Circular path in the Vernon National Forest

Car park at the Complexe Sportif des Trois Chênes, located on the Plateau de l’Espace.

(S/E) Leave the car park and turn left to join the access path to the state-owned forest. Follow it, turning right.

(1) Take Route François 1er and continue straight on, crossing the Allée des Stands.

(2) Turn left onto the^first path and continue to the end.

(3) Head down the Route des Cascades on the right; this is usually closed to vehicles on Sundays but accessible to pedestrians. Continue to the hamlet of Fontaine de Tilly, which is full of points of interest.
Take the time to look out for an old fountain used by the Duke of Pentièvre, a ‘pyramid’ created at the request of the Duchess of Orléans (wife of Louis Philippe, King of France), a wooden cross bearing the name of the place, and a stone commemorating the sacrifice of English soldiers for the liberation of the country.

(4) Then take the path on the left, which runs alongside the D181 before veering off to the left to reach a crossroads. Be careful not to walk on the D181: to help you find your way, there is an old stream located between the path you should take and the D181.

(5) Turn onto the path on the right to head down the Côte du Mont Roberge: to help you find your way, there is a sign created by children from a nursery school at this junction. Continue to Vernonnet.

(6) Continue left along the Route du Docteur Chanoine and admire the stone houses of Vernon.

(7) Pass in front of Saint-Nicolas Church: on its right, you can see the old door of the original church. Continue straight on along the D313.

(8) Head up to the left along Route aux Potiers, ignoring the old ‘Military Land’ signs: this is in fact a public national forest. Join a cross-country path at Côte du Roule, turn right and reach a tarmac road after passing an old quarry on the left. Turn left onto Route de la Queue d’Haye, passing the entrance to the quarry still operated by TERH: be careful on weekdays, as you may encounter heavy construction machinery.

(9) Leave the road and take a path on the left which rejoins the road further on; continue straight ahead.

(10) Finally, turn left onto the unnamed track, which runs alongside the former LRBA site, until you return to the car park (S/E).

A short but challenging route! Don’t hesitate to bring walking poles as the gradients can be quite steep.
Please note the hunting dates in this forest: only on certain Saturdays (never on other days).

Three points to note:
- part of this walk follows the Route des Cascades, which is closed to vehicles on Sundays, but pedestrians are allowed... making it all the more pleasant to go there on that day.
- Hunting is permitted only on certain Saturdays (and the dates are regularly posted at the entrance to several paths).
- Old signs reading “military land – no entry” remain... But don’t pay any attention to them; this former military estate is now a national forest.

There is a bakery along the route, at the end of Route du Docteur Chanoine.

Several monuments at the bottom of Route des Cascades, as well as the remains of a wash house.
There is a magnificent viewpoint over Vernon on the Chemin du Mont Roberge.