La Mare aux Fées, La Malmontagne, Le Carrosse and the Grotte Béatrix

A loop in the heart of Fontainebleau: a magnificent poetic pond, venerable oak trees, four viewpoints, memories of revolutionary battles, a cave, a chasm, sandstone cliffs... and plenty of peace and quiet.

Technical sheet

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 16.17 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 5h 20 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Return to departure point: Yes
  • ↗
    Vertical gain: + 245 m
  • ↘
    Vertical drop: - 240 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 135 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 84 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Park in the car park at the Maison Forestière de la Grande Vallée, near the D58.

(S/E) From the car park, follow the Denecourt-Colinet trail no. 11 (marked in blue) westwards. It climbs up to the Mare aux Fées.

(1) Go around the pond on the right (east bank) and then follow its north bank heading west. You will come to a road closed to vehicles, which you follow briefly on the right.

(2) 30 m before the road turns left, take a well-marked path heading north. This is part of the old "Tour du Massif de Fontainebleau" (TMF) trail, which is no longer in use. The start of the trail winds through dense vegetation before descending into a valley surrounded by magnificent oak trees.
At the next crossroads, continue straight ahead, leaving the Route du Belvédère on your right. At the next crossroads, turn right onto the Route des Ventes Héron, leave the Route du Long Rocher on your right and continue to the Carrefour du Rocher Boulin.

(3) Take the second road on the left (Route du Rocher Boulin), which winds along the Rocher Boulin on the right (you can easily reach the top, which is a lovely, peaceful picnic spot). Cross the D301 and continue to the Route d'Hippolyte. Do not take this road, but take the path on the left which joins a crossroads 200 metres further on, where you turn right onto theGR®11(marked red and white). Climb up to the Inspector General's viewpoint (bench).

(4) Continue on theGR® heading west (Route de l'Inspecteur Général) until you reach the Carrefour du Chevreuil. TheGR® turns right onto the Route des Forts de Marlotte, then takes the Route de Jemmapes on the left and turns right again along the Rocher Fourceau. On the right is a large cleared area and, before the Route de Valmy, the remains of quarries.

(5) Turn right onto Route de Valmy and continue east-southeast for about 500 metres.

(6) Leave theGR® trail on your left and continue straight ahead on Route de Valmy. After about a kilometre, after crossing a few paths on your left, you will reach Route de la Palette. Turn right and continue straight ahead until the next crossroads. You are now below the Inspector General's viewpoint, which can be easily reached via a path on the left.

(7) Take the Route du Panage on the left (2nd path on the left), which crosses the D58 and then the D301. At the next crossroads, take the path diagonally to the right, Route du Parquet de Montigny, and at the next crossroads, take the Route Biron on the left. Cross the Route de la Tranchée and join the Carrefour de la Malmontagne.

(8) Turn left onto the Denecourt-Colinet path no. 17 (blue signposting) which climbs up to Malmontagne (poor view at the top due to vegetation). Continue right on this plateau along Route de Milady, which leads to a crossroads where you can see the Gouffre du Puits Fondu 50 metres to the north.

Return to the crossroads and continue along Route de Milady towards the east until you reach Route du Râle. Take this road on the right: it descends from Malmontagne, crosses a path, then Route Biron, which you take on the right. You will reach Route du Haut Mont, where you will find the blue signposting again.

(9) Take this road on the left and, at the next crossroads, turn diagonally left to reach the surprising Rocher du Carrosse (follow the blue markings during this section).

(10) The path goes around the Carrosse and joins a crossroads: follow the blue markings to the right (Route de Russie). 100m further on, you come to another crossroads: the Route du Haut-Mont climbs up from the right. Take it on the left (be careful: leave the blue markings that continue straight ahead) and, beyond the next crossroads, follow the blue markings again (Route de la Canepetière) to the right. 300m further on, there is a beautiful viewpoint.

Descend from the viewpoint, continuing to follow the blue markings. At the bottom of the descent, continue straight ahead on the 11-17 link. The trail climbs back up to the ridge of the Restant du Long Rocher (short steep climb).

(11) At this point (stay alert), you will reach the Denecourt-Colinet trail loop no. 11. Turn right.
Magnificent layered cliffs. The path (blue trail) winds through a magnificent setting to the Grotte Béatrix, first via a fairly flat section, then descends the slope before climbing back up to the cave.

After the cave, follow the blue markings (after the viewpoint 10 metres west of the cave), the trail describes a semicircle to reach the southern edge of the plateau. At this point, several blue markings had been erased (February 2016) but were still fairly visible. They can be found further on... You then enter a fairly wide trench (climbing routes). The trail climbs shortly afterwards to a beautiful viewpoint over the Plaine Verte. Follow the trail through a series of switchbacks (you will pass some climbing rocks) until you reach a flat section. You will quickly cross the Route de la Plaine Verte: take it on the right. Then turn left 20 m further on to rejoin trail no. 11 500 m further on.

Turn right, cross the D58 and head back to the car park.

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 89 m - Parking, departure
  2. 1 : km 0.82 - alt. 127 m - The Fairy Pond
  3. 2 : km 1.09 - alt. 128 m - Change direction and head north.
  4. 3 : km 1.72 - alt. 96 m - Carrefour du Rocher Boulin
  5. 4 : km 3.16 - alt. 121 m - Viewpoint of the Inspector General
  6. 5 : km 5.04 - alt. 106 m - Valmy Road
  7. 6 : km 5.65 - alt. 125 m - Crossroads at elevation 125
  8. 7 : km 7.18 - alt. 90 m - Palette-Panage crossroads
  9. 8 : km 8.47 - alt. 94 m - Malmontagne crossroads
  10. 9 : km 10.91 - alt. 97 m - Biron/Haut-Mont crossroads
  11. 10 : km 11.51 - alt. 117 m - The Carriage
  12. 11 : km 12.96 - alt. 128 m - Crête du Restant du Long Rocher
  13. S/E : km 16.17 - alt. 89 m

Practical information

There are numerous picnic spots along the route: Mare aux Fées, Inspecteur Général viewpoint, Grotte Béatrix, etc.

Please note: this circuit connects several remarkable (and iconic) sites in the Fontainebleau forest. It follows certain sections of the Denecourt trails nos. 11 and 17, without following them in their entirety. Please remain vigilant between points 9 and 12, where sections of trail 17 are very discontinuous.

In the nearby area

There are many possible variations on this circuit: the points of interest can be linked to each other by other trails than those mentioned (see map).
Suggestions:
- At the Puits Fondu chasm, you can extend the loop by following trail no. 17 northwards: it leads back to its starting point (Rocher des Princes crossroads) and continuing the loop brings you back to Route Biron.
- Similarly, if you take the Route de la Canepetière on the left, you will reach the Haut Mont viewpoint, which is not very busy.
- Finally, if you follow theGR® when it leaves the Route de Valmy, you will arrive at the Carrefour du Daim on the wild Mont Merle: take the Route du Mont Merle to the Route de la Palette, which you take on the right to rejoin the route described.

 Always stay careful and alert while following a route. Visorando and the author of this walk cannot be held responsible in the event of an accident during 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 75 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.2 / 5
Clarity of route map
4.3 / 5
Route interest
4.6 / 5
User 26062625

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Aug 21, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

The route passes through a biological reserve that is closed to the public. This requires a detour by road. Otherwise, it is very quiet with very little traffic.

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Pyou
Pyou
• Last modified:

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Mar 01, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : Yes

𝙸𝙼𝙿𝙾𝚁𝚃𝙰𝙽𝚃𝙴 𝚄𝙿𝙳𝙰𝚃𝙴!!! A ministerial order prevents the passage from point 2 to point 4 until further notice. Access to the entire biological reserve has been banned due to too many branches and trees falling this winter. I've had to bypass the entire area by continuing along the route du Chêne Pinguet towards the Route Ronde, so you can reach point 4 either via the route de Clermont or directly to point 5 by going up the route des Forts towards the carrefour du Chevreuil. The mileage is therefore distorted, so be very careful.

𝙿𝙾𝙸𝙽𝚃 𝙿𝙾𝚂𝙸𝚃𝙸𝙵
➤ Landscape diversity.
➤ Possibility of extending or shortening the journey.
➤ Superb viewpoints.
➤ Pretty caves and rocky passages.

𝙿𝙾𝙸𝙽𝚃 𝙽𝙴𝙶𝙰𝚃𝙸𝙵
➤ Impossibility of following the circuit after the Mare aux fées (which is in no way the fault of the author ref above)
➤ I think this circuit must be much too busy in summer as it is known by many foreign tourists.
➤ The car park at the start is far too small. It was full outside the holidays in February, I can't imagine summer in high season.

𝙽𝙾𝚃𝙴 𝙿𝙴𝚁𝚂𝙾𝙽𝙽𝙴𝙻𝙻𝙴
I loved the variety of landscapes and the finale is absolutely stunning. The Beatrix caves are a beautiful spot with a viewpoint that you have to make the most of for a sunset - I absolutely recommend it! Overall, this hike was a wonderful discovery. Please note, however, my note above about the ministerial ruling on the reserve.

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PHILOU14
PHILOU14

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Sep 13, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Hello,

Magnificent hike with an exceptional but more difficult finish (from the sentier de l'enfer).
For the exit from the mare aux Fées (between points 1 and 2), the route de la grande mare is forbidden because of the biology reserve and danger (risk of falling rocks). Perhaps the best thing to do is to return to point 1 and aim for the Denecourt-Colinet 11 path.
As for the path after Grotte Béatrix, the route is not at all precise, so follow the blue marks on the ground.
As for the level of fitness, having had an operation at the beginning of the year, I'd say it's fairly high.
Thank you all for this magnificent route!

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jmpourcher
jmpourcher

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of walk : Apr 21, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

Please note that a biological zone has been created between points 1 and 3. Access via the path is therefore prohibited.

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epoque
epoque

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Apr 06, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : Yes

Well done for the description, which was entirely in keeping with the terrain, and a big thank you to the Association des Amis de la Forêt de Fontainebleau for the quality of the waymarking.
On this fine spring Sunday, we had a good turnout at the various viewpoints and at the Plaine Verte car park.
For the positive difference in altitude, count on at least 350 m rather than the 202 m calculated by the Visorando software.
At the start, a sign at the car park near the Maison Forestière de la Grande Vallée states that you must not walk into the Gorge aux Loups Biological Reserve through which the route passes. But there is no sign prohibiting public access at the entrance to the plots concerned... So we set off following 2 hikers accompanied by their dogs.

The only drawback to this superb hike concerns the GPX file provided, which apparently dates from 2016:
- in (1), at the Mare aux Fées, the GPS track heads due north, whereas the description says to "walk along its north bank heading west",
- At (11), after skirting the southern edge of the plateau where the Grotte Béatrix is located, the GPS track no longer corresponds at all to the current markings for Denecourt-Colinet trail no. 11.
I can provide you with the track that complies with the description and the markings on the ground, recorded with a time interval of 10 seconds by a Garmin GPSMAP 65s on Sunday 07/04/2024. But please note
- to transform this track into a route to follow using a GPS, it may be useful to simplify it,
- And, above all, terrain markings change over time!

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Sinfaell
Sinfaell

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of walk : Jul 23, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

This is a great way to discover Fontainebleau without following the most popular trails.
The second half is particularly attractive with its ups and downs and, above all, the world of rocks that is typical of Fontainebleau.

There's a downside to the biological reserve that you're supposed to cross just after the mare aux Fées: the signs clearly state that you shouldn't enter it on foot, especially in the April/July period when large animals are breeding. We were fooled, and went round to the west until we reached the D301, following the roadside until we found the path that crosses it after point 3. So it wasn't very pleasant walking alongside the cars. We'll see if it isn't more fun to go east, for example, following the small ridge marked Rocher des Etroitures on the IGN map and then turning north again to find the D301 and cross it directly.

At the end, the signposting is not necessarily easy to follow, even though it has been redone since the map was reviewed in 2016. Having a GPS helps you get back to the car park in this section.

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hkyd
hkyd

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Jul 01, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

A great way to get moving and enjoy nature. Thank you very much!
At times, walking through the tall ferns, you'd think you were in exotic lands.
It's a lovely walk with some lovely viewpoints. Once you've got past the surprise of the tall ferns, some seasoned hikers might find the straight-line paths through the trees a bit monotonous, but for beginners and contemplative hikers, it's a joy to stroll at the foot of tall trees and enjoy the birdsong.
The signposting is fairly precise, but a GPS is useful.
The end of the walk is more challenging, with a few rocky climbs - the superb sentier de l'Enfer!

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FLOCH
FLOCH ★

Thank you for this review.
The description and the map are two essential elements that complement each other.
Sincerely

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visogor
visogor

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of walk : Jun 20, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Clarity of route map : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Very nice, superb, varied walk. The description is correct up to point 11, after that it's not easy. You need a map to get to the car park or, better still, the GPS application.
Lots of mosquitoes in hot weather, but this hike is worth it.

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ducastelcb
ducastelcb

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Jun 24, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Very nice tour! What a beautiful forest Fontainebleau is. A varied walk, with beautiful scenery and rocky outcrops. Less busy than some of the other routes in this forest.
I'm not in the habit of reading the directions because I often follow the GPS track, but here I'd advise you to pay close attention to the directions, especially at the end (blue signposted path).
A must do!

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Averlant
Averlant

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Jun 10, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

In places, the signs are harder to find (except for the Denecourt markers). Otherwise, this is a superb and very varied trail.

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Soba
Soba

Overall rating : 3 / 5

Date of walk : Mar 13, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Busy trail : Yes

For the hike from the mare to the fees in the Fontainebleau forest, you are turning off onto an inaccessible path! In fact, it enters the biological reserve to which access is forbidden and the path is lost in the vegetation.
The route therefore needs to be revised

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lépiote
lépiote

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Dec 28, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

It's a beautiful, varied route (especially the southern part). I'd do it again, as the weather was very bad when I walked it that day. Note that I did it from Moret sur Loing (3.5 km each way) to have access by train.

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rochermaryline
rochermaryline

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of walk : Oct 10, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Clarity of route map : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Magnificent adventure!
A beautiful hike, difficult to follow though, you tend to follow the blue route...
But adventure is adventure!
I'll do it again, but I'll have to pay more attention to Bernard's directions!
Quite a challenging route with some steep climbs.

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skrando paris
skrando paris

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Sep 07, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Exceptional walk, just one problem: one of the paths was blocked by tree trunks and was therefore impassable, but nature took over.
We found a second path further on, which we had to clear of undergrowth for a section.
superb.
Many thanks to the makers of this route.

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The GPS track and description are the property of the author. Do not copy them without permission.