Camping Municipal La Croix de Garry

The municipal campsite of La Croix de Garry is in Saint-Genest-Malifaux, in the Loire, in the heart of the Pilat Regional Nature Park. It sits at 960 m altitude, about 800 m from the village and its shops, on the edge of a small lake formed on the Semène. Saint-Étienne is linked to the town by bus line TIL no. 14.

Run by the town hall, the site is rated two stars. It has 65 marked pitches, including 52 bare pitches and 13 pitches occupied by holiday chalets. Next door, a group and stopover lodge with fifteen beds shares the same facilities. The buildings combine stone and wood, with dressed stones salvaged from old houses in the Pilat.

Opening period: pitches can be booked from 11 April to 11 October 2026, with rates per night, per month or for the whole season. The thirteen chalets, on the other hand, are offered for rent all year round, with published rates for the period from October to May: €380 a week or €870 a month, excluding bed linen and cleaning. The campsite therefore welcomes holidaymakers in winter as well as in summer, for example for a cross-country skiing or snowshoeing break, or for a month-long stay. Two chalets are adapted for people with reduced mobility.

Each chalet, of about 25 m², sleeps four to six people, with two bedrooms, a fitted kitchen, a bathroom, a separate toilet and a covered terrace of 10 m². Pets are not allowed there, whereas dogs on a lead are accepted on the pitches.

Cross-country skiing and snowshoe hikes in winter in the Pilat, cinema in Saint-Genest-Malifaux and waymarked hikes from the campsite.

The campsite offers simple, well-kept facilities designed for hikers, cyclists and families. The washrooms include showers, a baby bath and toilets accessible to disabled guests. A fitted kitchen and a storage room for skis or bikes complete the picture. A washing machine runs on tokens at €5, and irons and ironing boards can be borrowed. Baby equipment and board games are also lent out, and Wi-Fi is free.

The holiday chalets are fully equipped: fitted kitchen with hob, dishwasher, fridge-freezer, oven, microwave and coffee maker, bathroom with shower, separate toilet and garden furniture on the terrace. Bed linen can be hired at €13 a pair and the end-of-stay cleaning costs €65. Everything is therefore provided for a self-catering stay in any season, but the website does not say whether the chalets are heated.

An activity pavilion serves as a shelter in bad weather; it can also be hired by the half day or the day. The motorhome waste disposal point is reserved for campsite guests. There is no restaurant or pool on site: the neighbouring village has shops and medical services. The lake bordering the site is not a bathing area, as swimming there is prohibited.

On site, a play area awaits children, and a table tennis table and a boules court make it possible to pass the time without leaving the campsite. The activity pavilion comes in handy when the weather turns. Four waymarked hiking trails start directly from the campsite, and the paths of the Pilat alternate between grassy tracks, forest roads and stream crossings.

In the surrounding area, pond fishing is available near the village, tennis courts can be hired and there is a treetop adventure course at Les Grands Bois, in the commune of La Versanne. Climbing enthusiasts can head to the Planfoy via ferrata, and those who prefer orienteering will go to the permanent course at Le Bessat. Saint-Régis-du-Coin is known for its trail running hub.

On the cultural side, the town has a cinema, the Espace Jules Verne, and its church can be visited on a signposted route. The passementerie museum in Jonzieux displays a Jacquard ribbon loom, the Maison de la Béate de l’Allier in Marlhes traces local history, and the mining museum is in Saint-Étienne. In winter, the mid-altitude mountains lend themselves to cross-country skiing and snowshoe hikes.