Discovering the woods and ponds of Loudon

de fr

Parigné-Lévêque is a very large and heavily wooded commune: northern pines with sand dunes, and southern chestnut and birch trees. The route allows you to discover the charm of numerous woodlands, vast moors and ponds. The Loudon Stream is crossed in several places.

Details

n°8218889
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 4.85 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 15 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 36 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 36 ft
  • ▲
    Highest point: 305 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 246 ft
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Alley
Alley
Path
LOUDON POND

Description of the walk

Car park at the far end of the pond on the Route des Loudonneaux, near the information board.

(S/E) From the car park, enter the woods via the path near the information board (purple markings).

(1) Turn right, then cross the Ruisseau de Loudon via a small wooden bridge and cross a second stream. Between the two lie the ruins of Loudon Priory.

(2) Turn onto the path furthest to the left and continue straight on, ignoring the side paths.

(3) Turn onto the path on the right and, a little further on, take a firebreak on the right that passes close to the Pierre aux Bergers.

(4) Cross the D52 with care to continue on the path opposite and keep left

(5) Turn right and keep to the right to reach the Route de la Raterie.

(6) Turn left, then leave this road and, a little further on, take the second path on the right

(7) At the junction with the D52, take the path furthest to the left, then, a little further on, turn right to join the main road, which you should always cross with care. Continue straight ahead

(8) Turn right onto Chemin de Montmorillon, which joins a road running alongside Étang de Loudon and leads back to the starting point (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 269 ft - Car park at the - Étang de Loudon
  2. 1 : mi 0.23 - alt. 262 ft - Path branches off to the right - Loudon (ruisseau) - Affluent de l'Huisne
  3. 2 : mi 0.57 - alt. 266 ft - Cross
  4. 3 : mi 1.13 - alt. 246 ft - Intersection
  5. 4 : mi 1.93 - alt. 289 ft - Crossing the D52
  6. 5 : mi 2.06 - alt. 285 ft - Crossroads, near the - Narais (rivière) - Affluent de l'Huisne
  7. 6 : mi 2.54 - alt. 276 ft - Route de la Raterie
  8. 7 : mi 2.91 - alt. 282 ft - Crossroads of the D52
  9. 8 : mi 3.63 - alt. 289 ft - The Montmorillon Way
  10. S/E : mi 4.85 - alt. 269 ft - Car park at the - Étang de Loudon

Worth a visit

The Shepherds’ Stone
In the pine forests behind Loudon lies the menhir known as the Shepherds’ Stone. A flat, pointed stone, 1.60 metres high and 1.75 metres wide at its base, it was for a long time the meeting point for those men clad in wide cloaks, staffs in hand, who led the flocks.
It was believed to have the power to protect the sheep, but one still had to take care to observe a certain ritual. This stone, which may have suggested the presence of the Virgin Mary (patron saint of the church and parish), had to be approached at sunrise, and three times the shepherd had to walk around it, making the sign of the cross and proclaiming, “I bar you and I counter-bar you, I cross you and I over-cross you.” Relieved and completely reassured, the shepherd would then go back to his sheep without fear of encountering wolves or falling victim to disease. If, by misfortune, some calamity were to befall him and his animals, it was because he had mispronounced his words or misinterpreted his signs of the cross. Only faith can save...

Reviews and comments

4.8 / 5
Based on 6 reviews
Reliability of the description
5 / 5
Ease of following the route
5 / 5
Route interest
4.5 / 5
User 26589737

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 11, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant route in summer

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User 15129369

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 28, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant hike with varied landscapes, wide paths and small trails, different vegetation depending on the location, very well marked, almost no roads, and mostly shaded trails. Just a small section of the path after the first road crossing has some brambles that could do with being cut back, but you can still get around them on foot (though I'm afraid not on a bike).
I would happily do it again. Thank you

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GANA72
GANA72

Thank you for your comment.

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Didon72
Didon72

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 04, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk in the woods, so in the shade. Very little road. Very pleasant and not very busy.

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Poup
Poup

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 04, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A really enjoyable and well-marked hike.

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sarvie
sarvie

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 06, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Lovely walk... beautiful forest paths and pretty trails... very pleasant in autumn. Not much road.
A little tip: come back via the ponds at the end of the day to enjoy a beautiful sunset.
For a change, you can do the hike in the opposite direction.

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aloko
aloko

Thank you especially for suggesting this hike!

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GANA72
GANA72

Thank you for your comment.

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aloko
aloko

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 23, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

First of all, thank you to Gana72 for this route, which I travelled on a beautiful day.
I made a VLog about it here:
https://youtu.be/FHd_SqbE0hA

What I can say is that the route has very few tarmac roads, less than 100 metres if you exclude the last part along the ponds. This is a good thing because you are often surrounded by nature on paths that are often wide and open.
This walk is easy going, with no difficulties or steep slopes. Perfect for families, for example.
For me, it was a return to hiking after almost a year without any walks, and it was perfect for that. On the other hand, it is a bit monotonous on the wide paths, even though the forest is really beautiful with some magnificent sections under the birch trees. The terrain is almost constantly sandy or very sandy.
The last part is more interesting with narrower paths, and especially the arrival at the Loudon ponds with their friendly wildlife. Note that numerous private property signs, all very new, prevent you from walking around the ponds. It seemed suspicious to me, as if they had been put there to deter walkers.
In any case, it's a short and pleasant walk. I only came across three people, all female hikers, and a few cars.
Thanks again to the author.

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