From Champagne-sur-Seine to Bourron-Marlotte via the Restant du Long Rocher

Starting point and access: Champagne-sur-Seine station.
- Transilien - Line R, on the section between Melun and Montereau via Héricy.
Take the exit on the side of track 2 (direction Montereau to Melun). If arriving in the opposite direction, track 1, take the underground passage.

No signposts

(S/E) With your back to the station, turn left and cross the car park. At the roundabout, take the first right and cross the Seine via the bridge. Enter Thomery and continue along the D301 (the right-hand shoulder has a good pavement). At the roundabout, continue straight ahead towards the town centre, still along the D301. At the fork, turn right onto Rue du 4 Septembre. Follow this street straight ahead, ignoring the streets and alleys on either side.

(1) When the D301 turns left towards Fontainebleau, continue straight ahead, passing a bar on your left. Go around Place Greffülhe (information board) and the church in either direction. Return to the previous crossroads.

Yellow markings

(1) Follow the D301 to the right, which is also Rue de la République. Pass in front of the town hall and cross Rue Victor Hugo (on the left) and Rue Neuve (on the right) at the same time. Shortly afterwards, turn left onto Chemin des Longs Sillons (information sign). Walk along this path, which winds its way between garden walls, noting a few openings onto the gardens and their old grape walls. At the T-junction, turn left onto a wide path. At the end, turn left and follow a tarmac road for a few metres.

(2) Immediately turn right and walk down Rue des Chardonnières. When this street turns left, leave it and continue straight ahead on a grassy path. At the T-junction, turn right onto a path between garden walls or fences (note the beautiful views of the Seine on the left). Further on, ignore a tarmac road on the right and continue straight ahead on a stabilised path. You will come to a road; follow it to the right for a few metres.

(3) At the corner of No. 28, turn left onto Chemin des Sheep Pastures, a path that descends, turns right (view of the Seine) and then runs along a wall on the right-hand side. At the foot of a telephone pole, turn right and go up a path (be careful to spot this starting point). At the top, continue straight ahead on a tarmac road.

No markings

At the T-junction, turn left onto Rue du 14 Juillet. After a few metres, turn right onto a private road (pedestrians allowed) and you will come to a small road (on the right, you can make a quick detour to the Château de By, Rosa Bonheur Museum).

Yellow markings

Then first turn right then left to find the markings and follow a path between two walls. Ignore a path on the left and continue through the undergrowth, following a fence on your left. At the end of the fence, turn left and right and walk west-southwest. Turn right at the railway line.

(4) Turn left and take the bridge over the railway line. At the end of the bridge, turn right onto a path that runs alongside the railway line below on the right. After about 50 metres, turn left onto a wider path. Go through a forest gate, immediately cross a perpendicular path, enter the Fontainebleau National Forest (plot no. 404) and follow the Route de la Curée south-west. Cross the D138 road and, on the other side, take the path furthest to the right, the Route du Rocher d'Avon. Head due west on this path, lined first with beech trees, then pine and oak trees.

No markings

(5) At the Carrefour des Fraillons, continue straight ahead, still on Route du Rocher d'Avon (ignore the yellow markings on the right). When you reach the edge of the road, go around the Carrefour de la Croix de Montmorin junction on the left and cross the D606 in two stages ( very busy road; however, this is the safest place to cross as motorists are obliged to slow down'').

Green and white markings (rare)

(6) Before the D301 road leading to Bourron-Marlotte, turn left, pass through a forest barrier and take the Route de Montmorin (plot no. 416). Follow this path south, cross two perpendicular paths and pass through a sparse oak forest.

No markings

(7) At the junction with Route du Chêne Feuillu (plot no. 423), continue straight ahead (ignore the signpost on the left). Cross Route de la Prise, climb slightly and wind your way through a pine grove. Cross the wide grassy bank of the Vanne and Loing underground aqueducts, cross Route de Médicis and continue south-east between plots nos. 433 and 435. Cross a perpendicular path and arrive at a crossroads with the D148 road.

Blue markings (read the recommendations in the "Practical information" section)

(8) Follow the left branch of the Denecourt-Colinet trail no. 17 (signpost), i.e. continue south on the Route de Montmorin. Climb under a pine forest and between small rocks. At the top of the hill, at a crossroads, turn left and walk on fairly flat ground. At a fork, take the left-hand path and climb steeply between the rocks. Follow the markings carefully, as they are very dense in this area. At the top of the hill, turn right at the hairpin bend, stay on the ridge between the rocks and then descend. Wind your way through the pine forest, pass a few boulders and descend again.

(9) At the T-junction (plot no. 503), turn right onto a stabilised track that climbs uphill. Cross Route de la Malmontagne and continue along Route du Râle (plot no. 510). Cross a marked path (old watchtower on the right) and continue straight ahead downhill. Cross another path and you will immediately come to a crossroads. Take the path on the left, still on Route du Râle. Go uphill and then downhill to reach another crossroads.

Blue + yellow markings

(10) Then take the second path on the right, Route de la Canepetière, between plots nos. 520 and 521. Follow this sandy path uphill and, when it becomes lined with large stones (to stabilise it), climb a wooden staircase on the left. At the top of the stairs, turn left and you will reach a viewpoint (an old sandstone quarry below). Continue and make a right-hand turn. At the three-way junction, follow Route de la Canepetière to the left again. After a few metres, leave the path on the left and follow a trail (not shown on the map) that leads to another viewpoint. Shortly afterwards, rejoin the path and follow it to the left (west).

(11) At the next triple fork, take the leftmost path, still following the Route de la Canepetière. Stay on the ridge under the pine forest, cross another path (plot no. 522) and, when two paths come in from the right, turn left and continue west. Ignore a vague path on the left, turn right, pass a bench (viewpoint on the right) and make a left turn to reach another viewpoint (railings). Continue, ignore a path coming from the left and descend the winding path to reach a crossroads.

Blue markings

(12) Follow the section opposite (south) that connects trails 17 and 11 via the Route de Fontainebleau à Montigny. Climb a few steep switchbacks and join the Denecourt-Colinet trail (no. 11) at a fork.

Blue markings + blue capital letters on some rocks

(13) Then follow the right branch of trail no. 11 and pass at the foot of the large rock blocks B and C on your left. Pass at the foot of two large pine trees and stay roughly on the ridge. Pass the small rocky gorge E and then the rock shelters F and H. After rock J, turn right and descend. At a fork, take a sharp right turn. At the next junction, turn left. Pass rock M and, at rock N, turn right. Pass rock shelter O and descend via switchbacks.

Note a rock marked with a star on the left, then rock Q (arrows on the ground), but do not leave the path. After a small fence on the left, go around a rock on the right or, for those who enjoy acrobatics, pass underneath it. Then, at a T-junction, go left and climb up through a jumble of rocks. At a slight fork, turn right, continue climbing and follow the markings carefully. This will take you to the Béatrix Cave.

(14) Facing the entrance to this large rock shelter, climb a few steps or small rocks on the right. At the top, turn right and pass a viewpoint. Then veer left and turn left again. Leave the T-junction viewpoint on your right and squeeze between some young pine trees. Bear left, pass a short wet area and bear right onto a more clearly marked path, heading south-south-east then south. Then turn left. Stay east then south-east along the edge of the plateau (old markings). Leave the V-shaped rock on your right then the Z-shaped rock on your left, and descend.

(15) At a T-junction, turn right downhill. Make two left-right turns and, at the fork that soon appears, take the left. Climb up a few turns. Leave rock A on your left and pass under a sort of incomplete rock arch. Walk under the pine forest, ignoring the vague paths on either side. At a new viewpoint, turn left. Then take the rocky pass B and, at the exit, immediately take a second rocky pass on the left. Pass at the foot of large boulders, including C on the right and D on the left.

Go down a few steps, walk along a small fence and then go back up, keeping to the right. Wind your way between the rocks, follow the markings carefully and continue along the hillside. Pass rock F, ignore a path on the left, wind your way around leaving rocks G and H on your right. Zigzag between the rocks, leave rock L on your right and go down. At rock M, turn sharply left and you will come out onto a path (Route de la Plaine Verte).

(16) Make a left-right turn and continue on the blue-marked trail. Cross a small plain covered with ferns and, at the first intersection, continue straight ahead. Climb under the pine trees and, at the top (small central rock), turn left and then immediately right. After the rock on the left, you will come to a path (green and white markings on the right).

Green and white markings (rare)

(17) Cross this path and continue for a few more metres following the blue markings, walking alongside a small fence on your left, until you reach a second path. Then follow this sunken, sandy path to the left (ignore the blue markings continuing straight ahead). Ignore a bridle path coming from the left (not shown on the map). After a left turn in the path, ignore a trail coming from the right and continue south. Pass a forest gate and follow a small tarmac road with a 30km/h speed limit on the right.

(18) At the stop sign, cross the D58 and continue straight ahead on a path running alongside a fence (note a few engraved markers on the left-hand side). Enter the forest again (plot no. 551), follow the Route de la Grande Vallée and, when a wide path comes from the right, continue straight ahead. Ignore a path on the right, cross the Route du Cordon and go uphill. At the next junction, continue straight ahead, still on Route de la Grande Vallée.

(19) At the crossroads at the top of the hill, follow the third path on the left to the south-west, the first being a wide forest track and the second being poorly marked. At the next junction, continue straight ahead and, at the fork that follows, turn right and descend steeply. At a T-junction, turn right, still descending, and you will come to a small tarmac road. Follow this to the left and descend more gently. Pass through a forest barrier and leave the forest.

(20) At the first fork, turn right onto Rue des Quatre Chemins. At the next two crossroads, continue straight ahead and continue along Rue des Bois. At the crossroads, take the second left, Rue Marceau. At the stop sign, make a first turn left then right (church on the left) to follow Rue Chevreul. At the next stop sign, turn right. Pass a bus shelter on your right and walk along the wall of the Château de Bourron on your right. Ignore Rue de l'Étang on your left and walk past the castle gate. At the next roundabout, you will find Bourron-Marlotte-Grez station immediately on your left (E).

To return home:
- Transilien - Line R, towards Melun and Paris (direct access) or Montargis (take the underground passage).

Train timetables: consult the Transilien website.

For motorists:
The two stations are located on different sections of the R line. There are two possible options:
- With at least two vehicles: leave one vehicle in the car park at each of the two stations.
- With only one vehicle: take the train one way or both ways, changing at Melun.

Hiking boots are required.

No water sources identified along the route. Bakery and bar in Thomery, near (1).

A 1:25,000 map is essential (at least the one accompanying this description).

Recommendations concerning the blue-marked trails:
- The Denecourt-Colinet trails, marked in blue, mostly follow paths that wind through the rocks. Despite the density of the markings and their maintenance (thanks to the markers!), it is recommended that you pay attention so as not to lose your way. If you have not seen a marker for some time, do not hesitate to retrace your steps until you find the markings again.
- Markers can be found on three types of supports, at three different heights: (i) on tree trunks at eye level; (ii) on rocks, at the same height or lower; on rocks close to the ground.
- Markers are in the shape of a dash (or bar); ignore the double arrows >< in blue or white on some tree trunks.
- A good sense of direction is generally required. In this hike, this is particularly the case between points (13) and (16).

Hike completed by the author on 5 April 2017.

- Saint-Armand Church (13th-18th century), near (1).
- Thomery vine walls, between (1) and (2). The production of table grapes, of the Chasselas variety, was an important agricultural activity in Thomery until the mid-20th century. The vines were systematically planted at the foot of walls in order to retain heat.
- Château de By (Rosa Bonheur Museum), off the route, between (3) and (4).
- Forest paths between (4) and (8) and between (17) and (20).
- Rock chaos between (8) and (16).
- Béatrix Cave (14).
- Sainte-Sévère Church (13th-19th century), in Bourron-Marlotte, between (20) and (E).