In the middle of the Mailley forests

A very pretty wooded route where you can recharge your batteries, with several beautiful viewpoints. Best done in sunny weather to make the most of the views.

Details

123846
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 14.76 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 5h 05 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 315 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 315 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 437 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 295 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Parking in front of the church in Mailley-et-Chazelot.

(S/E) Go up Rue de l'Église, which leads to a stony path. Continue along this path until you reach the woodpiles, then turn left and follow the small path that winds between the trees.
After climbing a little, you will reach the first viewpoint: La Croix de la Roche.

(1) After admiring the village of Mailley and its surroundings, take the path opposite that leads back down (woodland and forest edges). You will also find small signs providing explanations about the geology.

(2) You will then come to a white gravel path. Turn right and follow this path straight ahead, ignoring any perpendicular paths.

From there, follow the green markings until the end of the trail (they may not always be visible on some trees, so be careful). The path is paved in places. Walk along the edge of the woods and pastures, then enter the woods for most of the trail.

(3) When the marked trail leaves the woods and reaches a meadow, turn right and walk along the edge of the woods. Turn right and re-enter the woods for a straight section. Cross a road and continue straight ahead. After 800 metres, make a left/right zigzag to reach a crossroads.

(4) Turn right and, at the next fork in the path, turn slightly diagonally (still following the green markings) to reach a small roundabout in the middle of the countryside. Turn right and you will arrive at an arboretum created by pupils from Mailley school a few years ago.

(5) After the arboretum, continue to the left along a long straight road until you reach a road, which you take to the left. Continue along this road for about 800 metres and turn right onto a white gravel path (please note that there are no markings until the end of this white path).

(6) Turn left and walk up to the edge of the woods until you reach a new viewpoint in the middle of the lawns. There, you will find green markings. You will need to go through two metal gates (out of respect for the farmers, please take care to close the gates properly). Go down a stony path to the Haras de Chazelot stud farm, then turn right. Come out onto a road and walk leisurely to the village of Maille (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 297 m - Car park in front of the church in Mailley-et-Chaze.
  2. 1 : km 1.54 - alt. 410 m - Croix de la Roche
  3. 2 : km 2.29 - alt. 330 m - Turn right onto the white gravel path.
  4. 3 : km 6.25 - alt. 339 m - Turn right
  5. 4 : km 8.46 - alt. 368 m - Turn right
  6. 5 : km 9.27 - alt. 353 m - Arboretum
  7. 6 : km 11.53 - alt. 357 m - Turn left.
  8. S/E : km 14.76 - alt. 297 m - Car park in front of the church in Mailley-et-Chaze.

Reviews and comments

4.2 / 5
Based on 10 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.2 / 5
Ease of following the route
4 / 5
Route interest
4.3 / 5
User 7134949

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 01, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

Hike completed in 2022.
Repeated in November 2025.
A few trees are still on the path at the level of the slope before the arboretum.
Mailley, a very beautiful village.
Signposting, no problems.
Conclusion: the hike is enjoyable.

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danièledebesançon
danièledebesançon

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 09, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Very pleasant, easy hike. Well-maintained forest, a few fallen trees that are easy to get around. No view of Mont Blanc that day. Worth doing again.

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MimoM
MimoM

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 12, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Almost no markings along the route. A few yellow circles at the end.

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Luc70
Luc70

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 19, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant route through forest and dry grassland, with two well-equipped viewing points.
No difficulties.
The downside at the moment is that logging, fallen trees and heavy rain make the section before point 3 difficult, and the markings are sometimes hard to see through the foliage.
Having the GPX track helps.
There are a few orchids to see.

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Desrumaux jean
Desrumaux jean

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 04, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful excursion and change of scenery in this forest, which has retained its natural, semi-wild character in places that must appeal to witches. Many majestic trees. Then a beautiful finale through the dry grasslands. The GPS was useful in several places given the dilapidated state or absence of green markers.

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patrickpitallier
patrickpitallier

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 10, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Very pleasant hike with a few technical and slippery sections following heavy rain the day before.

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cuzcodom
cuzcodom

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 25, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

I can confirm: a superb hike in autumn. Friendly hunters too.
And you can see Mont Blanc clearly (Côte chat).

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remi70
remi70

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 25, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant parish-specific to Brittany hike as it was very warm and we walked a lot in the woods. We got lost once but the compass quickly brought us back on the right path. Nice snack break at the Croix de Mailley with a beautiful view overlooking the area.

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Amanda V
Amanda V

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 01, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A beautiful hike! Magnificent view of the village of Mailley and Mont Blanc on a very, very clear day...
Engrossed in conversation and not paying attention, we took a wrong turn and missed the path in the woods leading to the right (on the map, at the M for Mailley in the large Mailley woods) and went straight ahead, then left to arrive at the pretty arboretum. The arboretum was planted in 1995 by school children, teachers and parents, and there is even a little bench where you can take a break in the sun! In short, we'll have to do it again on the right route.

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michel.deau
michel.deau

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 21, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Very beautiful hike, well wooded with lovely views and few sections on tarmac roads. Worth doing again in autumn.

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