Route of the 11 ponds in the Forest of Fontainebleau

Departure point: entrance to Fontainebleau Cemetery (car park).

(S) Head towards the Carrefour du Mont Pierreux, at the top of the car park, along the cemetery.

(1) Take Route Louis Philippe on the left and follow it to the crossroads of the same name.

(2) Turn right onto Route du Gros Fouteau. You are now in a nature reserve, so do not stray from the road. At the Carrefour du Gros Fouteau crossroads, turn left onto Route de Notre-Dame de Bon Secours.

(3) At the intersection, turn left onto Route de la Reine. You will see the first pond on your left.

(4) At the Carrefour des Ligueurs junction, take the Denecourt 4-5 path on the right, marked in blue. Follow the markings carefully and note the landmarks marked with a capital letter or a star on the rocks. You will come across a second pond on the right, Roche Perceval (J), Fontaine Sanguinède, Bénitier (*) and Mare aux Ligueurs.

(5) Continue and, immediately after a bench, leave the blue trail and take a path on the left to reach Mare aux Bouleaux. Return to the blue trail and follow it west then north-west.

(6) At the crossroads, turn left onto Route des Accords and continue to Carrefour du Grand Veneur (cross).

(7) Carefully cross the D607 and take the Route Ronde (D301) opposite on the right-hand side.

(8) At the intersection, turn right onto Route du Rapin and note a fifth pond. Continue to the crossroads. Follow Route du Milan opposite for about 300 metres.

(9) Take Sentier Bleu n°6 (Blue Trail) on the right as it climbs (be careful not to miss the start). You will see a chasm marked "Danger" and then Mare aux Sangliers (Wild Boar Pond). Continue on the Blue Trail (follow the markings carefully).

(10) Leave the Blue Trail at the first intersection and take a path on the right. At the next intersection, take the Route du Chaos d'Apremont slightly to the right. At the intersection, take the Route de Barbizon à Fontainebleau on the left. Continue along this path until you reach the Carrefour de Clair Bois.

(11) Take Route de Clair Bois on the right (3rd on the right) to the D607, then take the underpass to cross it.

(12) At the Carrefour de l'Épine car park, take the Blue Trail No. 5 on the right via Route Mory de Neuflieux. Walk eastwards until you reach Route du Cuvier Châtillon.

(13) Follow this road to the left and pass Rocher la Merveille. Leave the Blue Trail and continue along Route de Cuvier Châtillon to reach another section of the Blue Trail a few dozen metres further on, which climbs to the right. Follow the markings and discover the Observatoire des Francs-Tireurs (L), the Niche de Bleau (M) and the Mare aux Canards.

(14) Continue on the Blue Trail and discover the Belvédère de Balzac (N), the Belvédère de Flaubert (P), the Observatoire du Sud (Q), the Passage de Masséna (R), and the Girafe (S).

(15) Immediately take the path ascending to the left and arrive at the sixth pond of this hike. Continue along a trail that extends to the Mare à Dagneau. Take the path on the right to the crossroads.

(16) Take the Route de la Mare à Piat on the right to Mare à Piat, which you can go around on the right. Join the Route Tournante du Cuvier Châtillon and follow it to the left until you reach the previous crossroads.

(16) Continue roughly opposite (north-west) on Route Tournante du Cuvier Châtillon (2nd on the right). At the next junction, turn left (west-north-west).

(17) At the next intersection, turn right (north) onto Route des Monts de Faÿ. Follow the^GR®1(red and white markings) for a long time: cross the Clocher and Vallon roads and arrive at a crossroads with Route des Longues Vallées.

(18) Continue straight ahead (leaving the^GR® trail on your right). Cross Route du Serpolet, Route du Rocher Canon, then Route du Lancer. Continue on Route de Dammarie on the TMF (Tour du Massif de Fontainebleau, green and white markings).

(19) Take the second right, the Route Tournante de la Mare aux Évées. Then take the first path on the left and follow it to the pond. Go around the pond on the right until you reach the second path on the right.

(20) Take the path on the right to Route de la Table du Roi. Follow this road to the right (south) and cross a few paths. At the crossroads, take the second left, Route du Marchais Artois. Cross the D142 and, about 200 metres further on, take a path on the left (be careful to spot this turn-off) and reach the Mare aux Cerfs.

(21) Continue then turn right onto Route des Vieux Rayons. At the Carrefour des Vieux Rayons crossroads, take the third left, Route du Marchais Artois. Follow this road to the end, turn left and cross the D606 (take care).

(22) On the other side, take the road on the right, Route de Chailly à Samois. Continue straight ahead, pass the Carrefour des Ventes Bouchard and, further on, cross the D138. Continue straight ahead, still on Route de Chailly à Samois.

(23) At the end, follow the railway line to the right until you reach a passage on the left to cross under a bridge. Continue on the D116 until you reach the junction with the Route de Chailly à Samois, which you will take on the right. After crossing Route du Champignon, turn right to Mare du Marchais, the last pond on our hike. Go around it on the right, then turn right onto Route de Chailly à Samois until you reach the D137.

(24) Continue straight ahead (east) on the D137 to Samois-sur-Seine. Take Rue de la Libération, Rue de Courbuisson on the left, Rue du Coin Muzard on the right, then Rue Victor Chevin on the right. Then take Rue Gambetta on the left, Rue Fouquet on the left, Rue du Bas Samois on the right and join the Seine.

(25) Take the footbridge on the right. Cross Île du Berceau, then follow Quai Franklin Roosevelt and Quai des Platreries.

(26) At a hairpin bend, take the road uphill on the right. Look out for the^GR®2marked trail on the left and the blue 13-15 Denecourt trail to follow. At a fork, take the blue trail no. 13-15 on the right (let the^GR®2go straight ahead). Join the D137 and D138 while staying on the Blue trail no. 13-15, cross the railway line and continue on the left on the Blue trail no. 13-15.

(27) After the memorial to Katherine Mansfield, continue on the Blue trail, which is soon joined by the^GR®1, and head for the Denecourt Tower.

(28) Continue on the left, following the^GR®1marked trail, heading west, then make a left turn.

(29) At the Carrefour de la Tour Denecourt, take the Route de la Tour Denecourt on the right and, with a big smile, reach the railway line and then, on the right, Fontainebleau-Avon station (E).