Lachaussée Pond and its satellite ponds

Date of your route : Mar 31, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Very busy route : No

Hello,
This route is uninteresting unless you enjoy walking on tarmac for kilometres between points 3 and 6 and along a road for kilometres between points 9 and 11!
The only point of interest is between points 8 and 9, where you can see the Lachaussée ponds.
Please note that there are no signs between points 2 and 3. You will find yourself in private fields and have to cross barbed wire to reach the main path! This section needs to be reviewed to avoid this passage. I have the impression that the route does not correspond to the map.
To enjoy the ponds, it's best to park in the car park at point 10 at the observatory and walk to points 9 and 8 to view them.
Otherwise, this nature reserve is very beautiful to see without following this trail.
Or you could do it on a mountain bike, which is much less monotonous.
Best regards.

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Date of your route : Sep 17, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

After a picnic with a beautiful view of the pond next to the association's house, we set off on the trail, which had some lovely sections through the undergrowth and was mainly on wide paths.
The landscape is very pretty, but I was expecting to find more views of the pond.
The section at the end along the roadside was of little interest.

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Date of your route : Jan 16, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Very busy route : No

Far too many long straight stretches
Impossible to reach point 3 because of barbed wire. You have to go around Chaudotte pond to reach point 3

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Date of your route : Oct 18, 2021
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant hike where I met two wildlife photographers at a bird observatory.
i would like to take this opportunity to remind you of the hunting seasons in the Haudronvilles national forest, which are posted at PI 9: 23/10/2021==06/11/2021==06/12/2021==20/12/2021==15/01/2022==24/01/2022==19/02/2022==20/02/2022.

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Thank you, mn54710
I have added the information about the Domaine du Vieux Moulin.

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Date of your route : Sep 25, 2021
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Very busy route : No

The route is rather monotonous apart from a few viewpoints; it is very frustrating to see so little of the pond.
The author should specify in their description that at the end of the route, passage through the private estate is only possible during opening hours, so not at weekends.

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Date of your route : Apr 26, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very beautiful walk... we do it regularly

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Date of your route : Mar 07, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

a very pleasant 6 km route that takes 1½ hours to complete for 7 km. You walk through meadows, along the Chaudotte pond and through woods. The route is very well signposted, but the only downside is that you shouldn't do it during the thaw because the path from the starting point to the bird observatory and the junction with the 6 or 15 km route is muddy. It's even very slippery and may cause some people to abandon the route because the road is unpaved and dangerous to walk on. Fortunately, at the intersection, you walk through a meadow, which is dry and flat and leads to a pond where there is a picnic area where you can take a break.

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Date of your route : Mar 08, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Very busy route : No

The route advertises a "tour" of LACHAUSSEE pond, but during the three-hour walk, you only see the pond for half an hour at most. There is a lot of walking in the forest or along the roadside. There is only one really interesting spot. Fortunately, there are a few signposts. The first two kilometres are not on a gravel path, but on a dirt track that has been completely ruined by 4x4s, and at this time of year it was muddy.
PS: I knew about this pond because of its centre for disabled people... and I live 20 minutes away.
Perhaps I did not pay enough attention to your instructions.
Thank you, however, for your routes and for all the work that goes into them.
Best regards, a very occasional walker.

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Date of your route : Oct 26, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful place, ideal for birdwatchers. It's also perfect for those who enjoy contemplating peaceful landscapes... Good signage on the ground. Some parts of the hike may be less interesting, but overall it's a charming route. The observation hut was open, despite the current health restrictions. Everyone just needs to be disciplined and wait their turn to enter..

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Date of your route : Jul 24, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Shaved

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Date of your route : Jul 03, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Very busy route : No

Hello
The following should be added to the Starting Point Parking available in front of the church.
Points 3-4-5-6 are no longer relevant.
The Grandes Parois forest trench (points 3 to 6)
should be avoided (straight road with no interest)
The Grandes Parois pond no longer exists in its original state; it is now a meadow, making a visit completely pointless.
Please note that the gate to the Vieux Moulin estate (point 11) closes at 5 p.m
This route as it stands is no longer of any interest. We did not follow it in its entirety.
(We covered 17 km with our various sightings)
We recommend the routes suggested by the Lachaussée Regional Nature Reserve.
these are 15 km long. See page 4
There are also two other routes, 12 km and 6 km.
http://www.reserves-naturelles.org/sites...
Best regards

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Date of your route : May 31, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

A pleasant hike, especially up to point 5. After that, it becomes monotonous and long, as mentioned.
Between markers 2 and 3, the path is impassable, forcing you to take an additional (marked) circular detour, which is very interesting and allows you to pass by the Chaudotte pond.

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Date of your route : May 25, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Shaded route, unfortunately the ponds are rarely visible along the route

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Date of your route : May 17, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

First hike since Visiorando,
My opinion only concerns the section up to the midnight pond

i was quite disappointed, especially by the incorrect red route, poor visibility of the pond between 1 and 2, no table or even space to have a snack, and the fact that you are in a private property corridor up to 3.

Due to Covid, the hut for observing the pond is closed.

for the section between 2 and 3, there are several things to bear in mind:
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the red trail is incorrect, at one point there is barbed wire blocking the way, the path forces us to take a long detour at the Chaudotte pond,

the grass is quite tall, there are branches and trees on the ground, and it's very wild.
There is the sound of gunfire or explosions throughout the hike on the north side, and to reassure you, there is a sign with bullet holes.
There are some nice passages through the fields, but they are in a sort of corridor between two fences, 1 km long and 2 m wide, with an electric fence on the left and barbed wire on the right... not ideal with children.

However, once you leave the road to the north, in the forest or near the midnight pond, you can see the charm of the place. We preferred to cut short by continuing south of the midnight pond, where we took a path heading east, allowing us to see the 350-year-old oak tree and walk along the pond to return to the road.

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