From Le Cadran to Pourcy via the remarkable trees trail

This is a hike for lovers of beautiful trees. From the Maison Forestière du Cadran to Pourcy, you can admire several remarkable trees, whose history is recounted on information panels. You can visit the Maison du Parc and return via a quiet road through the pretty village of Courtagnon.

Details

2974060
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 17.81 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 5h 35 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 168 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 168 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 270 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 155 m
  • ⚐ Country: France
  • ⚐ City: Sermiers (51500)
  • ⚑
    Start/End: N 49.127994° / E 3.990545°
  • ❏
    IGN map(s): Ref. 2712E, 2713E, 2812O
  • Hour-by-hour weather

Photos

Description of the walk

Departure from the Cadran car park, which has plenty of space for cars.

(S/E) Cross the road (take care) and take the forest path that runs alongside the forest house.

(1) At the crossroads, turn right onto the Route Forestière de la Fontaine à l'Aulne.

(2) Pass in front of the Cormier de Montrieul (remarkable tree).

(3) Turn left onto the path to see the Gros Cormier (remarkable tree). Then return to the forest road and continue in the same direction.

(4) Continue left at the crossroads and follow the Route Forestière de la Noëlle.

(5) When you reach the car park, take the path behind the information board.

(6) At the remarkable tree, Chêne des Trois Frères, take the path on the right.

(7) At the crossroads, continue straight ahead. Please note that this area can be muddy in wet weather. The path turns right towards the D22.

(8) Cross the road, walk 20 metres to the right, cross the car park and continue straight ahead on the forest road. After 700 metres, you will come to a fork in the path with trails leading off to the right and left.

(9) Take the path on the left into the woods. The start of the path has been badly damaged by foresters.

(10) Enter Pourcy. At the square, turn left, then right and left again until you reach the Maison du Parc.

(11) After enjoying the site (you can visit or have a picnic), turn around and head back to the entrance to Pourcy.

(10) Continue right on the small tarmac road D22E1.

(12) At the crossroads, continue straight ahead to the village of Courtagnon and cross it.

(13) Cross the Ardre river.

(14) At the car park (information board), take the path on the left.

Pass in front of the Chêne à Cavités (a remarkable tree), then continue straight on to the Maison Forestière du Cadran. Cross the road with caution (avoid rush hour) and return to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 270 m - Cadran car park - Parking du Cadran
  2. 1 : km 1.1 - alt. 223 m - Forest road on the right
  3. 2 : km 1.8 - alt. 237 m - Remarkable tree: the Montrieul service tree
  4. 3 : km 3.19 - alt. 259 m - Towards the large cormier tree
  5. 4 : km 3.74 - alt. 267 m - Route de la Noëlle, on the left
  6. 5 : km 5.43 - alt. 260 m - La Noëlle car park
  7. 6 : km 6.04 - alt. 263 m - Turn right at the Trois Frères tree. - Arbre remarquable "Les trois frères"
  8. 7 : km 6.8 - alt. 261 m - Crossroads, opposite
  9. 8 : km 7.43 - alt. 250 m - Cross the road and go to the car park.
  10. 9 : km 8.5 - alt. 253 m - Path in the woods on the left
  11. 10 : km 10.05 - alt. 178 m - Village of Pourcy
  12. 11 : km 10.6 - alt. 155 m - Maison du parc naturel de la Montagne de Reims
  13. 12 : km 11.91 - alt. 182 m - Crossroads, opposite
  14. 13 : km 13.94 - alt. 180 m - Ardre (rivière)
  15. 14 : km 14.05 - alt. 177 m - Parking de Courtagnon
  16. 15 : km 16.23 - alt. 219 m - Arbre remarquable le chêne à cavités
  17. S/E : km 17.81 - alt. 270 m - Cadran car park - Parking du Cadran

Notes

This hike can also start in Pourcy, Courtagnon or at the Noëlle car park.
Picnics are possible at the Park House or at the two car parks (tables available).

Worth a visit

(3) The Montrieul service tree:
The tree's aerial port and the rarity of its species make it a remarkable tree in this national forest.

(7) Les Trois Frères:
Generous in form, size and the forestry history it reveals, this triple oak is a worthy representative of its forest.

(11) Visits to the Park House are possible (depending on opening hours). Toilets, outdoor and sheltered picnic tables.

The Oak with Cavities:
This oak tree has impressive branches and plays a vital ecological role in its environment.

Information taken from the ONF leaflet: The trail of remarkable trees in the Chêne à la Vierge national forest.

Reviews and comments

4.8 / 5
Based on 5 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.8 / 5
Ease of following the route
5 / 5
Route interest
4.6 / 5
virgule
virgule

These remarkable trees are a bit like the rose in The Little Prince.

I understand your comment about the small road; I wouldn't have liked to walk there today because the sun was so intense.

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NICA
NICA

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 15, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike through the woods, where the few remarkable trees are notable mainly for their rarity in the region. An excellent spot for a picnic around the forest house, sheltered from the sun.
The return journey is a little too long for my liking, especially in hot weather 🥵. We finally end up in the forest to reach the car park where we started, which has tables and benches in the shade.

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scorto
scorto

Hello,
Honestly, having done some of your hikes, we can only say that we never meet anyone. Personally, we prefer to hike and explore our local area rather than travelling far away and contributing to mass tourism. Yesterday, during this hike, we were saying to each other that so many people travel far away when there is so much to enjoy close to home, and we are far from having seen everything.

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virgule
virgule

A small comment unrelated to the location: when I see four comments in three years, as I do here, I tell myself that I have achieved my goal of promoting a beautiful place without opening it up to 'mass hiking'.

When I see four pages of comments on one of my routes, I tell myself that I should never have suggested it. Unlike associations that mark trails left, right and centre, I believe that the future of hiking does not lie in sending all city dwellers out into the countryside. The recent craze for hiking is certainly a good thing for Visorando, but not for nature, the tranquillity of the area, or the cleanliness of the trails.

The charm of Champagne is that it's peaceful.

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virgule
virgule

Hello,

It's a good idea to start in Pourcy. The Maison du Parc is a very nice place with a lovely picnic area, toilets, water and a warm welcome. You can even pick a few apples in their experimental orchard. I start at Le Cadran, as it's less driving for me. So we have our picnic at the Maison du Parc.

As mentioned in the comments, this is a route for tree lovers.

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scorto
scorto

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 19, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hello, we started a very beautiful hike from the park house in Pourcy.
There were some beautiful stretches through the forest, and the route was very easy and accessible.

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virgule
virgule

Thank you for this kind review.

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didierjp
didierjp

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 02, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Thank you, Virgule, for this lovely walk, perfect for those who love forests and beautiful trees.
Picnic in a lovely setting at the Pourcy park house.

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virgule
virgule
• Edited:

Hello,

today, we can cross without getting our feet wet.

I admit that the road section isn't pleasant, but there's no alternative.

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virgule
virgule

Thanks for the information about the tree, I will move the POI.

The small road is indeed a district road, but as it leads to a dead end (from the crossroads), only about one car passes by per hour.

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leontiine
leontiine

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 31, 2020
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Made from Pourcy. Very beautiful trees.

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virgule
virgule
• Edited:

Hello,

the woods are a bit muddy at the moment, but this route includes quite a few gravel paths.

Thank you, kind moderator, for this super-fast publication.

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