Montfort-sur-Risle Forest

This is a beautiful walk along little-used forest paths that are somewhat wild but very pleasant!
You really feel like you're in the middle of nature with a wide variety of vegetation and tree species, magnificent ferns, etc.
You'll be breathing hard as you pedal, because this route is quite challenging with some steep climbs and technical sections, but it's still accessible without too many problems...

Details

389805
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 15.29 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 55 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 190 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 196 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 138 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 49 m
  • ⚐ Country: France
  • ⚐ City: Brestot (27350)
  • ⚑
    Start/End: N 49.351984° / E 0.684693°
  • ❏
    IGN map(s): Ref. 1811OT, 1812SB, 1911OT, 1912SB
  • Hour-by-hour weather

Description of the walk

The starting point is at the car park of the town hall or the school, which is on the other side of the road.

(S/E) With your back to the town hall, follow the street to the right, then at the fork, take Rue A Dame Catherine and continue straight on to Les Godebouts, 2 km away.

(1) At the right-hand bend, take the wide path opposite that leads down towards the forest.

(2) At the T-junction, turn left even if it seems inaccessible. However, this is the right way to go, although the path is a little narrow and technical for 80 metres.

(3) Turn right onto a path that is still a little technical, then when you reach the bottom, turn left, then left again. Pass under the power lines, then turn right and follow the clearing to a place called Les Bruyères.

(4) When you reach the tarmac, turn left twice as if you were retracing your steps and continue for a good while on the Chemin du Val Dallet, which runs alongside the forest for 3.3 km. Ignore all the paths on either side.

(5) You will arrive at a rest area with a table for lunch, a sign indicating the routes and your geographical position, some information about respecting the area, etc. After your break, take the road on the right and continue for about 200 metres.

(6) Look carefully on your left because, just before a small road on the right and through the vegetation, there is a small, fairly shady path that is not very visible, which goes uphill: this is the one you need to take!

(7) When you reach the forest road, take the path immediately on the left, then, 350 metres further on, turn left again and you will come to another forest road.

(8) Cross over and take the path opposite on your right for about 450 metres.

(9) Turn left to join the Cinq Hêtres forest road.

(10) Turn left until you reach the next intersection.

(11) When you reach this crossroads, turn right and then right again a hundred metres further on, onto Chemin de Brestot. Continue to a crossroads.

(12) Turn left, ignore a road on the left and continue to a fork.

(13) Take the small path on your right and continue straight ahead until you reach the second T-junction.

(14) Turn left onto the path that goes uphill.

(15) When you reach the Chêne à la Vierge forest road, turn left until you reach the pumping station (small chalet): you can take a break at this pleasant spot, but there is nowhere to sit.

(16) Go up the path on the right, which climbs gently but steadily, to reach a tarmac road. When you reach the tarmac, turn left and then immediately right. Cross the D47 (take care) and continue straight ahead to return to your starting point, paying attention to the crossroads just before you arrive (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 136 m - Town hall car park
  2. 1 : km 1.53 - alt. 128 m - Path opposite in the bend
  3. 2 : km 1.84 - alt. 111 m - T-junction, left
  4. 3 : km 1.92 - alt. 109 m - Crossroads, on the right
  5. 4 : km 2.8 - alt. 120 m - Road junction
  6. 5 : km 6.05 - alt. 51 m - Rest area
  7. 6 : km 6.29 - alt. 49 m - Leave the road, take the path on the left.
  8. 7 : km 6.72 - alt. 99 m - Forest road, path on the left
  9. 8 : km 7.56 - alt. 94 m - Forest road, take the opposite direction
  10. 9 : km 8.01 - alt. 112 m - Intersection, on the left
  11. 10 : km 8.49 - alt. 74 m - Cinq Hêtres forest road, on the left
  12. 11 : km 8.84 - alt. 64 m - Intersection, on the right
  13. 12 : km 9.7 - alt. 111 m - At the junction, turn left.
  14. 13 : km 10.1 - alt. 113 m - Fork, path on the right
  15. 14 : km 11.13 - alt. 99 m - T-junction, left
  16. 15 : km 11.56 - alt. 76 m - Chêne à la Vierge forest road
  17. 16 : km 12.63 - alt. 69 m - Pumping station
  18. S/E : km 15.29 - alt. 136 m - Town hall car park

Notes

(5) There is a table where you can stop for lunch, which is a 1.5 to 1.75 hour walk from your starting point.
In autumn, chestnuts can be gathered in abundance, as well as mushrooms for those who know how, of course!
You will need good shoes as there are some fairly stony sections, ruts and, depending on the weather, a few wet and muddy spots.
Walking sticks can be useful for the climbs and technical sections.
Be careful during hunting season, but this is clearly indicated by mobile signs at the entrance to each area and access point, road, path, etc.
Trousers are compulsory because of the brambles in some areas, but also to protect yourself from ticks (undergrowth) or any other external hazards.
Do not rely on thePR® (yellow) orGR® (white and red) markings, as these are inconsistent in some places.
Follow the map and the GPS tracking, which is reliable throughout the route, and you will complete this route without any problems.
Frequent loss of network coverage (forest) does not affect GPS tracking!

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

4.5 / 5
Based on 9 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.7 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.3 / 5
Route interest
4.6 / 5
MARTDomi
MARTDomi

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 17, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Nice hike.
A GPS is essential and very useful because some paths are either completely overgrown or unmarked for the first 30 metres. You have to follow the GPS blindly and go deep into the forest until you find a path.

Machine-translated

Dionisi Yves
Dionisi Yves

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : May 14, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

We encountered neither humans nor animals.
We had some difficulty finding the path between points 1 and 3, but this is the third time we have done this hike and, although we had to search a little the first time, we remembered the route well afterwards.
The path to take at point 9 is not very visible: at first, it doesn't look like a path. But here's a tip: you have to turn between plots 9 and 10 (should this be added to the description?).
Otherwise, no particular comments. Despite the good weather today, there are many muddy or marshy sections. But a hiker must expect anything.

Machine-translated

noelja
noelja

Overall rating : 4 / 5

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

We started at point 5 and bypassed the section via BRESTOT to avoid riding on tarmac. So we returned to the map from point 16, staying in the forest as much as possible.
The section between 12 and 16 is the prettiest, in our opinion... as is the section between 10 and 12.
The path from point 9 is not easy to find... we had to be very careful. The path between 9 and 10 seems to be no longer used: it is overgrown with vegetation, and several trees/branches are lying across it (deliberately?).
We saw a mother wild boar and her young between 7 and 8 (a bit of a scare as they were quite close) and a deer between 6 and 7.
Watch out for ticks, which are everywhere... even though we are very aware of the problem and checked ourselves after each section overgrown with ferns (e.g. point 6), we still brought two home with us...
In terms of flora, blueberries :-), fireweed (the same as in the mountains)
Thanks to the author of this hike... the Montfort forest is our favourite.

Machine-translated

traquerandocool
traquerandocool

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 01, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Hello.
Hike under cloudy skies but without rain, with mild temperatures (12°C).
The night's rain had drained away between points 2 and 3 (80 m) and part of the path between points 4 and 3 (800 m).
A great playground for three big boys with their bananas. Lots of fun, which is what matters most.
We spotted two wild boars on the climb between points 7 and 8. Then we chatted with some friendly hunters who told us where they were. After that, we changed our route from point 8 onwards to follow the edge of the forest on the Brestot side.
(I admit my mistake in not checking the hunting days on the Internet).
To be redone in the spring. Beautiful hilly forest.
Thank you

Machine-translated

christine.lambour
christine.lambour

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 19, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Thank you to the hiker who created this route, the explanations are particularly clear!
It's a very beautiful hike in the forest or on the edge of the woods, I really enjoyed it.

Machine-translated

maryv27MP
maryv27MP

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 25, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Superb hike, which I completed with the PERFECT directions!!!
A VERY pleasant and varied route (dense and sparse forest).
ALL the points are impeccably marked AND clearly explained.
Not being a pro at reading maps, I recognised this route so I can follow it without any problems with friends next October.
A BIG THANK YOU to the creator of this beautiful hike.

Machine-translated

Yaminouille
Yaminouille

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 08, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A beautiful hike, but I'll do it in September because even though I left at 10 a.m., I got hot. A little less tarmac would have been nicer. Be careful, there's a tree across the path between points 6 and 7, if I remember correctly.

Machine-translated

landchpel
landchpel

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 23, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Hello, I started from rest area No. 5. A slight variation: I don't go through Brestot, but go around it via the path to the south, to the left of the calvary, then opposite. A small pond and a rest area with a table await us.

Machine-translated

Francoisduparc
Francoisduparc

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

This is a beautiful hike that I recommend. Variety of paths and landscapes. No major difficulties. In total, about 1 km of stony path but not dangerous. I can confirm that it can be done in wet weather.
PLEASE NOTE!!! The total elevation gain recorded on Garmin GPS is 308 m, not 158 m as indicated on the summary sheet, which does not detract from the very good description of the route. (Having forgotten to transfer the track to my GPS, for once in several years, I had to use the map and description that I carry as a backup, which worked fine).

Machine-translated

Other walks in the area

For more walks, use our search engine .

The GPS track and description are the property of this route's author. Please do not copy them without permission.