A grand tour of the Fontainebleau Forest

The Fontainebleau Forest is one of the most beautiful forests in France thanks to its varied landscapes and, above all, its sandstone blocks. This hike, which passes through the Cuvier-Châtillon rocks, the Apremont gorges and the rocks of Mont Ussy, will allow you to appreciate all its beauty but also its fragility, due to both natural erosion and that caused by heavy human traffic, given its proximity to the Paris region.

Details

45759
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 18.87 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 5h 50 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Difficult

  • ⚐
    Back to start: No
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 166 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 164 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 142 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 78 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Departure from Bois le Roi station.
(S) Cross the station square and Avenue Gallieni to take theGR®1divert. Then go up Avenue de la Forêt to rejoin the GR®. 40 metres after the junction of Avenue Gallieni and Rue Pasteur, theGR® branches off to the right between houses.
Gradually, the houses become fewer and give way to forest. You will reach the forest after crossing the D138 departmental road, which has very little traffic. On the other side, follow the path called "Route du Lancer". It crosses another minor road, the Route Ronde, then merges with a small tarmac road for about 100 metres, which leads to the Rochers Canon car park. Leave it at the first bend and continue straight ahead, still on the "Route du Lancer" until you reach the junction with the "Route des Monts de Fays".

(1) Turn left to follow the "Route des Monts de Fays", which crosses the end of the Rochers Canon. Continue straight ahead at the first crossroads to stay on the "Route des Monts de Fays". Further on, you will reach a steep climb with a 40-metre elevation gain. Once you have climbed this, the path becomes flat again.
Arrival at the crossroads of the Monseigneur office

(2), continue onthe GR®1, which joins the winding road of the Cuvier Châtillon rock before leaving it 200 metres further on. TheGR® descends a little before reaching a crossroads, turn right and climb up a white sand path. Leave theGR® here and continue straight ahead on the "Route du Cuvier Châtillon". Descend into a pretty valley to reach a large rock formation called "La Merveille" 300 m further on. Here, cross the blue-marked trail no. 5.

(3) Follow trail no. 5 on the right. After passing the Sampitié shelter (letter V) on your right, you will see a Virgin Mary painted in 1890 by an abbot. A little further on is the cave of Sister Anne (letter T on the rock). Shortly afterwards, a path winds its way to the right between huge sandstone blocks where you will often see rock climbers in action. Do not take this path as it leads nowhere. Cross the winding tunnel of the Cuvier Châtillon (letter S). Further on, you will see a rock balanced on top of another, nicknamed "l'Aérolithe" (the meteorite). The trail continues to wind its way through beautiful sandstone blocks to the Epine crossroads, which serves as a car park for rock climbers. This is a very popular spot. You will rejoin theGR®1.

(4) Cross the RN7 using the underpass. Leave theGR®1again and take the "Route de la Solitude". After crossing the "Route de Barbizon", you will enter one of the prettiest valleys in the forest. It rises slowly up the slopes of the "Envers d'Apremont". When you reach the plateau, you will come across the blue-marked trail no. 6.

(5) Take trail no. 6 on the left. Follow the plateau. Cross the Mastodontes d'Apremont gorge (letter U) before you see the Mare aux Biches on your right. A little further on, there is a short, challenging descent through a beautiful rock formation called the "Roches de Rude" (letter S). At the foot of this chaos, you will reach a junction (with directional signs). Take the path on the left that continues downhill (Val des Mohicans). Continue through a rather strange and rugged landscape (lots of birch trees) called the Désert d'Apremont. Note a large isolated rock at the junction with the Route des Gorges d'Apremont, nicknamed the "Cerbère du Désert" (letter N).

(6) Take the "Route de Clair Milan" opposite, then the Route du Rapin.
As you approach the Route Ronde (D301), the path becomes less pleasant as it runs alongside the busy D607 (formerly the RN7). Cross the Route Ronde and continue straight ahead. The route eventually joins the main road at the Tillaie crossroads.

(7) Be patient and, above all, take care before crossing the N7. Take the small paved road opposite - the Route des Hauteurs de la Solle - which is now closed to cars. Follow it to the Gros Hêtre crossroads.

(8) Leave the tarmac and continue along the "Route de la Reine". Reach the junction with the "Route du Nid d'Aigle". Turn right to join trail no. 1 with blue markings.

(9) Take it on the left. This trail runs along the "ramparts" of Mont Ussy. In fact, it follows the heights of Mont Ussy along a ledge and, as it winds its way along, you will pass some very pretty rocks. Further on, after crossing the chaos of Shakespeare (letter L), you will see the Cid rock on your left, on which a Virgin and Child has been painted (letter M). Cross the road to discover the Grotte de la Maléna on your left. Continue until you reach a fork.

(10) Turn left, as you must not descend to the foot of Mont Ussy but stay close to its summit. Continue to the crossroads and the Augas cross refreshment bar, which is located after crossing the A6 road via the road bridge.

(11) Continue along the path towards the Calvary Cross, turning right (follow the signpost).
At the cross, there is a lovely view of part of Avon and Fontainebleau.

(12) Continue along the path that follows the "Reine Amélie" road for a short distance. Pass behind a series of rocks. After passing a large rock on which the Némorosa medallion has been fixed, the path begins to descend towards Fontainebleau-Avon station (E).

Waypoints

  1. S : km 0 - alt. 78 m - Gare de Bois-le-Roi
  2. 1 : km 2.92 - alt. 81 m - Route des Monts du Fays
  3. 2 : km 4.31 - alt. 136 m - Carrefour cabinet Monseigneur
  4. 3 : km 5.58 - alt. 102 m - Crossroads with trail no. 5
  5. 4 : km 7.15 - alt. 85 m - Carrefour de l'Epine
  6. 5 : km 8.85 - alt. 121 m - Crossroads with trail no. 6
  7. 6 : km 9.83 - alt. 93 m - Carrefour du Désert
  8. 7 : km 11.1 - alt. 137 m - Carrefour de la Tillaie
  9. 8 : km 12.11 - alt. 136 m - Carrefour du Gros Hêtre
  10. 9 : km 13.62 - alt. 137 m - Crossroads trail no. 1
  11. 10 : km 15.31 - alt. 127 m - Fork in the road
  12. 11 : km 16.28 - alt. 140 m - Croix d'Augas
  13. 12 : km 17.47 - alt. 140 m - Carrefour du Calvaire
  14. E : km 18.87 - alt. 78 m - Gare de Fontainebleau-Avon

Notes

Transport:
Starting point = Bois le Roi SNCF train station
Finishing point = Fontainebleau - Avon SNCF train station
Both stations are served daily by trains on the R line (Paris Gare de Lyon network):
See
There is also a free app called "SNCF Transilien" for smartphones, which provides real-time train schedules and information on major incidents affecting traffic.
Refreshments: Please note that there is a market on the square in Bois le Roi every Thursday and Sunday morning. There is also a small grocery store open every day from 9:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. where you can find all kinds of food, including bread. If it is closed, you can always ask at the neighbouring restaurant, as the owner also owns the grocery store. To find this grocery store, turn left onto Avenue Gallieni, pass the post office and continue to Avenue de la Forêt, where it is located just on the right.
Tip: bring the IGN hiking map "Forêts de Fontainebleau et des Trois Pignons" (Fontainebleau and Trois Pignons forests) at a scale of 1:25,000. There is also a "guide to walking trails in the Fontainebleau forest" which lists all the blue-marked trails with descriptions.

Worth a visit

Between (3 and 4) you will enjoy a beautiful walk through the Bas Cuvier, where many rock climbers can be found due to the height of some of the sandstone blocks.

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

4.4 / 5
Based on 33 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.4 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.1 / 5
Route interest
4.8 / 5
User 26482088

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 15, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very nice hike. We got lost at one point, but that was mainly because the GPS gave us the wrong location on the map, and then we lost signal. We eventually found our way back. There were very few people on the trail, so it was quite pleasant.

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Bruce K
Bruce K

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 07, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very nice route, without any difficulty.
I was able to complete it in 4½ hours without stopping.
The train was very crowded, but the hike itself was not very busy. There are inevitably more people around the boulders with the climbers.
I got lost at the end of the Path of Solitude between 4 and 5.
Crossing the D607 was really the only downside to this hike. It's better to go around the Grand Veneur roundabout and avoid the end of the Rapin at point 7, which was muddy from the D301 onwards
Walking sticks are not necessary.
Basically, when it's not straight ahead, follow the blue arrows.
The section between 9 and 12 was very beautiful.

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vaxyl
vaxyl

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 11, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely course, alternating between rocky sections and paths of varying widths, relatively well shaded.
I didn't come across many people (perhaps due to the heatwave?)

However, despite the maps, the description was often imprecise or confusing, with the following difficulties in particular:
- Between 2 and 3: the only white sand path I came across was in the wrong direction (follow the GR to the right, where you need to continue straight ahead)
- Between 4 and 5: the path up to the plateau is not clearly visible on the ground (there are quite a few alternative climbs in the middle of the vegetation). I imagine that you were supposed to climb between the large rocks, but the description didn't really encourage me to follow this route. I finally found trail 6 when I heard a family walking along it.
- Between 10 and 11, the path to continue is before and not after the Auberge de la Croix d'Augas (both have a signpost). Distinguishing them in the description would probably have saved me a moment of confusion
- Perhaps it was due to fatigue, but I never found the Calvary Cross (I ended up at Notre-Dame de Bon Secours instead), despite the map, signs and markings (which were difficult to follow when I came out onto trail 2 at that point: one of the markers indicated three options for continuing on trail 2...). A few directions would undoubtedly have helped.

Thank you nevertheless for the few pointers on the remarkable features in the rocks.

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Alberto_Caminatas
Alberto_Caminatas

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 08, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

As recommended by the authors, I followed this hike with the map of the Forest of Fontainebleau, so I had no trouble finding my way. The directions are clear and reliable. It's true that in the rocky sections, you sometimes have to take your time to find the next blue marker. I highly recommend bringing walking sticks. As other hikers have mentioned, the most challenging part is crossing the N7, but this is not the authors' fault. This is a very varied route that allows you to explore the countless possibilities of this beautiful, large forest. I started when I arrived at the Bois-le-Roi station around 10 a.m., and that was enough time to catch a train back to Paris in the late afternoon, even with a short detour to the wild boar pond, where a pair of ducks were swimming.

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Olga Szymczyk
Olga Szymczyk

Overall rating : 2.3 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 26, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

It is very difficult to find your way with the description; there are no specific markers on the route description. We got lost several times, not because the terrain was unpleasant, but because it misled us about our walking time, our final destination, etc. The markers to follow should be specified. On the way, we found three: one white and red, one green and white, and one blue..

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50gilles
50gilles

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 11, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Thank you
Very nice route and excellent timing

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michelx
michelx

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 31, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very beautiful hike in the forest

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Pratzoun
Pratzoun

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 11, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

I was practically alone on this beautiful Thursday in June, even the rock climbing spots were almost deserted. A beautiful route, quite a long hike, especially if you add a detour to the Mare aux Evées, as I did . The blue markings are not easy to follow in sector 3. The Apremont and Mont Ussy sectors are magnificent, with a few long stretches at the end (Route de la Reine), but it's well worth stopping for a beer in front of Avon station!

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flore_mye
flore_mye

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 10, 2020
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Very beautiful hike. The blue trails are very pleasant.

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Zabeth2020
Zabeth2020

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 12, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

You may get temporarily lost in the maze of blue-marked trails, but you will always find your way back in the forest of Fontainebleau. A beautiful, well-marked trail, best enjoyed during the week. Walking sticks are recommended to avoid slipping.

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Trinh Hung
Trinh Hung

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 06, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Beautiful hike, the Calvary Cross is magnificent.

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Najwa N.
Najwa N.

Overall rating : 4.5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 01, 2020
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A beautiful hike that allows you to see several parts of Fontainebleau. You follow the winding blue trails several times, although some sections of the route can be covered more easily and quickly in a straight line. But the blue trails allow you to see some very beautiful rocks! These are certainly special trails for climbing. Due to the lifting of lockdown restrictions and the closure of public places, there were a lot of people, especially at the climbing spots and where there are car parks. But despite the exceptional crowds, this route, which connects several places, allows you to get away from it all and be alone (or almost alone) with nature on the sections that connect the different spots. I found the hike to be fairly average and not difficult, but that's just my opinion

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hadrulon
hadrulon

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 20, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Thank you very much for this itinerary!

As mentioned previously, the N7 is really complicated to cross, so I preferred to lose some time and take the roundabout on the left.

Points 8 and 9 (Route de la Reine) are frankly uninteresting and come at the wrong time for morale, let's face it!

Otherwise, it's great, thank you!

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saphyr
saphyr

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 19, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

It's a very good hike, but be warned, it's long

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BriceD
BriceD

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 19, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A magnificent hike through incredible natural surroundings. Thank you again, we had a wonderful day.

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