Trail des Cascades du Hérisson

The Trail des Cascades du Herisson is a 28-kilometer trail race with 1,100 meters of elevation gain in the Herisson valley, in the Jura department. This event takes runners along one of the most beautiful waterfall sequences in France, through a landscape of forests, limestone cliffs, and Jurassian reculees of spectacular beauty.

The Herisson is a river that rises on the Champagnole Plateau before cascading down to the valley through a succession of waterfalls and leaps. The Cascades du Herisson site, classified as a Grand Site de France, comprises over thirty waterfalls cascading across 280 meters of elevation over 3.7 kilometers. The most famous are the Eventail, a fan-shaped waterfall 65 meters high, and the Grand Saut, a vertical drop of 60 meters, natural spectacles of striking power and beauty.

The Trail des Cascades du Herisson course is a succession of climbs and descents through this deeply cut valley. Runners follow the river, cross footbridges spanning torrents, climb the cliffs overlooking the waterfalls, and descend toward the frothing pools where water crashes in a permanent thunder. The spray, the scent of moss, and the roar of water compose a unique sensory experience.

The 1,100 meters of elevation gain are concentrated in short but steep climbs, often on rocky trails carved into limestone. The terrain is technical: wet and slippery rocks near the waterfalls, rock staircases, footbridge crossings, and narrow winding forest trails. Caution is essential, especially in areas near the falls where the ground is constantly wet.

The course extends beyond the waterfalls to explore the surrounding Jura plateau. Runners cross fir and spruce forests, follow mountain lakes with turquoise waters, and traverse high-altitude pastures where Montbeliarde cows graze, their milk producing the famous Comte cheese. The contrast between the verticality of the waterfalls and the horizontality of the plateau creates a course of remarkable variety.

The Jura is a land of pastoral and cheese-making traditions, and the Trail des Cascades du Herisson aid stations reflect this. Runners taste aged Comte, cancoillotte, Morteau sausages, and gaudes in a country fair atmosphere. The organization, carried by local clubs, ensures the preservation of the natural site while offering runners a quality sporting experience.

The Trail des Cascades du Herisson is a short but intense race, ideal for runners seeking an accessible format in an exceptional natural setting. The beauty of the waterfalls, the technical trails, and the richness of the Jurassian heritage make it an event that stays long in memory.