La Mare aux Évées and Rocher Cuvier-Chatillon

Starting point and access: Bois-le-Roi station.
- Transilien - Line R, on the section between Paris-Lyon and Montereau or Montargis.
Take the exit on the side of track 2 (towards Melun and Paris). If arriving in the opposite direction, on track 1, take the underground passage.

Red and white + green and white markings + (at the start) "Forêt^GR®1" signs

(S/E) Cross Place de la Gare, leaving the post office on your left. Cross Avenue Gallieni and enter the narrow Rue de la Paix. At the end, turn left. At the next crossroads, turn right and, after about 30 metres, turn right onto Chemin des Coureurs.

(1) Cross a street and continue straight on Chemin de Chailly (incorrectly named on the IGN map). Walk between wooded gardens. Cross the D138 road (caution, busy road) and continue opposite on Route de la Perlure.

No markings

(2) At the next junction, turn right (leaving the^GR®1trail on your left). At the next junction, follow Route des Bécassières to the left. Cross the D606 (caution: busy road) and continue straight ahead on Route des Bécassières. At the next junction, continue straight ahead.

(3) At the crossroads, take the^second right, Route de la Mue. Continue straight ahead (north-west) to the crossroads with the D142. Cross the road and continue straight ahead on Route de Faÿ to Bois-le-Roi. After about 400 metres, cross a track and continue straight ahead for another hundred metres or so until you reach a tree marked with the number 832.

(4) Then turn left onto Route des Peupliers de Virginie (gravel road). This will take you to Mare aux Évées. Continue straight ahead on Route des Peupliers du Lac Ontario: go around the pond either on the left on the stabilised path (marked on the map) and take the^third left, or on the right and take the^fourth right. Go straight ahead and note the drainage channels on either side. At the end, turn right onto the gravel road. Ignore a road coming from the left and you will soon reach a crossroads.

(5) Take the^first road on the left, at an acute angle. Pass an old oil well (information panels). At the next crossroads, follow Route de Dammarie diagonally to the right (^third on the right and^third on the left). Cross a stream and continue straight ahead (south). At the crossroads (plot no. 854), go straight ahead and then wind your way between small rocks. At the next crossroads, turn diagonally to the left (south-east). Then cross the Route du Serpolet (plot no. 859) and continue straight ahead (south) for about 40 metres.

Blue markings

(6) At the crossroads, turn right onto trail no. 12. Wind your way between the rocks, going up and then down. Cross a perpendicular trail and go up opposite. Cross a maze of rocks (follow the markings carefully). Further on, the path widens, crosses a beautiful wooded area and remains at a high altitude. Pass under a rock (bend down carefully) and, at the exit, turn right and descend.

(7) Cross a path (Route de la Femme on the map) and continue straight ahead on the blue-marked trail. This trail soon turns south and continues parallel to the path on the left. This will take you to a large crossroads.

No markings

(8) Take the^third right, Route du Sanglier. First climb up a sandy path, then a steeper, stony path. At the top, follow Route Tournante des Longues Vallées to the right. At the next crossroads, go straight ahead and stay on the edge of the plateau.

(9) At the crossroads (sign indicating the entrance to a managed biological reserve), go straight ahead onto Route Tournante du Point de Vue du Camp de Chailly. Stay on this path along the edge of the plateau and cross Route du Clocher and Route des Ventes Chapelier in succession. Then cross Route Cuvier on the right-hand side (sign for horse riders) and continue straight ahead (due west) to the viewpoint (large area with picnic tables).

(10) Retrace your steps and, at the fork after about 150 metres, take the path on the right. After about 30 metres, turn right onto a discreet path, the Route de la Solitude. Go down a short descent and then turn left onto the path. Keep to the edge of the slope on the right and walk alongside an old sandstone quarry on the left. At a crossroads, take the^second path on the left, still on the Route de la Solitude, descending towards the Épine car park. At the bottom, you will reach an intersection with a marked path.

Red and white + green and white markings

(11) Then follow the^GR®1and the Tour du Massif de Fontainebleau circuit to the left. Climb without attempting to climb the entire hill on the left. At the top of the hill, at a T-junction, turn right. Wind your way between the rocks and descend. Pass under a rock and continue downhill.

(12) Cross a wide path and continue straight ahead on the marked trail. Climb up a few small switchbacks. At the foot of a large rock, turn left (ignore the old markings inviting you to follow the old^GR® route to the right). A little further on, climb up a rock on the left-hand side and, at the T-junction, turn left. Further on, descend and, at a fork, veer left and climb back up (follow the markings carefully). At the top, turn left.

(13) At the next intersection, turn right. At the next junction (signposted "Réserve dirigée"), turn left. Climb up, note an old sandstone quarry on the left and continue along the marked path. You will come out onto a wide path (Route Cuvier) and follow it to the right for about 40 metres.

No markings

(14) Leave the^GR® for a moment and take the path that branches off to the left (north-east).

Red and white + green and white markings

At the crossroads, take the^second path on the left (north) and rejoin the marked trail.

No markings

(15) At the next crossroads, take the^third path on the right, the Route de la Vallée Creuse (east-northeast). After about 200 metres, turn left (do not continue straight ahead on a path not shown on the 1:25,000 map). At the crossroads (elevation 134), turn left and then immediately right onto Route du Grippet. This is actually a path that runs along the edge of the plateau (slope on the right-hand side). After about 500 m, you will come to Route tournante des Longues Vallées and follow it to the right. You will immediately come to another path and descend slightly to the D142 road.

Blue markings

(16) Cross the road and, of the paths that appear, choose the one furthest to the left, Route de Solférino.

No markings

After about 300 m, continue straight ahead (ignore the blue arrow pointing to the right into the undergrowth). At the crossroads, take the^third path on the right, Route du Laisser-Courre, and continue straight ahead between a plot of oak trees on the left and a plot of pine trees on the right. Cross the D606 (with caution) and continue on the path opposite, slightly to the left. Ignore a path coming from the left further on and you will soon reach a crossroads (elevation 84).

Red and white markings

Then turn left and follow the^GR®1again.

(2) At the crossroads you took on the way out, turn right onto Route de la Perlure. Cross the D138 (with caution) and continue straight ahead between the garden fences.

(1) At the next crossroads, continue straight ahead along Chemin des Coureurs. At the end, turn left twice and follow Rue Pasteur. After about 150 metres, turn right into the narrow Rue de la Paix. Cross Place de la Gare and you will arrive at the station (S/E).

To return home:
- Transilien - Line R, towards Melun and Paris-Lyon (direct access) or Montereau or Montargis (take the underground passage).

Train timetables: consult the Transilien website.

For motorists:
Park in the car park at Bois-le-Roi station, on the side of track 2, or in the adjacent streets.

Hiking boots are required.

There are no water sources along the route: bring enough water with you. Bar Place de la Gare in Bois-le-Roi (S/E).

A 1:25,000 map is required (at least the one accompanying this description).

Recommendations concerning the paths in the rocky areas:
In the Rocher Canon area, between (6) and (8) (blue markings), and in the Rocher Cuvier-Chatillon area, between (11) and (13) (red and white markings), the route follows a trail through the rocks. The markers can be found on three types of supports, at three different heights: (i) on tree trunks at eye level; (ii) on rocks, at the same height or lower; (iii) on rocks close to the ground. Despite the density of the markings and their maintenance (thanks to the markers!), it is recommended that you pay attention so as not to lose the route. If you have not seen a marker for some time, do not hesitate to retrace your steps until you find the markings again.

Managed biological reserves:
The route crosses one managed biological reserve, between (9) and (11), and runs alongside another, between (13) and (14). Please respect the regulations posted on site, in particular, do not pick anything and keep your dog on a leash.

Hike completed twice by the author, the first on 20 February 2021, the second on 26 March 2022.

- Pleasant forest trails.
- Some remarkable trees.
- Mare aux Évées (4).
- Rocky chaos of the Rocher Canon between (6) and (8).
- Viewpoint at Camp de Chailly (10), perhaps one of the most beautiful in the Forest of Fontainebleau.
- Rock formations at Rocher Cuvier-Chatillon between (11) and (13).