Boël Trail (Sentier du Boël)

A very pleasant hike. First section at the top of cliffs, with lovely views over the Vilaine river and the site "Moulin du Boël". Cross a shady woodland, then return along the towpath.
To avoid as much as possible passing along the military site's fence ("Le Celar"), this new description uses a slightly more technical part of the GR®.

Technical sheet

257772
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 8.05 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 35 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Return to departure point: Yes
  • ↗
    Vertical gain: + 93 m
  • ↘
    Vertical drop: - 92 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 89 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 14 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Start: Arriving from "Pont-Réan", park in the car park at the village entrance.

(S/E) From the car park, head towards the pretty old houses opposite the lock and mill.

(1) Pass by the lock. Observe the mill on the opposite bank. Continue along the towpath.

(2) Just before the SNCF* (Railway) bridge over the river, leave the towpath and turn left onto the path leading up to the bridge. A footbridge crosses the river, parallel to the TGV** railway line. At the end of the bridge, turn right onto the road leading down to the river.

(3) Leave the path opposite which leads to the mill site. Turn left, and at the entrance to the car park, follow the GR® path on the left (white and red markings). The path quickly climbs to the heights. Various viewpoints offer magnificent panoramas of the Vilaine river and the Boël site.

(4) Continue following the GR®39. The trail passes slightly away from the military site ("Le CELAR"). Short climbs, sometimes quite steep, but without danger and in a very shady area.

(5) The GR® skirts the fence of the military site, continue straight ahead. Leave the military zone. The GR® passes in front of isolated villas and continues through undergrowth until you arrive at the hamlet of "La Bouchetière".

(6) Continue along the GR® until you reach a place called "Les Vallées".

(7) Leave the GR® on your left and turn right onto the D39, toward "Guichen". We soon come to the bridge over the "Vilaine" river, which we cross. (Beware of heavy traffic at this point).

(8) Leave the road at the end of the bridge. Turn left onto the path leading down to the river. Follow the towpath on the left, pass under the bridge and continue to the car park on the left (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 16 m - Car park at the entrance
  2. 1 : km 0.2 - alt. 16 m - Lock - Vilaine (fleuve)
  3. 2 : km 0.63 - alt. 16 m - Ascent to the SNCF bridge
  4. 3 : km 0.84 - alt. 17 m - To the left
  5. 4 : km 1.37 - alt. 50 m - Follow the GR39
  6. 5 : km 2.23 - alt. 55 m - Fencing of the military site
  7. 6 : km 4.28 - alt. 79 m - Village la Bouchetière.
  8. 7 : km 5.13 - alt. 30 m - D39 to the right
  9. 8 : km 5.51 - alt. 19 m - Path on the left
  10. S/E : km 8.05 - alt. 16 m - Car park at the entrance

Practical information

Start: Arriving from "Pont-Réan", park in the car park at the village entrance.

Access: Pass through Pont-Réan (bridge). At the exit, turn left onto the road to "Le Moulin du Boël".

Gears: The trail is not difficult, but good hiking boots or even walking sticks are recommended.

Refreshments: There's a bar/restaurant on the Boël site. There is no other bar/restaurant on the circuit.

Facilities : Laillé village is about 2km from the place named "La Bouchetière". To get there, turn left onto the tarmac road at La Bouchetière. Laillé village offers a full range of shops and services.

  • SNCF = French National Railway Company
    • TGV = High-speed train

 Always stay careful and alert while following a route. Visorando and the author of this walk cannot be held responsible in the event of an accident during this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

Reviews and comments

4.5 / 5
Based on 54 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.6 / 5
Clarity of route map
4.5 / 5
Route interest
4.3 / 5
tugny44
tugny44

Hello
In the part of the route you describe, there are indeed a few steep sections.
It is important to wear good hiking boots. When it has rained, it is also advisable to use hiking poles, which are very effective on downhill slopes.
Otherwise, between WP4 and 5, you can avoid one of the steep slopes by leaving the GR and taking a track that brings you closer to the fence of the military site. See the map.

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User 26051075

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of walk : Jun 10, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Clarity of route map : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

I took the route in the opposite direction. It was a very beautiful route. The section along the fence didn't bother me, but the return along the edge of the Vilaine was very tricky and impossible to do in such wet conditions without ending up on the ground. The signposting for this section should probably be reviewed. Overall, it was a very beautiful walk.

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Xia
Xia

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : May 11, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : Yes

a slightly technical start, then an easy return, but beautiful scenery

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Kleeo
Kleeo

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Jul 29, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

Lovely views from the cliffs and a pleasant walk in the shade when it's hot.
Easy route to follow.
Dangerous section on the road before the bridge: heavy traffic and not much room for safety.

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tugny44
tugny44

Hello
I know, it's the black spot of this hike. Unfortunately, I've already looked. There are a few paths in the woods but they belong to the army. It's forbidden to use them. Too bad for us.

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claudine-ricordel
claudine-ricordel

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : May 19, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : Yes

a slightly strenuous circuit, avoid doing it in wet weather on the edge of the cliffs
it's a shame to follow a fence... couldn't we find a little path through the woods?

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uxa020
uxa020

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Apr 10, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

No problems encountered on this route

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Marynigee
Marynigee
• Last modified:

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Oct 08, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : Yes

Lovely walk between the forest and the banks of the Vilaine
Less interesting when you walk along the military field, but the rest in the sunshine is great!

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tugny44
tugny44

Thank you Elo79 for your comment about the traffic along the D39. I've added a note to the description to warn of the risk on this stretch.
Otherwise, the passage along the military fence is not very pleasant. I've recently changed the route, taking more of the GR. But I haven't found a way around it completely.
Thanks again for your message.

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Elo79
Elo79

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Sep 15, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

The walk is to be recommended on the whole, but there are a few not-so-good parts.
The start of the walk is superbly beautiful. You walk along the Vilaine and then climb to the top of the cliffs, from where you have a great view of the Vilaine.
From point 5, you walk along the fence of the military field for over a kilometre. This part is really long and uninteresting, but it's an essential part of the walk.
Next, we pass through undergrowth. This section is also pleasant.
Then, between points 7 and 8, we had to walk on the road to cross the bridge, even though there were a lot of cars on the road, which we found quite dangerous.
Finally, the walk ended on a positive note with a 2.5-kilometre walk along the Vilaine to get back to the car park.

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HELENE 35
HELENE 35

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Aug 22, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

A very nice loop, the first part with the viewpoints is great, the second part where you walk along the edge of the woods is very pleasant, especially as it was hot.
We were a little unsure of the direction on the second part, but in fact there's no doubt about it: simply "follow the military camp".

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gsensevy
gsensevy

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Aug 27, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

The route is really very interesting, and the walk magnificent.
It seemed to me that at certain points, for example at point 5, the route would be better if it followed the path of the three bridges exactly, rather than skirting the military camp.

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Isaxo29
Isaxo29

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of walk : Jul 02, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

On the whole, it was a very pleasant walk, with some very pretty panoramas and few visitors during our visit in July. The only downside was the walk along the military fence, which could perhaps be used as an alternative.

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mplutz
mplutz

Overall rating : 3 / 5

Date of walk : Jul 18, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Clarity of route map : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

I put down this comment as "very disappointing" because, having hiked in the opposite direction to that indicated, you find yourself stuck without any signposting when you reach the "Chaton" area because of the military zone which blocks any passage from the indicated path. The GPX tracks point to an impassable fence.

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Bob 0610
Bob 0610

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Jul 09, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Very nice and easy circuit

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