Chailluz Forest - La Dame Blanche

Walk in the Chailluz Forest and climb up to the Dame Blanche viewpoint.

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 13.50 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 45 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 318 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 312 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 601 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 330 m
  • ⚐ Country: France
  • ⚐ District: Besançon (25000)
  • ⚑
    Start/End: N 47.275506° / E 6.039747°
  • ❏
    IGN map(s): Ref. 3323ET
  • Hour-by-hour weather

Description of the walk

Park in the car park located at the crossroads between Route de Vieilley and Chemin des Relancons, opposite the sawmill.

(S/E) Head towards the barrier blocking the entrance and turn left onto the gravel path towards Les Petites Baraques. Follow the path downhill for about 1 km until you reach a crossroads with a tarmac road.

(1) Turn right and stay on the road until you reach a small house. Pass to the left of it and continue along the road until you reach a fork.

(2). Turn left onto the Route Forestière du Fau du Carré, following the signs for Dame Blanche. Continue straight ahead until you reach the Petites Baraques car park.

(3) Turn left (north-east) and cross the bridge over the motorway.

(4) Continue on the right. Keep left at the three-way junction and climb up the gravel path (Route Forestière Saint-Jean Culf), still following the Dame Blanche signs.

(5) Once at the top, ignore the path on the left and continue straight ahead, following the yellow and blue markings. Turn left onto a path about 150 metres further on and continue until you reach the gravel path you left earlier.

(6) Stay on this path, continuing straight ahead and following the yellow mark on a tree. Stay on this path until you reach the summit of Dame Blanche and its fort.

(7) Retrace your steps for a good hundred metres, then turn left to descend via the Chemin de la Charrière du Fort. Please note that the path can be slippery in wet weather.

(8) At the bottom of the path, turn right towards Grandes Baraques. Continue straight ahead at the crossroads just after, pass under the motorway bridge and continue until you reach the Route Forestière des Chapelets. Cross it to continue straight ahead and reach Grandes Baraques.

(9) Take the tarmac road opposite, passing on the left-hand side of the shelter. Keep right at the first three-way junction.

(10) Keep left at the next fork, cross the Route Forestière du Chêne Notre-Dame and return to the car park where you started (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 356 m - Car park
  2. 1 : km 0.84 - alt. 349 m - Tarmac road
  3. 2 : km 1.01 - alt. 346 m - Fork to the left
  4. 3 : km 2.71 - alt. 380 m - Les Petites Baraques
  5. 4 : km 3.24 - alt. 404 m - Three-way junction, right
  6. 5 : km 4.61 - alt. 470 m - Junction, straight ahead
  7. 6 : km 5.34 - alt. 538 m - Return via the gravel path.
  8. 7 : km 7.61 - alt. 601 m - Summit of the Dame Blanche
  9. 8 : km 8.93 - alt. 422 m - Crossroads, on the right
  10. 9 : km 10.77 - alt. 333 m - Les Grandes Baraques
  11. 10 : km 11.68 - alt. 362 m - Three-way junction, left
  12. S/E : km 13.5 - alt. 360 m - Car park

Notes

- Walking shoes recommended.

Reviews and comments

4.8 / 5
Based on 8 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.9 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.8 / 5
Route interest
4.6 / 5
croc-trotteuse
croc-trotteuse

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 16, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant hike with beautiful views of the Ognon Valley when you reach Fort de la Dame Blanche. A lovely descent to Les Grandes Baraques. No difficulty on this route. Thank you.

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Sentier25
Sentier25

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 09, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A somewhat uncertain start as we missed one or two paths due to a problem with the GPS. However, once we were on the path to the small huts, everything went smoothly. A lovely walk, a pleasant route, and we returned via a different path. Thank you!

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sdepraz
sdepraz

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 24, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

We enjoyed the shade and, of course, the view.

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padoboz
padoboz

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 24, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A beautiful hike through the forest with several points of interest: the large barracks, the animal park (wild boars, stags and does, fallow deer) and, finally, a superb, wide-open view of the Ognon Valley. The Fort de la Dame Blanche, built in the VAUBAN style, is not open to visitors. We deliberately did this hike in reverse. Please note that in this direction, shortly after passing under the motorway, you have to take a very steep path for several hundred metres, which leads directly to the fort.

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gauthier14
gauthier14

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 17, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A beautiful, very shaded hike that we shortened slightly, resulting in:
From the "Le Frasillot" car park, take the Ramier forest road; after 200 metres, turn left onto the wide Chemin des Plaines before finding a narrow path on the right after a double bend, which leads to Les Petites Baraques (where we rejoin the walk described in the information sheet here).

On the way back, after passing under the motorway, turn left and go through the barrier.
After 200 metres, turn left to cross the animal parks,
then quickly return to the car park where you started.

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archimed
archimed

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 28, 2016
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Great hike in the Besançon forest. Very beautiful view.

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cissey
cissey

Do we know the origin of the "Dame Blanche" (White Lady)...the statue of the Virgin Mary in Chatillon-le-Duc? Why? Thank you in advance.

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Lydie J.
Lydie J.

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 05, 2015
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A good viewpoint over the Ognon Valley, fort not open to visitors. Hike for experienced walkers who don't need open landscapes or monuments to look at. 4½ to 5 hours depending on pace. Be careful, even though there is a lot of forest, there are long stretches without shade.

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fadette
fadette

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 08, 2015
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Very beautiful walk. Good description. It took us 4½ hours, each going at their own pace. Stop at the top of the Fort de la Dame Blanche. Very beautiful view of the Oignon Valley.

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