Les anciennes carrières de Villebois, ENS de l'Ain

The Meules quarry is the only quarry in the region to present all the extraction techniques (manual and mechanical) as well as the elements linked to the exploitation (forge, powder cabin and marinière).

The Octave slabs and the Orange quarry show traces of carts which attest to the transport of the stone to the Rhône.

The quarries and the Octave slabs are linked by footpaths and can therefore be explored on foot. Free activities are organised by the Conservatoire des espaces naturels Rhônes-Alpes.

An interpretation trail offers the discovery of this built heritage and the natural environments whose biodiversity and landscapes are linked to the exploitation of the choin.

The "ENS" of the Ain :
All three environments were labelled as Sensitive Natural Areas in 2017. True natural and landscape jewels of the Ain Department, the sites with the ENS "Sensitive Natural Areas" label are managed in such a way as to preserve the biodiversity that they host and are developed for opening to the public (with some exceptions due to the fragility of the environments)