Circular starting from Mare de l'Augerie

L'Augerie, a hamlet in the commune of Saint-Éliph, 4 km east of La Loupe via the D920 and then the D349. Parking is available in the hamlet along the street.

(S/E) From the pond, follow the path towards the houses in La Huberdière. You will arrive at the crossroads at the entrance to La Vivanderie.

(1) Follow the small road Les Grands Pavillons to the right, towards La Huberdière. Ignore the paths leading to the houses on the right and left and continue along this winding road until you reach the D103 near the school bus stop at Les Jauneaux (pond - large oak trees).

(2) Cross the D103 carefully and continue straight ahead. At the next T-junction, turn left. Pass in front of the Pointe aux Merles house and continue to the entrance of a path in the right-angle bend before La Cochetterie.

(3) Take this path opposite along a ditch. Follow it straight ahead to the D349.4, passing behind the Cour aux Sagots and the Petits Pavillons.

(4) Follow the D 49.4 to the left. In the bend before Les Débats, leave the road and follow the path opposite that leads to the forest.

(5) Cross the ditch via the culvert and enter the Montécot National Forest. Immediately turn left onto the track at the edge of the forest (start of the alternative route opposite). The winding track stays close to the edge of the forest and reaches the D103.

(6) Cross the road carefully and continue straight ahead on the bridle path (sign with a boot). It arrives at the corner of the plot and turns right (old orange mark on a tree - small stump on the ground). Caution: do not cross the ditch, as the path is prohibited. The track is poorly marked. Follow the embankment and ditch as best you can, staying in the national forest. The path is a little overgrown and sometimes blocked by fallen branches. You will arrive at the starting point of the ditch (sign with a boot) and come out onto the crossroads. Follow it to the left. Walk along the path through the private woods. You will reach the track between plots 24 and 25 (end of the alternative route).

(7) Continue straight ahead. Stay on the path that runs alongside the private road. You will reach a large clearing in the forest overlooked by a high-voltage power line.

(8) Turn left and follow the power line for about 200 metres.

(9) After the pylon, take the path on the right which leads back to the crossroads at the entrance to La Vivanderie, which you passed earlier.

(1) Continue straight ahead along the path you took on the way there until you reach the Augerie pond (S/E).

Alternative route: at the entrance to the forest (5), head straight ahead for about 50 metres to reach the end of the gravel Route forestière du Mérise. Follow this road to Rond de Diane. Picnic tables available. Take the forest lane on the left (Route Bommard - sign on a tree). At the first track, turn left and rejoin the route on the edge of the forest (7).

In very wet weather, the path after Pointe aux Merles between (3) and (4) may be muddy. In this case, follow the road to the D 349.4, turn left and rejoin the route at Les Petits Pavillons.

Wear good waterproof footwear.

Hunting in the Montécot national forest usually takes place on Mondays. Check the hunting calendar on the Perche Forest Tourist Office website. There is no hunting on Sundays in the national forest. However, please be careful as the forest is surrounded by private woodland.

Along the way:

The Montécôt forest

Nearby

Senonches , 12 km away: Castle museum on the theme of the forest and its exploitation.
Sensory discovery trail at the edge of the woods -
Hotel - Restaurants - Lodges - Huttopia holiday village - motorhome parking area. Shops -
Fishing - horse riding
http://www.lesforetsduperche.fr/culture-et-tourisme/office-de-tourisme/

Manou, 10 km away: the Froux peat bog, a site developed by the Conservatoire des Espaces Naturels Sensibles (Conservatory of Sensitive Natural Areas) for the discovery of rare and protected plant and animal species.
Château dit de Blanche de Castille.
Auberge du Moulin à vent - Hotel - restaurant - horse riding
Bar de la Grange open Tuesday to Saturday from 7.30am https://www.mairie-de-manou.com/bar-de-la-grange

Fontaine-Simon , 6 km away: Perche Water Park - campsite - indoor swimming pool https://www.terresdeperche.fr/pages/parc-aquatique-du-perche water skiing -

In the village: hotel-restaurant - shops.

Digny ,10 km away: Nolimit Aventure tree climbing adventure parkhttps://nolimit-aventure.com/digny/

La Loupe, 5 km away: history cellars - history of the 1944 bombings https://www.lechateaulaloupe.fr/

SNCF railway station.

Château des Vaux 3 km away

Pontgouin 4 kmaway : Les Écluses de Boizard - Moulin de Boizard: Fishing - bar in season - Château de la Rivière. Visits in season.