Loop in the Gâtinais, along the Essonne, starting from Bouville

Departure from Bouville, Rue de Puiselet.

(S/E) Turn left onto Chemin de Marmont, then take the^first left. At the four-way intersection, turn right, then quickly left. Cross the departmental road, making the first turn left then right, to enter Rue du Puits, to the left of No. 20. At the end, opposite No. 32, turn right (Rue de Villiers), then left onto Rue du Barillet. Continue straight ahead, follow the track and you will come to a road. Turn left and, at the end of the road, take the path on the right and continue to the^second intersection.

(1) Continue along the edge for a few metres, then turn right. Enter the woods and arrive at a fork at the bottom.

(2) Turn left and follow the single track. After climbing up to the plateau, you will reach the next fork, with a sign indicating "Chemin des Sapins".

(3) Keep to the right and continue along a very pleasant section. Stay on the main path, which becomes Chemin de la Chabotterie after a while. Join the road (Chemin de Maisse), then cross the departmental road (Route de la Ferté Allais) and the cycle path to continue opposite on a track. After crossing the fields, go straight ahead into the forest and reach a multiple crossroads under a high-voltage power line.

(4) Walk about 100 metres to the left, then turn right. At the wider crossroads, continue left until the next fork.

(5) Turn right and follow the GR® (Chemin de Monlimon), a pleasant, easy walk through the forest. At the four-way junction, go straight ahead and keep left at the three-way junction. Join the start of a path on the left.

(6) Ignore it, leave the GR® and continue to the right (shortcut) until you reach the N449 at the first houses of Vayres-sur-Essonne. Follow this road to the right until you reach Rue de Sourdet on the left.

(7) Take this road and, at the end, turn left onto Rue de la Ruchere. Walk up this street to the crossroads at the end.

(8) Turn left onto the D153, cross the arms of the Essonne, and enter Boutigny-sur-Essonne. Cross the railway line and turn right onto Rue des Cordeliers. Pass the Saint-Barthélemy Church on your left, then turn left onto Place du Général de Gaulle and continue along Boulevard Jules David until you reach the town hall.

(9) Turn right onto Boulevard Maurice Ouin, continue along Rue Charles Baudoin, then turn left onto Rue du Cheval Rue and climb until you find a path on the right, after passing the school complex and a few metres after the end of the tarmac.

(10) Take this path and climb up to a track at the edge of the woods. Turn right, pass a farm and take the^second track on the left.

(11) Follow this path until you reach the GR®1, then turn left. Keep right at the next two junctions and you will arrive at the corner of No. 13 in the hamlet of Le Pressoir.

(12) Turn left, then left again onto the departmental road, then take the^first track on the right. Continue to follow the GR® until you reach a four-way fork.

(13) Turn left, continuing to follow the GR®. This section includes a pleasant hillside. On the plateau, continue straight ahead, then arrive at a fork after making a right-hand bend.

(14) Ignore the PR® and turn right onto the GR®, which descends. Continue straight ahead until the end of Chemin des Bruyères.

(15) Continue left for about 100 metres and turn left at a small car park opposite No. 55. Continue straight ahead until you reach the crossroads. Continue straight ahead, slightly to the left, then immediately turn right onto the small path.

(16) At the end, turn left, then take the path opposite, then right, which is very narrow and therefore quite congested. At the crossroads, turn left and reach the edge of the forest.

(17) Continue to the right on the GR® and go straight ahead.

(18) Admire the Menhir de la Pierre Levée on your left, then cross a road (D1) and join the next one.

(19) Continue to the right and descend gently, following the GR® trail, which takes a dirt track to the right a little further on, then returns to the road. Follow it to Buno-Bonnevaux and find Rue de la Fontaine on the left.

(20) Take this street, then at the end, turn left and continue straight ahead on Route de Chantambre. Leave the village and you will soon come to a path on the left.

(21) Follow it and, at the end, take Rue du Moulin opposite, following the GRP®.

(22) Cross the bridges over the Essonne and its branches, passing in front of a very pretty mill, and reach the hamlet of Courcelles.

(23) At the end of the street, turn right, cross the railway tracks, turn left onto Rue de l'Essonne, then quickly turn right just before the sign for the entrance to Boigneville. Climb up the tarmac road, then continue along a path. Leave the woods, make a left turn and continue to Champmotteux.

(24) Enter the village, then turn right onto Rue du Couvent. Quickly turn left (Rue du Château Gaillard), then right onto Chemin de Courtillat.

(25) At the top of the small hill, turn left onto Chemin les Vignes d'en Haut and descend. At the bottom, turn right towards the forest. Follow the GRP® straight ahead, through a pleasant little wooded valley, to Valpuiseaux. At Route de Maisse, first turn left then right and follow Rue des Roches until you find a path on the right, a few metres before No. 6.

(26) Take this path, then follow the single track along the hillside. This goes around the village below, then joins it. Follow Rue de la Mairie, then Rue des Tilleuls. At the end, cross the road, take the path on the left opposite, and continue on the GRP®, uphill, until you reach a three-way junction.

(27) Keep left, then turn right and reach the high point (elevation 134).

(28) Leave the GRP®, take the path on the right, then turn left and arrive at the edge of a wood.

(29) Turn right, cross the woods via the first path on the left and, via a beautiful descent, reach Puiselet-le-Marais. Continue straight on until you reach the edge of the village, then continue along the path opposite until you reach the building with lots of small square windows.

(30) At the three-way junction, keep left and climb straight ahead until you reach the three-way junction after passing the pylon (elevation 133).

(31) Continue straight ahead and, via a beautiful descent, join Rue de Puiselet in Bouville (S/E).

(1) You can turn right onto a very nice single track and join the (2).

(17) You can follow the GR® trail to avoid any confusion. FYI, I got a flat tyre here. There are quite a few brambles at the edge of the woods.

Before setting off, make sure you have a phone, GPS or other device that can import the route and follow it on a screen. The description is there to help you if you lose your network connection.

Bring a spare inner tube and/or something to repair a puncture.

The route is over 52 km, so allow plenty of time.

There are many possible variations, especially around Vayres and Boutigny, where there are quite a few paved roads. If you find a nice route, feel free to share it.

Enjoy your ride! Remember to eat and drink!