The Petit Sentier Blanc-Martel is an out-and-back of about 5 km starting from the Chalet de la Maline: it follows the start of the famous Blanc-Martel trail, descends to the bottom of the gorges as far as the Estellier footbridge, then climbs back up the same way. Its appeal: getting close to the Verdon without the shuttle logistics. It is not a “family” version: the source that describes it rates it difficult and reserves it for the most athletic.
Verified on 6 October 2026 with Decathlon Outdoor, Verdon Tourisme, the Parc du Verdon and the IGN geocoder.
The essentials
| Distance | 5 km (out-and-back) |
| Elevation gain | 454 m (Decathlon Outdoor) |
| Duration | about 2 h 45 min (Decathlon Outdoor) |
| Difficulty | Difficult — a steep descent to the Verdon, then the climb back up via the Pas d’Issane |
| Type | Out-and-back (retracing your steps), no shuttle |
| Start | Chalet de la Maline, on the D23 (La Palud-sur-Verdon) |
| Turnaround | Estellier footbridge |
| Crowds | Very busy according to hikers (AllTrails) |
What we corrected
Until 6 October 2026, this page placed the start “on the Point Sublime side”. That was wrong: the Estellier footbridge lies just below the Chalet de la Maline, more than six kilometres as the crow flies from the Couloir Samson (IGN geocoder). Decathlon Outdoor starts the walk from the D23; Verdon Tourisme specifies that the footbridge is reached “on the Blanc-Martel/La Maline side”.
Points of interest
- The Estellier footbridge — the goal of the out-and-back, above the Verdon. Ten people at a time at most (Parc du Verdon). You cannot continue beyond it: the sentier de l’Imbut, the sentier Vidal and the descente des Cavaliers are closed.
- The shaded descent toward the river, pleasant in the hot hours of the day.
- The Blanc-Martel setting approached without having to book the shuttle — the logistical advantage of this short version.
- No swimming: it is forbidden in the Verdon between the Point Sublime and the Pont du Galetas (Parc du Verdon).
Swimming and water releases. Swimming is forbidden in the Verdon between the Point Sublime and the Pont du Galetas (Parc du Verdon). The level of the river can rise quickly during water releases: do not go down into the riverbed.
Another short outing, at the other end of the trail
On the Point Sublime side, at the other end of the Blanc-Martel, there is the route “Les tunnels du Couloir Samson et les tours de Trescaire” (2.8 km, rated easy by Visorando, a torch is essential). Since August 2026, a Rougon municipal order has closed the section between the exit of the Couloir Samson and the Point Sublime: check the day’s status on our page on the Blanc-Martel trail before you go.
What is still missing
We’d rather say it plainly: the distance, the elevation gain and the duration come from a single source (Decathlon Outdoor); the Parc du Verdon does not publish a trail sheet for this out-and-back. The average AllTrails rating was not captured — which is why no rating is displayed despite the 303 reviews recorded.
Sources
Data re-read on 2026-10-06: Decathlon Outdoor (decathlon-outdoor.com), Verdon Tourisme (verdontourisme.com), Parc naturel régional du Verdon (cheminsdesparcs.fr, navette.parcduverdon.fr), IGN geocoder. AllTrails (number of reviews, crowds, season): recorded on 2026-07-05, not re-read. No data invented: a missing field is flagged as such.