The Petit Sentier Blanc-Martel is the short version for families of the famous Blanc-Martel trail: an out-and-back of about 5 km that descends toward the floor of the gorges as far as the Estellié footbridge, then climbs back up the same way. Its appeal: getting a taste of the grand canyon setting without the shuttle logistics, where the full route is not recommended for children under 8.
Verified on 5 July 2026 with Decathlon Outdoor and Verdon Tourisme, with the discrepancies between sources retained and flagged below.
The essentials
| Distance | 5 km (out-and-back) |
| Elevation gain | 400 m |
| Duration | about 2 h |
| Difficulty | Demanding — a steep descent of about 400 m, then the climb back up |
| Type | Out-and-back (retracing your steps), no shuttle |
| Start | Point Sublime side / scenic road (Couloir Samson area) |
| Turnaround | Estellié footbridge |
| Crowds | Very busy according to hikers (AllTrails) |
What the sources don’t reconcile
Two points are settled differently from one site to the next. We show the discrepancy rather than hiding it.
| Data point | Value we use | Other value seen | Why we settle it this way |
|---|---|---|---|
| Start | Point Sublime side (Couloir Samson area) | Chalet de la Maline (voyageavecnous.fr) | The start on the Point Sublime side is consistent across Decathlon Outdoor and Verdon Tourisme; the “Chalet de la Maline” variant is discarded. |
| Difficulty | Demanding (AllTrails) | Easy/moderate (voyageavecnous.fr) | The descent of about 400 m that has to be climbed back up justifies the “demanding” rating; we flag the “easy/moderate” label without adopting it. |
Points of interest
- The Estellié footbridge — the goal of the out-and-back, on the banks of the Verdon.
- 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.
- Swimming possible according to voyageavecnous.fr — but risky: water releases in the gorges are reported by the Routard guide.
Swimming and water releases. While swimming at the footbridge is described as possible by one source, the Routard guide points out that swimming is banned in the gorges because of water releases. The level of the Verdon can rise quickly: do not go down into the riverbed without checking, and treat this information as still to be confirmed with the PNR.
Another short version nearby
If you’re looking for an even shorter option on the same Point Sublime side, 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).
What is still missing
We’d rather say it plainly: the elevation gain and the duration are not documented in detail in the sources audited (the values we use remain rough estimates), the average AllTrails rating was not captured — which is why no rating is displayed despite the 303 reviews recorded — and the exact starting point has yet to be settled definitively between Point Sublime and Chalet de la Maline. These fields will be filled in as soon as a reliable source documents them.
Sources
Data cross-checked and verified on 2026-07-05: Decathlon Outdoor (decathlon-outdoor.com), Verdon Tourisme (verdontourisme.com), AllTrails, voyageavecnous.fr, Routard. Discrepancies (start point, difficulty) retained and flagged above. No data invented: a missing field is flagged as such.