Croix Pater - Pecqueuse - Watchtower

Cycle path and forest track.

Details

16400
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 9.08 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 40 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 21 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 21 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 181 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 159 m

Photos

Description of the walk

To get to the starting point, from La Boissière-École, head towards Adainville (D71). Continue for about 4km and take Route du Champs des Épines on the right. Start from the Croix Pater crossroads.

(S/E) Take the first path on the left of the hunter's shelter. Continue to the Croix du Planet, where there is another shelter.

(1) Continue along the cycle path opposite on the right. Continue (in autumn you can see the Château du Haut Planet on the left) for 1.5 km, cross another cycle path slightly to the right and continue opposite for 500 m to join the Chemin de Nogent-le-roi. Continue opposite the path to the Route Forestière de la Vignerie.

(2) Turn slightly to the right again and continue. Cross the Rambouillet forest road and take the path on the right around the bend and rejoin the road and the Fillon crossroads.

(3) Turn right, almost making a U-turn, and continue to the Croix de Pecqueuse crossroads.

(4) Continue along the Route de Maintenon path almost opposite on the right, straight ahead for about 2 km.

(5) At the Bois Richard crossroads, turn right (not opposite) and continue for 500 metres. On your left, you will see a stone with an emblem on it, called the Pierre Levée. You will arrive at the fire brigade's watchtower, where a lookout climbs up to monitor the area during periods of drought.

(6) Turn right onto Route des Meuniers and continue straight ahead for about 2.5 km until you reach the Croix Pater crossroads (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 180 m - Crossroads at Croix Pater
  2. 1 : km 0.64 - alt. 180 m - Croix du Planet
  3. 2 : km 2.91 - alt. 174 m - Route Forestière de la Vignerie
  4. 3 : km 3.83 - alt. 169 m - Fillon crossroads
  5. 4 : km 4.61 - alt. 160 m - Croix de Pecqueuse
  6. 5 : km 6.48 - alt. 169 m - Bois Richard crossroads
  7. 6 : km 6.98 - alt. 170 m - Watchtower
  8. S/E : km 9.08 - alt. 180 m - Crossroads at Croix Pater

Notes

Hike in the Rambouillet forest.
Shelter at 3 locations, no difficulties.

Reviews and comments

4.4 / 5
Based on 14 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.2 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.6 / 5
Route interest
4.2 / 5
fdmj
fdmj

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 09, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Pleasant hike. Long straight stretch at the end less interesting.

Machine-translated

TITUS 28
TITUS 28

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 05, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Hello. A very easy hike in dry weather, starting from the Pequeuse roundabout. Given the number of forest paths that are passable in dry weather, there are many possible variations using the map, which avoids cycle paths and certain motorway-like paths.

Machine-translated

FRAGER
FRAGER

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 13, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

I used Visorando to find a Sunday walk in the western part of the forest.

Following the comments, I parked in the (small) car park at Carrefour des Grands Coins
A much larger car park is the Carrefour de Pecqueuse

For a walk in the forest
(-) I find the tarmac cycle path uninteresting except for sections 1 and 2, where it is better integrated
(--) The same goes for the section from the watchtower to the hamlet of Souvigny => a long, straight stretch with nothing of interest

Otherwise, it's a nice, very accessible walk.
(+) Carrefour de Pecqueuse at the watchtower
(++) Croix Pater to the Vignerie road

Not many people. We saw a deer hopping through the ferns in the northern section

I navigated with my IGN map and Sportstracker

Machine-translated

RICO92
RICO92

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 03, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Very easy hike. Easy to find and accessible
Access from Avon Fontainebleau station, so accessible by train if you don't have a car, which is rare
Part of the route is paved, so no major difficulties
Tested in January in average weather at 2 degrees, and there were other hikers
In summer or spring, I think it must be quite (very?) busy as it is very accessible
Small free car park on Sundays at the start of the walk, otherwise there are also a few parking spaces in the forest
Empty in winter, I imagine it must be quite different in fine weather...

The view at the end of the walk is a pleasant surprise (if the weather is clear, of course...).

Machine-translated

Nico7592
Nico7592

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 24, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very successful walk with children aged 4 and 6!
A really pleasant area and an easy walk with regular shortcuts to shorten the route if you get tired!

Machine-translated

alainroussel27220
alainroussel27220
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 14, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

It's a shame that the end of the route is a carriageway.
Fewer cycle paths would have been good too.

Machine-translated

ja lafontan
ja lafontan

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 14, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Numerous changes in access at the start make this route difficult for a group to access. I agree with the opinions expressed on this subject.

Machine-translated

jp1024
jp1024

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 02, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average

This route consists of two sections:
4 to 1: wide, well-maintained paths with long straight stretches
1 to 4: cycle path winding through the forest
The advantage of this route is that it is passable even if there has been heavy rain in the previous days
As for the starting point, it is clear that the Pecqueuse crossroads (point 4) is much more accessible than the Croix Pater crossroads (unless you are coming from La Boissière-École....!)
So: starting from the D936 between St Léger and Poigny, take the Vignerie forest road westwards, then turn left onto the Loge Posée road.

Machine-translated

simonrando
simonrando

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 20, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average

In fact, there are no points of interest; the route merely passes through the Rambouillet national forest.

Machine-translated

yann92
yann92

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 25, 2017
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A very beautiful walk, the forest is very beautiful.
Thanks to the author of this walk.

Machine-translated

gazok54
gazok54 ★

Good evening, Dom 78
When you are planning your hike, click on the blue link in the Practical Information section, "Click here to find out how to get to the start of the hike". You will find directions to the starting point.

Machine-translated

Dom 78
Dom 78

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 25, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Hello,
The only difficulty was finding the starting point.
Otherwise, it's a very beautiful and enjoyable hike.
Dom 78

Machine-translated

jacques7356
jacques7356

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 24, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Please note: access by car to the starting point is not easy if you are coming from Rambouillet. It is better to start from Carrefour de Pecqueuse.

Machine-translated

marievaimbois
marievaimbois

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 07, 2015
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A pleasant hike. Easy trail. Walking time: 2 hours (4.5 km/hour).
One small downside: it would be good to provide some directions on how to get to Croix Pater from Saint Léger en Yvelines.
I believe it is the Route de la Vignerie and not the Route de la Vignette mentioned in the description.

Machine-translated

Patrick78
Patrick78

Hello
Thank you for your comments.
There are other courses in the same area that are also very pleasant.
Kind regards

Machine-translated

Other walks in the area

For more walks, use our search engine .

The GPS track and description are the property of this route's author. Please do not copy them without permission.