Around the Boulevard Nature: Arche de la Nature, amidst heathland and chestnut trees

From Le Mans, head towards Abbaye de l’Épau and park in the car park just after the roundabout, turning left at the roundabout.

(S/E) From the car park, take the track that continues along the path and leads to the Maison de la Prairie. Pass by the sign showing the route of the remarkable trees. Ignore the first path on the left.

(1) Head straight on and continue to the pylon. Keep to the right here and carry on to the next junction.

(2) Turn left onto the path leading down towards the Maison de la Prairie. Carry on straight ahead, then keep to the right twice; at the pylon, turn right and head into the woods. Take a^right, then^{a left}, then^{the first right} to cross the Chemin de l’Épau and carry on straight ahead. Turn left at the first junction, then left again at the next one. Rejoin Chemin de l’Épau and turn right. Carry on straight ahead at the first junction to reach the second one on Boulevard Nature.

(3) Carry on straight ahead, then go round the Futaie car park on your right. On the other side of the car park, take a path on the right, then carry on straight ahead and turn left. You’ll come to a wide track.

(4) Keep left again at this junction to reach the car park by crossing the arboretum, which contains over a thousand trees.

(5) On reaching the car park, continue to the right for 700 m along the path running parallel to the road (Chemin de l’Épau in Gué-Perré). Carry on along the path until you have passed under the power line for the second time. You’ll come to a junction.

(6) Turn right onto Chemin aux Bœufs, which is also the ^GR®®36, before leaving it to the left at the power line. At the next junction, turn right and then go straight on at the following three junctions. At the fourth fork, turn right. Keep going straight on until you reach the first four-way junction.

(7) Return to the^GR®® 36, which runs to Ouistreham (Calvados) or Bourg Madame (Pyrénées-Orientales), and follow it to the right. Take the second path on the left, then turn right at the end of it and cross the Chemin aux Bœufs. Ignore the next three junctions; at the fourth, turn left to reach a clearing. Turn right after walking alongside the clearing. Return to the junction you passed on the way out.

(4) Take the first path on the left. First turn right then left, then straight on. Then cross the Allée de la Coulée. Keep going straight on for three junctions to reach the Mare aux Poissons Rouges.

(8) Head left. Continue straight on at the next two crossroads. Turn left at the third. Keep going straight ahead, or slightly to the right when a Fork in the road appears slightly to the left, until you reach the D152

(9) Cross it (take care!). Join the ‘remarkable trees’ trail , featuring a 26-metre-tall hornbeam and a 33-metre-tall maritime pine. Turn right at the first junction, then cross a track. Continue straight ahead, then turn right and go straight ahead again. At the end of the path, turn left.
Walk round the Maison de la Forêt and cross the large playground. Carry on straight ahead at the next three junctions, then, at the fourth, turn right and then left. Keep to the right until you reach the road.
Cross the C115 (take care!) then follow it to the right along a path. Turn sharply left. You’ll arrive in a stand of maritime pines. Discover the disc golf route, with 27 baskets, and the three orienteering courses. Turn right. Ignore the first two paths. Take the third path on the left. At the junction with the power line, carry on straight ahead, then go straight ahead again at the next junction. Turn right twice. At the crossroads, keep going straight ahead, then turn left twice. Keep going straight ahead at the next two junctions to reach the chestnut grove.

(11) Turn right, then keep straight ahead to cross the C115 again, taking care. Keep straight on at the next three junctions. Turn right at the fourth and continue straight ahead until you reach the D152.

(12) Cross the road carefully and carry on straight ahead. Ignore three junctions. At the fourth, take the second path on the left. Carry on straight ahead at the next junction, then, at the end of the path, take the second path on the right. Follow it to the end.

(1) Turn left and return to the starting point by following the route in reverse (DA).

Starts from the Verger car park at the Arche de la Nature.

Public transport:
Bus route no. 6, Arche de la Nature stop

Green signposting

Sights along the way:

• Remarkable trees
• Arboretum
• ^GR®®36

• Goldfish pond: From the early 20th century until the Second World War, it was the destination for a procession coming from the church at Yvré-l’Évêque. A trickle of water flowed continuously over the statuette of the Virgin Mary nestled in a small masonry grotto (below on your left). During this ritual, farmers would make offerings to the Virgin Mary to ensure good harvests. Today, the pond is home to many protected amphibians, such as the marbled newt.

• Playground
• Disc golf
• Chestnut grove