Grand Parc de Miribel-Jonage, Nature park in eastern Lyon, France
Grand Parc de Miribel-Jonage occupies most of the Island of Miribel-Jonage, a 28.49 km² island enclosed between the Miribel canal to the north and the Jonage canal to the east. Its 2,200 hectares hold the Lac des Eaux Bleues, the Grands Vernes woods, a climbing rock (1977), tennis courts (1978), a cycle track (1982) and a golf course (1985).
The Miribel canal (1848–1857) and the Jonage canal (1892–1899) were dug to improve navigation and feed the Cusset hydroelectric plant, enclosing the island between them. In the early 1960s a planned tertiary complex was abandoned in favour of a leisure area, and the Symalim was created in 1968. Gravel extraction continued until the last quarry closed in 2016 and was flooded.
The park's name changed over time: from Parc Miribel-Jonage to Parc Nature des îles Miribel-Jonage, then to Grand Parc Miribel Jonage, a reference to the Grand Lyon authority. Eleven riverside communes plus the Rhône and Ain departments belong to the Symalim syndicate created in 1968, and the Segapal company runs the site's activities.
The park has multiple entry points and offers different activities depending on the season and weather. It is helpful to bring water and wear appropriate clothing when spending extended time outdoors on the trails and grounds.
The park covers 22 of the 28.49 km² of the Island of Miribel-Jonage, which is a Natura 2000 site, and the Lac des Eaux Bleues is classified as a type II ZNIEFF. The last gravel quarry, on the land of the former Forestière farm, closed in 2016 and was then flooded, enlarging that lake. The Forestière farm itself burned on 20 April 2022 and its ruins were demolished in 2024.
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