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Starting point and access: Fontainebleau-Forêt station.
- Transilien - Line R, on the section between Paris-Lyon and Montargis (the stop is located between Bois-le-Roi and Fontainebleau-Avon stations).
N.B. Services to the forest stop are limited (see further details in the practical information section):
~ It is not served on weekdays.
~ It is only served on the Paris to Montargis route. Passengers alight at the front of the train, on the gravel platform which serves as a platform.
Blue signposting
(S) With your back to the railway line, turn left, walk along the railway line on your left and ignore the paths branching off to the right. After about 250 m, turn left and go under the railway line. On the other side, turn immediately right along the railway line. After about 50 metres, the path turns left into the forest. Follow this path as it winds through the undergrowth. At a junction, go straight on.
(1) Cross the D116 with care and continue straight ahead on path no. 15 towards the Carrefour des Écouettes. At the next junction, continue straight ahead. At the end of the path, cross the D138 with care. On the other side, go through a forest gate, walk about fifteen metres along a wide track and immediately turn left to follow the signposted path.
Unmarked
(2) At the next junction, leave the marked path and follow another path to the left, the Route de l'Hexagone (signposted further on). At the next two junctions, where the paths are wider, go straight on along the Route de l'Hexagone.
Red and white markings
At the next junction (elevation 86), turn left onto the Route de la Biche. At the end, take the first turn left then right to join the Route du Faon. Climb through a landscape of ferns and small rocks. At the top of the hill, you’ll reach a sort of small pass.
Blue markings + blue capital letters on some rocks (see the recommendations in the practical information)
(3) Then take the path on the right. Pass between rocks X and Y, then leave rock Z on your right. Stay on the path that winds between the trees and rocks, follow the markings carefully and ignore the faint tracks on either side. At clearly marked junctions, continue straight on along the marked path. After a long, winding stretch, head downhill to reach a crossroads with a wide track.
(4) Cross the path and follow trail no. 15, which heads diagonally to the right towards the Carrefour des Écouettes and the SNCF stop (where you started the hike).
No markings
At the T-junction, turn left and head up a stony path. This will take you to a sort of small pass.
Blue markings + blue capital letters on some rocks (see the recommendations in the practical information)
(5) Turn right and follow another winding path. Pass at the foot of boulder G and enter a sort of gorge. Boulder E requires you to contort yourself and crawl under the rock (a passage that can be bypassed). Go round boulder D and immediately turn right. Then ignore a path starting on the right and turn left. Pass at the foot of boulder C on the right and head down.
Unmarked
(6) At the T-junction, turn right. At the fork that appears after about a hundred metres, veer left and follow a fenced-off plot on your right. At the next junction, turn left. At the following junction, follow the Route du Mont Saint-Germain to the right. Walk alongside a fenced-off plot undergoing regeneration on your left. After about a hundred metres, look for an opening in the fence.
Blue markings
(7) Go through this opening and head north. Follow a marked path that winds through relatively dense vegetation where ferns are abundant. Ignore a path coming from the right (not shown on the map) and pass at the foot of a large oak marked with a Blue Circle. Note a large three-trunked beech on the right and find another gap in the fence. Go through this gap and you will immediately come to a junction with a track.
(8) Continue straight on along the marked path. At the successive crossroads, keep going straight on. Cross a thinning pine forest (plot no. 221) then come to a denser forest. Climb gently up to a crossroads (signpost).
(9) Then take the second path on the left (the first is not shown on the 1:25,000 map) towards the Table du Grand Maître. Climb a steep slope to reach the summit of Butte Saint-Louis. Go round the fenced-off archaeological remains on the left. On the southern edge, note the beautiful view to the left. At the third corner (western edge meets northern edge), turn left and head downhill. After about fifty metres, look for the start of a path on the right (a young double-trunked oak).
No signposting
Then turn sharply right and continue descending. Carry on along a wider, level path until you reach a T-junction. Follow the path on the right for about 300 m.
Blue markings
(10) At the junction, rejoin a marked path and follow it to the left. At the next junction, continue straight ahead. At a fork, turn left. Then wind your way between some rocks and reach a path junction (elevation 100). Turn left towards the Rocher de la Pierre Margot. Descend and arrive at the Carrefour des Ventes Bouchard (benches).
Red and white markings
(11) Take the third path on the left, the Route des Ventes Bouchard. Cross a small tarmac road (no motor traffic other than ONF vehicles). Continue straight on for about 750 m. Then turn right onto the Route de la Perlure.
(12) Cross the D138 (with care, as it is a busy road) and continue straight on between garden fences. At the next junction, continue straight ahead onto Chemin des Coureurs. At the end, turn left twice and follow Rue Pasteur. After about 150 m, turn right into the narrow Rue de la Paix. Cross Place de la Gare and arrive at the station (E).
To return home:
- Transilien - Line R, towards Melun and Paris-Lyon (direct access) or Montereau or Montargis (use the underpass).
Visorando member
Difficult 
Easy 
