessible and you don’t need any hiking experience, as long as you are very careful, slow, and use the handrails.

Make sure you stop to check out the views over Lake Annecy. There are some incredible panoramic views from the top of the route, just before you start to walk under the waterfalls.

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There are two waterfalls at the summit. You can see the smaller waterfall behind me in the left-hand picture. You’ll pass under this waterfall to get to the bigger one, which is behind me in the right-hand picture. There is only room for around 3 people at the viewing platform for the bigger waterfall so if it’s busy you might need to wait a little while to see it properly.

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Top Tips

Clothing and Equipment

Make sure you wear appropriate clothing to hike to Cascade d’Angon. You don’t need full hiking gear, you’ll have no problem with a good quality pair of trainers, although bear in mind that they will get a little muddy. This is regardless of the weather, as the water from the falls mean that the ground at the top of the waterfalls is always wet. I wore jeans and had no problems but I’d recommend some more comfortable trousers such as leggings.

It’s worth bearing in mind that you will get a little wet under the waterfalls, again regardless of the weather. If you have a light waterproof jacket available I’d recommend bringing it but it’s not vital as you won’t get absolutely soaked, just a little splashed.

If you have difficulty hiking up hills it might be worth bringing a walking pole. As mentioned in the Basic Information section, the elevation gain is around 330m and the path is relatively steep.

Accessibility at Cascade D’Angon

I would not recommend this route for those with reduced mobility, especially if dependant on a wheelchair. You might be able to access the top from the Verel path, but I don’t know how accessible this path is as I walked the full route. The section under the waterfalls is definitely not accessible.

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Take care if bringing children to the waterfalls, especially to the end section underneath the waterfall. Walking the path shouldn’t be too difficult for older children, and simply make a sensible judgement call as to whether you think your child is capable of completing the end section once you see it for yourself.

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