Grand Saut, Waterfall in Ménétrux-en-Joux, Jura, France
Grand Saut is a waterfall in Ménétrux-en-Joux, in the Jura region of France, with a drop of over 60 meters (about 200 feet), making it one of the tallest in the Cascades du Hérisson chain. A viewing platform built close to the base gives a direct look at the full height of the fall and the mist rising around it.
The Hérisson valley was carved out during the last ice age by glacial movement, which gradually shaped the land into its current form. For centuries, people living nearby harnessed the force of the river to power mills and workshops, and traces of those activities can still be spotted along the trail today.
The name "Hérisson" does not come from the French word for hedgehog, but from an old word meaning "sacred water." This sense of something worth pausing for is still felt today, as many visitors stop at the viewing platform near the falls and simply stand in the spray.
The site is accessible on foot only, and sturdy shoes are a good idea since parts of the trail can be steep or wet depending on the season. Arriving early in the day is helpful, as the parking area near the trailhead tends to fill up quickly during warmer months.
Although Grand Saut is one of the tallest waterfalls in France, it sits roughly halfway along the full trail that links all the cascades, not at the end. Visitors who turn back after reaching it miss several more falls further upstream, including one that is actually taller.
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