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Starting point and access: Fontainebleau-Forêt railway halt.
- Transilien – Line R, on the section between Paris-Lyon and Montargis (the halt is situated 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):
~ There are no services to the stop on weekdays.
~ It is only served on the Paris to Montargis route. Passengers alight at the front of the train, on the gravel-covered platform which serves as the platform.
Blue signposts
(S) With your back to the railway line, turn left, walk alongside the railway line on your left and ignore the paths branching off to the right. After about 250 metres, turn left and go under the railway line. On the other side, turn immediately right and follow the railway line. After about 50 metres, the path turns left into the forest. Follow this path as it winds through the woodland. At a junction, go straight on.
(1) Cross the D116 with care and continue straight on along path no. 15 towards the Carrefour des Écouettes. At the next junction, carry on 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 signposted 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, 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 as it winds its way between the trees and rocks; follow the markings carefully and ignore any faint tracks off to the sides. 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 track and follow path no. 15, which heads diagonally to the right towards the Carrefour des Écouettes and the SNCF stop (where you started the walk).
Unmarked
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 a winding path once more. 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 (this section can be bypassed). Go round boulder D and turn right straight away. Then ignore a path branching off to 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 in the road that appears after about a hundred metres, veer left and walk alongside 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 of land under regeneration on your left. After about a hundred metres, look out for a gap in the fence.
Blue markings
(7) Go through this gap 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 by the foot of a large oak marked with a Blue Circle. Note a large three-trunked beech on the right and come to another gap in the fence. Go through this gap and you will immediately reach a junction with a track.
(8) Continue straight on along the marked path. At the successive junctions, keep going straight on. Cross a thinned pine forest (plot no. 221) and then come to a denser stand of trees. Climb gently up to a crossroads of paths (signpost).
(9) 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 panoramic view to the left. At the third corner (where the western and northern edges meet), turn left and head downhill. After about fifty metres, look out for the start of a path on the right (a young double-trunked oak).
Unmarked
Then turn sharply right and continue downhill. Carry on along a wider, level path until you reach a T-junction. Follow the path on the right for about 300 metres.
Blue markings
(10) At the junction, join a marked path and follow it to the left. At the next junction, continue straight ahead. At a Fork in the road, turn left. Then wind your way between a few rocks until you reach a path junction (marker 100). Turn left towards the Rocher de la Pierre Margot. Descend to reach 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 (with 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 caution, as it is a busy road) and continue straight on between garden fences. At the next junction, carry on straight ahead onto the Chemin des Coureurs. At the end, turn left twice and follow Rue Pasteur. After about 150 m, turn right onto the narrow Rue de la Paix. Cross Place de la Gare and you’ll 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 
