Saint-Étienne – Gorges de la Loire Nature Reserve, regional nature reserve in Saint-Étienne and Unieux, France

The Saint-Étienne – Gorges de la Loire Nature Reserve protects 355 hectares of the Loire gorges in the communes of Saint-Étienne and Unieux. Its uneven relief creates lawns, rocky areas, meadows, heathland, small valleys and forests, where Atlantic, southern and mountain species meet. The flora includes the prostrate asarine, the purgative broom and the Alpine currant; over 160 bird species have been recorded, among them the Eurasian eagle-owl and the short-toed snake eagle.

The reserve was first established in 1988 as a voluntary nature protection area and gained official regional status in 2012. The Grangent Dam, completed in 1957, reshaped the valley and created a water storage system that transformed the landscape around it.

The reserve takes its name from the Loire, which separates the two communes that share it, Saint-Étienne on the right bank and Unieux on the left. The Maison de la réserve, the reserve's visitor base, organises guided visits for groups and school classes by appointment, and 23 km of waymarked paths let visitors follow the river through the gorges.

The reserve is open to the public all year and crossed by 23 km of waymarked trails. Group and school visits are arranged by appointment at the Maison de la réserve. The site lies in the Loire gorge south of Saint-Étienne, on the communes of Saint-Étienne and Unieux.

The reserve's varied relief supports both Atlantic and Mediterranean or mountain species, and its insect list includes at least 439 butterfly species, among them the scarce large blue. The endemic ground beetle Carabus hispanus bernardii also lives here.