If you haven’t arrived via the valley-bottom road, following the scenic river-carved course of the Tarn, then you might just have come to Beldoire Campsite via the numerous switch-backs of the D995. Through hairpin turns you land in the riverside village of Les Vignes, where water cascades down a weir and beckons you to leap in for a swim. Hold fire, though. It’s just a kilometre more to the campsite where you can swim to your hearts content; pitching your tent in the natural shade of an ash tree and slipping stress-free into the waters of the Tarn. Riverside pitches don’t come much better than this.
Directly on the banks of the Tarn and within the eastern boundaries of Cévennes National Park, this well-placed, well-organised family campsite combines all the natural features of camping – grassy pitches, mature foliage, a picture-perfect river and a splendid climate – with a healthy dose of convenient facilities. There are two wash-blocks, a helpful reception building with fresh bread deliveries each morning and electricity at almost every pitch, yet the place doesn’t feel like a holiday park. Far from it; though there is a swimming pool, the majority of campers prefer splashing in the river instead and the ‘nature’ pitches are just that: informal, well worn patches where you can pitch a tent with ease.
To really make the most of the setting it pays to be an active camper. Hiking routes cover the national park and trekking up to the forested high points for spectacular views back into the local gorges is popular. Poke your head into reception and leaf through the tourist information pamphlets for good ideas on the trails that are best for you. Better still, make your way through the gorges by water with a local kayak or canoe hire company. In Les Vignes, Canoë Aqualoisirs can happily kit you out, either on a self-guided paddle on the river (collecting you downstream) or by taking you to the roughest parts of the gorge and ploughing you through the waves on a white water rafting trip. Whatever you choose, it’ll no doubt wear you out nicely and leave you perfectly placed to fall asleep to the murmur of the river at night.