Stage 5 of the Stevenson Trail (GR 70) covers 26.9 km from Cheylard-l'Évêque to La Bastide-Puylaurent, with 695 m of ascent and 803 m of descent. The highest point is 1,246 m. Allow about 7 hours of walking, plus breaks.
Distance, climb and elevation come from the Outest route data. Difficulty and time are estimates from distance and climb; your pace will vary with heat, pack weight and photo stops.
Maison de Zachée, the walkers' guesthouse of the Trappist abbey where Stevenson stayed in 1878, on the GR 70 about 3.5 km before La Bastide-Puylaurent: 40 beds, shared bathrooms, dinner and breakfast included, closed on Tuesdays. Open 22 April to 2 October 2026; book by e-mail only (marcheurs@ndneiges.org), not by phone.
Gîte d'étape and chambres d'hôtes with 10 beds and table d'hôtes, 50 m from the GR 70 in La Bastide-Puylaurent. Open mid-March to end of October.
Chambres d'hôtes and gîte d'étape with 12 beds and table d'hôtes on the Mende road in La Bastide-Puylaurent. Open 1 April to 31 October 2026.
Village hotel with restaurant and bar on rue des Tilleuls, on the trail in La Bastide-Puylaurent; listed as open April to mid-October. Its website did not load in October 2026, so call first.
Checked online in October 2026. Places marked "listed, not confirmed" appear on a public listing (the GR 70 association or Tourisme Occitanie) but could not be confirmed on their own website. Most gîtes and B&Bs open from Easter to early November, and Cheylard-l'Évêque and Cassagnas have only a few beds: book each night directly, at least a week ahead, and confirm the day before.
Emergency: call 112 (medical 15, fire and rescue 18). Deaf or unable to speak: SMS 114. Emergency & health guide
Pharmacies, ATMs, shops and stops: © OpenStreetMap contributors. Hospitals and health centres checked online.
The full stage works offline in Outest, with the route, elevation, water and village points, and a trail guide you can ask about conditions and the next place to sleep.