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Loop from Épône-Mézières station on line J from Paris Saint-Lazare station (also passing through Houilles-Carrières-sur-Seine and Poissy).
(S/E) Exit the station on the south side and take Avenue de la Gare opposite. After the supermarket, cross Boulevard de l'Ouest at the traffic lights, continue straight ahead, then take the second right (Rue Bretonnet).
At the crossroads, take Rue des Lilas on the left, then immediately right onto Rue Nationale, continue until you reach Saint-Nicolas church.
(1) Turn left, pass afirst wash house and continue along the path, which climbs into the forest and then turns into a trail. Many dead trees have cluttered the poorly maintained path, which winds through fairly dense vegetation. When you reach a good path, take it at a right angle to the right, heading west. Continue along this almost horizontal path for 500 m before it turns right downhill to a paved road. Take it to the left uphill, then right at the fork.
(2) At the last houses on the left, turn left onto the path that runs along the fence and enters the forest. At the end of the climb, the path leaves the forest and runs along its edge on the right. Pass under a first high-voltage power line. 150 m further on, the path turns left to run alongside, then passes under a series of five high-voltage power lines. After passing thefifth power line, the path turns right, then left to run alongside a golf course.
(3) When you reach the corner of a wood, continue straight ahead, passing under three high-voltage power lines. Stay on the main path, which zigzags, passing under two more high-voltage power lines. When you reach a paved road, turn left towards Fresnel. Continue downhill until you reach the wash house.
(4) Pass on the right to go up Rue du Lavoir. Further up, turn right then immediately left and continue uphill. At the crossroads, turn left onto Rue du Gros Moulu. After about 200 m, when the road turns left, continue on the path opposite, between the forest and the fields. Stay on this path for about 1.5 km.
(5) At the edge of the woods, as you approach the hamlet of La Plagne, go straight ahead at the fork and cross the hamlet. At the T-junction, turn left and go down Grand Rue until you reach the wash house.
(6) Turn left onto Rue des Saules to go back up into the hamlet and reach the street where you started: turn right and continue for 100 m.
NB: the old direct route has been closed for 80 metres, so you will need to take this detour.
(5) Turn right onto a path through a meadow. At the bottom of the meadow, turn left, follow the forest, turn right at the crossroads to enter the forest. After 150 m, at the fork, take the path on the left to the ruins of the Chapelle Saint-Germain de Secqueval.
(7) Continue along the path (view of Mantes-la-Jolie halfway down) which descends to a road. Cross it. Go up opposite through the fields. Turn left after passing the high-voltage lines, then right to continue the climb. Finally, turn left to reach the forest.
After 300 m at the edge of the forest, you will come to a path: take it on the right. Several small springs, some of which are more or less developed, are scattered on the right. The path becomes a paved road when you reach the village of Guerville. Continue to the wash house known as La Guitelle.
(8) Turn left, then left again in front of the car park. Take the street on the right, pass the town hall, then turn right towards Senneville. At the fork, take the street on the left until you reach a small wash house attached to a house.
(9) Take the left fork of Rue Saint-Martin, and at the bend, turn left onto a fairly steep road. You will arrive at a crossroads. Turn right onto the D158 towards Jumeauville and Maule for about 400 metres.
(10) At the crossroads, take a path on the left at the corner of the woods. When you reach a road at the entrance to the hamlet, turn left, then immediately follow the road that descends to the right. Cross another road and descend the fairly steep passage opposite until you reach another wash house.
(11) Turn left, pass in front of the "Brasserie des Lavoirs" (aptly named), continue to the fork, turn right until you reach a large basin. Follow it to the wash house and the chapel.
(12) Return to the beginning of the basin and turn left downhill. At the crossroads, take the street on the right and pass a small wash house.
(13) Turn left, then left again at the crossroads. At the next crossroads, turn right, then right again to arrive at the Roche wash house.
(14) Pass the wash house and continue along a tarmac road which becomes stony at the last house. When this road turns right, continue straight ahead on the grassy path, which climbs diagonally up the hillside. Further up, enter the forest and join the GR®26 under the high-voltage power lines.
(15) Follow it, continuing to climb, straight ahead and gently uphill. When you reach the plateau, leave the forest and the path becomes a tarmac road at the first house in the hamlet of La Villeneuve. Continue straight ahead, cross a road and you will arrive at the last wash house at the next crossroads.
(16) Continue straight ahead. Leave the woods and you will arrive at a wide avenue lined with newly planted trees (cherry orchard on the right). At the crossroads dominated by the "Totem aux étoiles" (Star Totem), continue straight ahead, pass the entrance to the castle residence on your left, and continue to the discreet entrance to the castle grounds.
(17) Enter and go to the end of the park to visit the small Temple of David.
(18) Leave the park through this single exit.
(17) Turn left and walk down to the Épône church. In front of the church, turn left onto Rue de la Brèche, then right at the fork, then continue on Rue Jumantier, which turns right further on. Cross Rue Nationale, then Rue des Deux Frères Laporte, then the D113. Continue straight ahead, turn left, and a little further on you will arrive at Place de la Gare (S/E).
Visorando member
Moderate 
Easy 
