The Sautadet Waterfalls

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Visitor Information Tourist Information

An exceptional natural site, but a dangerous one

The Sautadet Waterfalls are a remarkable natural site, shaped over thousands of years by the erosion of the Cèze River through limestone rock. These spectacular formations, known as giant’s kettles, are an integral part of the landscape heritage of La Roque-sur-Cèze and attract a very large number of visitors every year.

Behind this beauty, however, lie real and proven dangers: extremely strong currents, whirlpools, sudden changes in water flow, slippery rocks and violent falls. Sadly, these risks have caused many serious and sometimes fatal accidents over the decades.

Les Cascades du Sautadet

A private riverbank located within the Camping Les Cascades property

The right bank of the Sautadet Waterfalls is located within the land owned by Camping Les Cascades. It has been private property for more than half a century, acquired and managed as such by successive owners since the 1970s.

As such, the campsite owners bear full legal responsibility for the site, particularly regarding:

  • Visitor safety
  • Maintenance of natural areas
  • Risk prevention
  • Visitor flow management
  • Insurance
  • Civil and criminal liability in the event of an accident

For many years, access remained open by custom and tolerance. However, the sharp increase in visitor numbers has profoundly changed the conditions under which the site can be managed.

A long-standing and well-known issue

It is important to stress that all successive owners of the right bank and the campsite have, for several decades, alerted the local authorities to the growing difficulties linked to the frequentation of the waterfalls: safety, liability, damage, visitor flows and site protection.

Despite these repeated warnings, no long-term or structural solution has been implemented to organize, manage or finance the overall management of the site.

The current situation therefore results from a long-standing issue, identified for many years but never truly addressed, the burden of which now rests almost exclusively on private stakeholders.

Visitor numbers incompatible with free access

During the summer season, the site now receives several hundred visitors per day. This overcrowding leads to:

  • A significant increase in accident risks
  • Accelerated environmental degradation
  • Recurring cleanliness and pollution issues
  • Incivilities, theft and damage
  • Human pressure incompatible with a fragile natural site

Under these conditions, maintaining unrestricted access to private property is no longer possible or responsible.

About “right of way” and access to rivers

Some visitors refer to a supposed right of way or free access to rivers. It is important to provide a clear and factual legal clarification.

Under French law, there is no general right to cross private property in order to access a river, nor any obligation for a private owner to allow free public passage across their land.

The banks of non-navigable rivers, such as the Cèze at this location, belong to the riverside landowners. Access is therefore subject to the owner’s authorization, unless a legally established easement exists — which is not the case here.

The only commonly mentioned easement concerns licensed anglers and applies strictly within the limits defined by law. It does not grant tourist access, bathing rights, parking rights or free public circulation.

In the absence of any easement or public development, access to the right bank of the Sautadet Waterfalls cannot be claimed under any right of way.

A clear financial and organizational imbalance

The municipality operates a paid public car park directly linked to visits to the waterfalls. In 2025, this car park generated 231.513€ in revenue.

The municipality also operates a motorhome area without a permit, located in a flood zone and near a historical monument, in the immediate vicinity of the site, generating approximately €40,000 per year.

To date, these combined revenues:

  • Do not fund the maintenance of private riverbanks
  • Do not contribute to site safety
  • Do not support visitor reception or information
  • Are not allocated to the prevention of well-known risks

Meanwhile, Camping Les Cascades, as a private tourist establishment, is subject to strict regulations and regular inspections relating to safety, planning, environmental protection and public safety.

In this context, the existence of municipal tourist facilities operating nearby without equivalent constraints, controls or obligations creates a clear imbalance, both in terms of competition and visitor safety.

The campsite owners also wish to state that they do not support the high cost of the municipal car park, over which they have no control.

Significant costs borne by private stakeholders

Each year, the owners of Camping Les Cascades alone assume major expenses, including:

  • Mandatory vegetation clearing (fire prevention)
  • Daily site cleaning
  • Waste management
  • Visitor reception and information
  • Signage and risk prevention
  • Specific insurance policies
  • Repairs linked to damage and incivilities

These costs amount to €38,000 per year, borne entirely by the campsite, without any public compensation.

Why a visitor access fee has been introduced

Given this situation, a €3 visitor access fee per person, mainly applied during peak periods, has been introduced.

This fee helps to:

  • Fund site maintenance and safety
  • Better manage and regulate visitor flows
  • Limit dangerous situations
  • Preserve the natural environment
  • Reduce the risk of serious accidents

It also provides access (with stamp) to:

  • Toilets
  • Snack bar
  • Sautadet viewpoint

This measure is in no way intended to privatize a natural site, but to implement responsible and supervised management where no collective solution currently exists.

Visitors are invited to contact our reception staff to access the property. Their role is to inform, prevent risks and contribute to a safe and pleasant visit for everyone. They also provide waste bags. However, to help preserve this fragile environment, visitors are kindly asked, whenever possible, to take their waste with them.

In accordance with current regulations, the beach and the entire private site of the Sautadet Waterfalls are strictly non-smoking. This rule protects public health, reduces fire risks and prevents pollution caused by cigarette butts.

For collective safety and respect of the site, visitors who witness dangerous situations, clear violations or trespassing are asked not to intervene themselves, but to contact reception staff or the police authorities, who are familiar with the site. In case of emergency, dial 112.

A commitment to transparency and responsibility

This information notice aims to explain the reality on the ground in a factual manner, without controversy or caricature.

The owners of Camping Les Cascades are deeply attached to this exceptional site and aware of the strong emotions it evokes among visitors and residents alike.

Access regulation is directed against no one. It is the result of responsibility being assumed in a context that has become too complex and risky to ignore.

The owners also wish to reaffirm that they are, above all, committed defenders of the Sautadet Waterfalls. For years, they have worked to preserve, promote and enhance this unique natural site, while contributing to the attractiveness of La Roque-sur-Cèze, creating dozens of jobs and supporting many local businesses.