Episy, its marsh and the Etang de la Genevraye

A circular route around the Étang de la Genevraye and a visit to the Marais d'Episy, which presents no difficulty.

Details

164762
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 5.61 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 1h 35 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 3 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 2 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 55 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 52 m
  • ⚐ Country: France
  • ⚐ District: Épisy (77250)
  • ⚑
    Start/End: N 48.333932° / E 2.780244°
  • ❏
    IGN map(s): Ref. 2417OT, 2417OTR
  • Hour-by-hour weather

Photos

Description of the walk

The car park is behind the Écluse d'Episy. Head towards La Genevraye, on the right.

(S) From the car park, turn left onto the Canal du Loing towpath, leaving the lock on your right. Walk for about 700 metres, look for a fence on the left, and follow it until you are about 50 metres from the end. When you reach the Vieille Écluse (old lock) on the opposite bank, go down a small staircase on the left, which continues along a path that turns right. This path ends in front of a gate.

(1) Take the path opposite the gate (west).

(2) Turn left between two ponds. Then turn onto the second path on the right. This path runs alongside a pond on the left, which we walk around completely.

(3) When you reach a tarmac path, turn right and then quickly left to go around another pond on the left and pass between two ponds. At the crossroads, turn right to reach the gate.

(1) Turn right and then immediately take the stairs on the left. Turn right onto the towpath to return to the car park where you started.

(S) Take the road on the right at an acute angle (D40 - fast traffic road, caution). Turn onto the first path on the left.

(4) Just after the football pitch, turn right. At the end, turn left to enter the Marais d'Episy site. Continue south along the path until you reach an observation platform.

(5) Retrace your steps. At the first crossroads, turn right to reach a second observation point.

(6) Continue along the path until you reach the D40 and turn right. You will arrive at the car park.

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 54 m - Car park behind the Écluse d'Episy - Canal du Loing
  2. 1 : km 0.5 - alt. 52 m - Portal - Loing (le)
  3. 2 : km 0.87 - alt. 52 m - Turn left between two ponds.
  4. 3 : km 1.79 - alt. 55 m - Tarmac path
  5. 4 : km 3.51 - alt. 53 m - On the right at the football pitch
  6. 5 : km 4.43 - alt. 53 m - First viewing platform - Marais d'Episy
  7. 6 : km 5.08 - alt. 54 m - Second observation platform
  8. S/E : km 5.61 - alt. 55 m - Car park behind the Épisy lock - Near the - Lunain (rivière) - Affluent du Loing

Notes

The Marais d'Episy is a Sensitive Natural Area: dogs must be kept on a leash.

Reviews and comments

3.9 / 5
Based on 12 reviews

Reliability of the description
3.8 / 5
Ease of following the route
3.8 / 5
Route interest
4.1 / 5
User 15604884

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 05, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

A pleasant family route best enjoyed in fine weather (close to water for much of the way and
very rutted and muddy paths).

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Petite randoneuse
Petite randoneuse

Overall rating : 2.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 14, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

I went to scout the area on the 13th for the group walk on the 14th. I wanted to do a circular route by turning left onto the towpath, but all I found was a dangerous steep slope leading to the path that goes around the fishing pond. I think there used to be steps to go down this steep slope, but now only the metal supports remain. Otherwise, the walk in the marshes is always pleasant.

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Flatronwow
Flatronwow
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 05, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

An easy walk. Very pleasant. A few fishing birds.

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Michelle77
Michelle77

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 09, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant route in spring, where you can see barnacle geese with their broods and fishermen.
The ditches are lined with yellow irises.

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AC4
AC4

Overall rating : 3 / 5

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

The start, between D and 1, has become almost invisible: on both the outward and return journeys (between the lock and the old lock via the towpath), we never found it. Either we were incompetent or it had disappeared under the vegetation... We'll try again if we have time!
The surroundings, however, are very pleasant.

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ChrisJP9577
ChrisJP9577

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 14, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Between (D) and (1), the small staircase on the left is difficult to find: it is located well before the Old Lock and the steps are barely visible because they are covered with grass and gravel. On the towpath, when you reach the houses on the other side of the canal, turn around. In this direction, you will see the green gate (1) on your right and you will find the "staircase" a little further on, with the small path leading off to the right.

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PhRAD
PhRAD

Overall rating : 4.5 / 5

Date of your route : May 17, 2021
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The hike actually consists of two separate circular loops.
The marsh's "observation sites" are not birdwatching sites but elevated locations from which to admire the landscape.

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Nico33110
Nico33110

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 20, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

I missed the staircase on the way up, like many others, I suppose. It's much easier to see on the way back!
Otherwise, it's a lovely walk, not too difficult and not too crowded.

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henri57
henri57 ★

Hello,

Thank you for your feedback.

For your information:

The maintenance of paths and signposting is not the responsibility of the author or Visorando. "Plot on map" does not refer to the quality of path maintenance, but rather the accuracy of the route as it appears on the map in relation to the actual terrain.

See you soon!

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SAINTLO50
SAINTLO50

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 14, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

The staircase between the starting point and point 1 is very difficult to spot (hidden by vegetation) and is not located opposite the old lock, which is a major source of confusion. Perhaps a marker should be placed at this access point.

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garrigle
garrigle

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 01, 2016
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A pleasant, easy walk.
Be careful at the start, as the beginning of the path is unclear. You need to leave the towpath very early on and take a small staircase hidden by grass to reach the gate indicated.
Best done during the week to avoid the weekend crowds.
The only downside was that last Friday, the path was littered with rubbish, as the bins had not been emptied by the council since the previous weekend, which was not great on the part of the council. That said, I also find it hard to understand why people continue to pile up their rubbish when the bins are full. Is it really that difficult to take it away with you and dispose of it elsewhere?
Otherwise, the route is very pleasant, running alongside ponds where you can see lots of birds.

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Monica92
Monica92

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 30, 2016
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Hello,

We did this hike at the end of the morning and don't regret it. We only did the first part because after the ponds we didn't feel like taking the main road.
We just had a problem understanding where the first circular started:
- it's difficult to find the old lock as there's nothing to mark it
- the fence is completely hidden by vegetation
- as is the staircase.
However, at the end of the first paragraph, I think it would be better to say "this path starts in front of a gate" rather than "this path ends in front of a gate" since we had just arrived.
A very pleasant walk.

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Rod_Guez
Rod_Guez

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 26, 2016
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A lovely walk, with no difficulty whatsoever. Interesting marshes and pretty ponds. It's a shame to have to go back via the car park (and the main road) to reach the second circular.

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