Between the forests of Montmorency and L'Isle-Adam

Route north of the Montmorency forest, crossing the unspoilt valleys of Montubois and Chauvry. Views of the Oise Valley. Church and half-timbered houses in Villiers-Adam, calvary, hoof wash and fountain in Béthemont-la-Forêt.

Details

9686568
Creation:
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Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 11.51 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 45 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 155 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 163 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 191 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 98 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Start and finish at the Parking du Milieu car park, on the D192P, at the intersection with the Route Forestière du Milieu.

(S/E) Head west along the Route Forestière du Milieu at the end of the car park.

(1) Atthe first crossroads, after about 250 m, go straight ahead and follow the GRP® Ceinture Verte d'Île-de-France (yellow and red markings). Continue straight ahead with theGRP® on the Route du Milieu, which then becomes the Route du Poteau de Paradis. The path descends along a wall and leads to a tarmac road.

(2) Follow the road to the right and immediately take thefirst path on the left, at an acute angle. Walk alongside the Haras de Saint-Jacques stud farm and then enter the woods (still following theGRP®).

(3) At the intersection (information sign), turn right and leave theGRP® for a sunken path marked in yellow. Descend, leave the forest and continue straight ahead (north-east). Cross a stream and climb up the other side.

(4) When the main path turns left, continue straight ahead (no markings) along a path that climbs into the woods (you are still on the Sentier des Lisières). Come out onto a wide path and follow it to the right for about a hundred metres. Turn left at the first intersection. Walk alongside a wood and then some orchards.

(5) Cross the D44 and descend into Villiers-Adam. Follow Rue Dhamelincourt, which passes in front of the church. Turn right onto Rue Carnot, then left onto the D1.

(6) When the D1 turns left, take a shaded path on the right. At the T-junction, go left (yellow markings). At the next T-junction, turn right. Go straight ahead and ignore two paths on the left. Come out onto a small road and turn right/left to follow the marked path to the south-east. Cross a stream and go uphill.

(7) At the crossroads (fence on the right), turn right and follow the path to the Croix Notre-Dame (calvary).

(8) Follow the D44 to the right and, at the fork shortly afterwards, turn left to climb up to Béthemont-la-Forêt. Pass in front of a fountain and the hoof scrubber.

(9) At a crossroads (car park), turn left. Shortly afterwards, climb up to the right via a rough staircase towards the forest. You will come out onto a tarmac road; follow it to the right, continuing uphill. The tarmac gives way to a dirt track.

(10) At the next intersection, continue straight ahead. The path climbs and eventually joins the Route du Faîte. Follow this to the left until you reach the Carrefour des Six Chiens.

(11) Follow the GR®1 (red and white markings) to the right. Descend and pass under a high-voltage power line. Turn right, reach the bottom of the valley and climb up opposite to a sandy area.

(12) Cross this area and leave the GR® to continue on a path parallel to the road until you reach the starting car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 190 m - Paking du Milieu
  2. 1 : km 0.27 - alt. 188 m - Crossroads
  3. 2 : km 2.14 - alt. 162 m - Tarmac road
  4. 3 : km 2.99 - alt. 163 m - Information panel on the Sentier des Lisières trail
  5. 4 : km 4.15 - alt. 113 m - Sharp angle of the path
  6. 5 : km 5.22 - alt. 145 m - Crossing the D44
  7. 6 : km 6.01 - alt. 123 m - Bend in the road
  8. 7 : km 7.74 - alt. 109 m - Intersection in the middle of a field
  9. 8 : km 8.11 - alt. 118 m - Calvary of the Cross of Our Lady
  10. 9 : km 8.87 - alt. 147 m - Car park
  11. 10 : km 9.18 - alt. 176 m - End of the sunken lane
  12. 11 : km 10.38 - alt. 188 m - Carrefour des Six Chiens
  13. 12 : km 11.08 - alt. 166 m - Zone des Sapins Brûlés (Burnt Fir Trees Area)
  14. S/E : km 11.51 - alt. 190 m - Milieu car park

Worth a visit

In Béthemont, fountain with lion's head and hoof wash (basin in which animals were washed before crossing the village).

Gothic and Renaissance church in Villiers-Adam.

 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.

Reviews and comments

4.6 / 5
Based on 16 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.6 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.8 / 5
Route interest
4.4 / 5
Melodine
Melodine

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 13, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant hike along forest roads, forest trails and open areas. Chestnuts are abundant at this time of year, which is an added bonus.
The description is sometimes very good, sometimes vague. It is best to check with GPS.

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ealet
ealet

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 15, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : Yes

An easy hike, passing through two pretty villages and mostly through forest
but very busy on this Sunday morning (lots of mountain bikes)
Thanks to the author for sharing this.

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gpoth92
gpoth92

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 10, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

a varied route through fields, forests and villages. Very pleasant.

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SuperMario
SuperMario

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 07, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

1 to 3 easy and flat
After 4, expect mud if it has rained, and there is a slight climb. Beautiful view of the fields
We cut between 4 and 9
10 beautiful trees to see
12 burnt fir trees and sand

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Thierry MOUGEOT
Thierry MOUGEOT

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 10, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Hello, I have no complaints about the website or the quality of the routes defined by subscribers. I hope to remain with you for as long as possible.
Kind regards, Thierry.

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etienne92.d
etienne92.d

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 21, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful circular through forests and countryside – it was really enjoyable!

thank you for this route!

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Odisson
Odisson

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 12, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very varied walk through forests, fields and villages. Slippery section at point 4. The section between points 6 and 8, which has no shade, is a bit long in hot weather.

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etienne92.d
etienne92.d

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 21, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Thank you for this beautiful route through forests and fields. There were quite a few people at the car park at the start, but we soon found ourselves alone. The weather on Sunday 21 April 2024 was mixed and it was cold.

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heralys
heralys

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 21, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike, done early in the morning in February. So there was no one around, and the trees were bare. The route is varied and pleasant.
A few difficulties (forgot my compass) at point 6. I would have written it like this
When the D1...a shaded path
: i.e. the one that runs perpendicular to the D1, downhill (no markings). Further down, ignore the path coming from the left and continue to a T-junction, where you turn right.
At the next T-junction, turn right...

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Niniiie
Niniiie

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 24, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk! Mostly through the forest under the trees, it was very pleasant.
It was easy to follow the route, and when in doubt, we followed the hiking trail along the edge of the forest, which was quite close to the hike.

A peaceful and pleasant walk with a bit of elevation gain nonetheless. I recommend it

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Eppilihp
Eppilihp

A pleasant hike alternating between open landscapes of cereal crops and forest trails, with detailed descriptions, making for a beautiful route to discover part of the Val d'Oise.

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pnj95
pnj95

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 25, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Difficulties following the Faîtes trail after Béthemont and then between the high-voltage power line and Sapin Brûlé

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Tité92
Tité92
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 28, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely hike that feels like a real change of scenery when you live near La Défense. A beautiful variety of landscapes and types of paths. The signposting is perfect.
However, it's worth noting that the route is very busy on Sunday mornings at the start, but it calms down after the stud farm. Crossing the fields after Villiers Adam in the tall grass isn't the most enjoyable part of the walk in the sun...

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Yeto
Yeto

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 23, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Very pleasant hike, mainly in the forest

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Patolihen
Patolihen

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 10, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A fairly varied route alternating between pretty forest paths, small villages and very pleasant, quiet dirt tracks.
Completed on 10 February 2023, sunny at the start with temperatures below 10°C.
Superb hike, thanks to the writer

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