Pilat Regional Natural Park (

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

: ''Parc naturel régional du Pilat'') is a

protected area Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural, ecological or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the ena ...

of mountainous countryside in the

Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (ARA; ; frp, Ôvèrgne-Rôno-Ârpes; oc, Auvèrnhe Ròse Aups; it, Alvernia-Rodano-Alpi) is a region in southeast-central France created by the 2014 territorial reform of French regions; it resulted from the merger of Au ...

region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and the interaction of humanity and t ...

of southeastern

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. The park spans the

departments Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...

Loire The Loire (, also ; ; oc, Léger, ; la, Liger) is the longest river in France and the 171st longest in the world. With a length of , it drains , more than a fifth of France's land, while its average discharge is only half that of the Rhône ...

and

Rhône The Rhône ( , ; wae, Rotten ; frp, Rôno ; oc, Ròse ) is a major river in France and Switzerland, rising in the Alps and flowing west and south through Lake Geneva and southeastern France before discharging into the Mediterranean Sea. At Ar ...

, and covers a total area of . The mountain terrain ranges from to in elevation. Forty-seven communes dot the landscape, with approximately fifty thousand residents. The land was officially designated a

regional natural park A regional nature park or regional natural park (french: parc naturel régional or PNR) is a public establishment in France between local authorities and the French national government covering an inhabited rural area of outstanding beauty in ord ...

in 1974.

Member communes

The park includes 47 member communes: *

Ampuis Ampuis () is a commune in the Rhône department in eastern France. See also Communes of the Rhône department The following is a list of the 208 communes of the Rhône department of France. This list does not includes the Lyon Metropolis ...

* Le Bessat *

Bessey Bessey () is a commune in the Loire department in central France. Population See also *Communes of the Loire department The following is a list of the 323 communes of the Loire department of France. The communes cooperate in the following ...

Bourg-Argental Bourg-Argental (; frp, Lo Bôrg-Argentâf; oc, Lo Borg d'Argentau) is a commune in the Loire department in central France. Population See also *Communes of the Loire department *Ary Bitter Ary Bitter (1883–1973) was a French artist, ...

Burdignes Burdignes () is a commune in the Loire department in central France. Population See also *Communes of the Loire department The following is a list of the 323 communes of the Loire department of France. The communes cooperate in the followin ...

Chavanay Chavanay () is a Communes of France, commune in the Loire (department), Loire Departments of France, department in central France. Population Twin towns Chavanay is town twinning, twinned with Waldkirch, Germany, since 1994. See also *Commune ...

Chuyer Chuyer () is a commune in the Loire department in central France. It is a relatively small village outside Pelussin (7 km away) in the Mont Pilat national park. Population Facilities Though small, there are some business's in the village ...

La Chapelle-Villars La Chapelle-Villars () is a Communes of France, commune in the Loire (department), Loire Departments of France, department in central France. It is part of the Parc naturel régional du Pilat. It is also home to the mountain, ''Mont Ministre''. P ...

* Châteauneuf * Colombier *

Condrieu Condrieu () is a commune in the Rhône department in eastern France. It is situated on the right bank of the Rhône, some south of Vienne and 44 km south of Lyon, at the foot of the lower slopes of the Mont Monnet. It has an area of 921 h ...

Doizieux Doizieux () is a commune in the Loire department in central France. Geography The village is situated southwest of Lyon. It is in the heart of the Parc naturel régional du Pilat. The Dorlay river, a tributary of the Gier that rises in Mont ...

Échalas Échalas () is a commune in the Rhône department in eastern France. See also *Communes of the Rhône department The following is a list of the 208 communes of the Rhône department of France. This list does not includes the Lyon Metropolis ...

Farnay Farnay () is a commune in the Loire department in central France. Population See also *Communes of the Loire department The following is a list of the 323 communes of the Loire department of France. The communes cooperate in the following ...

Graix Graix is a commune in the Loire department in central France. Population See also *Communes of the Loire department The following is a list of the 323 communes of the Loire department of France. The communes cooperate in the following inte ...

Les Haies Les Haies is a commune in the Rhône department in eastern France. See also *Communes of the Rhône department The following is a list of the 208 communes of the Rhône department of France. This list does not includes the Lyon Metropolis ...

Jonzieux Jonzieux () is a commune in the Loire department in central France. Population See also *Communes of the Loire department The following is a list of the 323 communes of the Loire department of France. The communes cooperate in the followi ...

Loire-sur-Rhône Loire-sur-Rhône (, literally ''Loire on Rhône'') is a commune in the Rhône department in eastern France. See also *Communes of the Rhône department The following is a list of the 208 communes of the Rhône department of France. This list ...

Longes Longes () is a commune in the Rhône department in eastern France. See also *Communes of the Rhône department The following is a list of the 208 communes of the Rhône department of France. This list does not includes the Lyon Metropolis ...

Lupé Lupé () is a commune in the Loire department in central France. Population See also *Communes of the Loire department The following is a list of the 323 communes of the Loire department of France. The communes cooperate in the following ...

Maclas Maclas is a Communes of France, commune in the Loire (department), Loire Departments of France, department in central France. Maclas is located near the villages of Véranne and Saint-Appolinard, approximately 50 kilometres south of Lyon. It is ...

* Malleval * Marlhes *

Pavezin Pavezin () is a Communes of France, commune in the Loire (department), Loire Departments of France, department in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. Geography The village is at the top of the Couzon Valley, on the norther ...

Pélussin Pélussin () is a Communes of France, commune in the Loire (department), Loire Departments of France, department in central France. Pélussin is made up of three districts : ''Notre-Dame'', ''Les Croix'' and at the very top, ''Virieu''. Populatio ...

Planfoy Planfoy () is a commune in the Loire department in central France. Population See also *Communes of the Loire department The following is a list of the 323 communes of the Loire department of France. The communes cooperate in the following ...

Roisey Roisey () is a commune in the Loire department in central France. Population See also *Communes of the Loire department The following is a list of the 323 communes of the Loire department of France. The communes cooperate in the following ...

* Saint-Appolinard *

Sainte-Croix-en-Jarez Sainte-Croix-en-Jarez () is a commune in the Loire department in central France. Population See also *Communes of the Loire department The following is a list of the 323 communes of the Loire department of France. The communes cooperate ...

Saint-Genest-Malifaux Saint-Genest-Malifaux () is a small town in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of central France. Administratively it is designated a commune within the department of Loire. Population See also *Communes of the Loire department The followin ...

Saint-Julien-Molin-Molette Saint-Julien-Molin-Molette ( oc, Sant Julian-Molin-Moleta; ) is a commune in the Loire department in central France. Population See also *Communes of the Loire department The following is a list of the 323 communes of the Loire department of ...

Saint-Michel-sur-Rhône Saint-Michel-sur-Rhône (, literally ''Saint-Michel on Rhône'') is a commune in the Loire department in central France. Population See also *Communes of the Loire department The following is a list of the 323 communes of the Loire departmen ...

Saint-Paul-en-Jarez Saint-Paul-en-Jarez () is a commune in the Loire department in central France. Geography The Dorlay river, a tributary of the Gier that rises in the Pilat massif, flows through the commune. Population Twin towns Saint-Paul-en-Jarez is twin ...

Saint-Pierre-de-Bœuf Saint-Pierre-de-Bœuf () is a commune in the Loire department in central France. Population See also *Communes of the Loire department The following is a list of the 323 communes of the Loire department of France. The communes cooperate in ...

Saint-Régis-du-Coin Saint-Régis-du-Coin is a Communes of France, commune in the Loire (department), Loire Departments of France, department in central France. Geography This town of the Loire, which is part of the Pilat Regional Nature Park is located 21 km ...

Saint-Romain-en-Gal Saint-Romain-en-Gal (; frp, Sant-Reman-en-Gâl) is a commune in the Rhône department in eastern France. It is located south of Lyon, on the west bank of the river Rhône. Vienne, Isère is on the opposite bank of the river and the two settlemen ...

Saint-Romain-les-Atheux Saint-Romain-les-Atheux () is a commune in the Loire department in central France. Population See also *Communes of the Loire department The following is a list of the 323 communes of the Loire department of France. The communes cooperate i ...

Saint-Sauveur-en-Rue Saint-Sauveur-en-Rue () is a commune in the Loire department in central France. Geography Saint-Sauveur-en-Rue is located south of the Parc Naturel Régional du Pilat. It is the southernmost town of the ''département'' of the Loire. Saint Sauve ...

* Tarentaise *

La Terrasse-sur-Dorlay La Terrasse-sur-Dorlay () is a commune in the Loire department in central France. La Terrasse-sur-Dorlay takes its name from the Dorlay river, a tributary of the Gier, which flows through the commune. Population Sights The dam on the Dorlay ...

Thélis-la-Combe Thélis-la-Combe () is a commune in the Loire department in central France. Population See also *Communes of the Loire department The following is a list of the 323 communes of the Loire department of France. The communes cooperate in the f ...

* Trèves *

Tupin-et-Semons Tupin-et-Semons is a commune in the Rhône department in eastern France. See also *Communes of the Rhône department The following is a list of the 208 communes of the Rhône department of France. This list does not includes the Lyon Metropo ...

La Valla-en-Gier La Valla-en-Gier () is a commune in the Loire department in central France. Population See also *Communes of the Loire department The following is a list of the 323 communes of the Loire department of France. The communes cooperate in the f ...

Véranne Véranne () is a commune in the Loire department in central France. Population See also *Communes of the Loire department The following is a list of the 323 communes of the Loire department of France. The communes cooperate in the following ...

* Vérin *

La Versanne La Versanne () is a Communes of France, commune in the Loire (department), Loire Departments of France, department in central France. Population See also *Communes of the Loire department References

Communes of Loire (department) ...

References

External links

Official park website
Regional natural parks of France Geography of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Geography of Rhône (department) Geography of Loire (department) Tourist attractions in Rhône (department) Tourist attractions in Loire (department) Protected areas established in 1974 Tourist attractions in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes {{Europe-protected-area-stub