In the Meuse Argonne, starting from Neuvilly-en-Argonne

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You will discover the Étang des Bercettes, classified as a sensitive natural area, and walk along the Argonais massif.
TheGR®14climbs to reach the Haute Chevauchée. During this hike, you will explore part of the nature trail where you will find all manner of trees, including black walnut and silver fir.

Details

n°3738633
Creation:
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 10.93 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 25 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 100 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 105 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 266 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 171 m
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Photos

The Argonne Forest
Birdwatching hide
Étang des Bercettes

Description of the walk

Park in the car park of the church in Neuvilly-en-Argonne.

(S/E) Head west along Rue André Maginot, which is also the D998. Continue along this road until you reach the junction with a side street. Turn right here and head towards a Y-junction marked by a cross and signposts.

(1) Take the left-hand street towards the Étang des Bercettes. At the next junction, keep right, cross a stream and then reach the Étang des Bercettes.

(2) Turn left to walk alongside the pond, then veer right to reach the junction with theGR®14.

(3) Turn right onto it and you will soon reach the junction with the discovery trail.

(4) Turn left and follow this path in a circular manner. When you reach theGR®, turn left onto it. Cross a road, continue left on theGR® to reach a hunting lodge at the edge of the woods, which is actually an old railway carriage.

(5) Enter the woods. From here, ignore all the paths branching off to the right and left; stay on theGR® and follow its red and white markings. After several bends, you will reach the junction with the Chemin de Bataille.

(6) Leave theGR® here, take the road to the right, exit the woods and continue along the road to reach the Pont de la Fontaine Ogier junction.

(7) Take the road on the right and return to the initial junction you passed on the way there.

(1) Follow the same route as on the way there to return to the car park at the church in Neuvilly-en-Argonne (S/E)..

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 183 m - Car park at the church in Neuvilly-en-Argonne
  2. 1 : km 0.51 - alt. 172 m - Crossroads of the circular loop - Aire (rivière)
  3. 2 : km 1.96 - alt. 181 m - Étang des Bercettes
  4. 3 : km 2.69 - alt. 184 m - GR junction
  5. 4 : km 3.07 - alt. 187 m - Nature trail
  6. 5 : km 4.16 - alt. 194 m - Hunting lodge
  7. 6 : km 7.08 - alt. 209 m - Crossroads of the Chemin de Bataille
  8. 7 : km 9.8 - alt. 173 m - Pont de la Fontaine Ogier
  9. S/E : km 10.93 - alt. 183 m - Car park at the church in Neuvilly-en-Argonne

Worth a visit

(2) Étang des Bercettes: designated a Sensitive Natural Area. The Centre Argonne CODECOM, which is responsible for tourism, has enhanced this site through:
- extensive development work aimed at environmental improvement, such as deepening ponds, various planting schemes, and disconnecting the Bas Bois stream from the lake, - the creation of a new watercourse over 600 m,
- the installation of boardwalks over a distance of 240 m, thereby providing access for people with reduced mobility,
- and also the installation of an observatory, information boards and, finally, a 2 km nature trail.
Discovery trail: the discovery trail takes you on a journey to explore the riches of the surrounding flora and fauna. This unspoilt environment is home to a wealth of biodiversity, and it is not uncommon to spot dragonflies, frogs, black storks or even red-backed shrikes around the pond.

(S/E) The Church of Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul, restored after the First World War, stands on the foundations of the former building.

Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

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Reviews and comments

4.2 / 5
Based on 6 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.6 / 5
Ease of following the route
3.7 / 5
Route interest
4.3 / 5
Cazeu
Cazeu
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 13, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant walk through the woodland, with GR 14 signposts that have been recently repainted and are very clear.

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W1l0u
W1l0u

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 06, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk; it’s a bit damp near the pond but manageable with good waterproof walking boots.
Note that the route is not very well signposted on the circular section of the discovery route described in point (4).
The rest of the route along the GR14 is a real pleasure, set amidst unspoilt countryside!

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Randonneur lorrain
Randonneur lorrain

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 27, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant walk when you're in the forest, but not great outside it.
After the birdwatching hut at the Étang des Bercettes, the nature trail isn’t very well cleared.
You can shorten the walk by parking near the basketball court (just after crossing the bridge over the Aire); there’s no need to park in front of the church.

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pat 55
pat 55

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 11, 2028
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely, varied walk; however, we had trouble finding our way in the forest– we couldn’t find the GR markings anymore (or they were very hard to see...) and we managed to carry on thanks to our sense of direction...

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nolive73
nolive73

Overall rating : 4.5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 01, 2021
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk, combining country lanes and woodland paths.
There aren’t too many places to stop for a picnic, apart from the Etang des Bercettes which has tables, so bear this in mind when planning your timing.
I parked at the football ground at number 1; there’s space on the hard shoulder, which seems more suitable than in Neuville-en-Argonne, and saves a 20-minute walk.
Thanks to jerry55 for sharing

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NathaliePlumail
NathaliePlumail

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 09, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk along the nature trail around the pond and through the forest.
Takes about 2½ hours.
Could this be combined with a visit to the Haute Chevauchée site?

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