Photo : Ikmo-ned / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
La cascade du Ray-Pic
The Ray-Pic waterfall is in the commune of Péreyres, in the Ardèche, north of Burzet, in the Monts d'Ardèche Regional Nature Park. The Bourges river drops there in two falls totalling more than 60 metres, the highest being 35 metres.
Its setting is down to geology. The Ray-Pic volcano produced, thousands of years ago, one of the longest lava flows in France, about 20 kilometres long. On cooling, the lava formed vertical basalt columns, the basalt organ pipes, which frame the waterfall and give it its organ-pipe look.
The site has been listed since 1931. It is reached by the departmental road D 215C between Burzet and Lachamp-Raphaël, then by a marked path of about a quarter of an hour's walk to the viewing area. Swimming has been forbidden since 1990 because of the risk of falling rocks. A rockfall in 2009 led to the closure of the site, which reopened in 2012 after consolidation work and the installation of new facilities. It is best to find out about access before you come.
