The Yvette Valley via the Rigoles de Saint-Aubin and the Mérantaise

This hike starts in Gif-sur-Yvette and takes you to the heights of the Saint-Aubin and Vallée Bonnard channels, following the Yvette river and returning via La Mérantaise, passing through the Bois d'Aigrefoin, the Saint-Aubin communal forest and the Coupières basin.

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 13.44 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 15 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: No
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 153 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 147 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 158 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 64 m

Description of the walk

The hike starts at Gif-sur-Yvette station (RER line B).

If you are coming by car, you can park on Rue de la Gare in Gif-sur-Yvette, near the station, and leave a vehicle at the other station (Courcelles-sur-Yvette) for the return journey, or take the train back to the starting point.

(S) Opposite the station, take Rue de la Croix de Grignon.

(1) Turn left at the intersection opposite a bank onto Rue Alphonse Pécard. Cross the Yvette and walk along a car park on your left to reach the roundabout.

(2) Take the second left onto Rue Neuve, heading towards the post office with the church on your right. Walk along the park and turn right onto Avenue de la Terrasse. At the car parks, do not go through the porch. Follow the car parks and then turn left. Enter a path that is not very visible because of the car parks, follow the Mérantaise river, and you will come to a road.

(3) Cross the road and continue straight ahead along the path, following the Mérantaise. Cross a road and continue straight ahead until you reach the next one.

(4) Turn left then right onto the Chamort path. Pass in front of the Institute of Natural Substances Chemistry then, at the end, turn left onto Rue de la Croix Audierne.

(5) Turn right onto the D306, and just before the right-hand bend, turn left onto a path that climbs slightly and leads to Fond Fanet. It enters the communal forest of Saint-Aubin. Take the hairpin bend to the right, ignore the paths on the right and continue to the Rigole de Saint-Aubin.

(6) Turn left and follow the ditch to the edge of the woods. Walk along the field for 50 metres.

(7) Continue left at the second intersection, following the Rigole de Saint-Aubin, then turn right between the fields and woods with the canal and arrive at the Haras de la Lisière. Cross a road and continue straight on to Mesnil Blondel.

(8) Turn left at the village exit and walk between the woods and fields. At the road, turn left and walk for several metres.

(9) Leave the road and turn left, following the Rigole de Châteaufort. You will arrive at Place de la Mairie.

(10) Continue straight ahead (slightly to the right) along Allée de l'Ecole. At Place Leonard Foujta, turn left onto Allée des Ecoles.

(11) Turn right onto Route de Gif, passing in front of the Villiers-le-Bâcle media library and the Bel-Air educational farm. Just after the big left-hand bend, take a path on the right, go through a gate and enter the Tête Ronde departmental forest until you reach a road.

(12) Continue straight ahead along Chemin des Merisiers until you reach a fork in the road.

(13) Turn left to reach a road in the Vallée Bonnard. Turn right onto Route de Gif until you reach the bend that branches off to the right. Turn left until you reach an intersection with another road and a path on the left. Turn onto Rue du Canal, then pass a wash house and a basin.

(14) At the three-way junction, turn right onto Rue du Fond Guérin until you reach an intersection. Turn left onto Impasse de la Fontaine Billehou, then enter the woods and continue until you reach the second intersection.

(15) Turn right, cross a bridge over the Mérantaise and turn left. Cross another bridge and enter the fields. Cut across the Route de Châteaufort and continue straight ahead into the woods until you reach a crossroads.

(16) Turn left, cross the river and continue through the woods. At the next intersection, turn right and continue straight ahead. At the next crossroads, turn left and walk along the Gif-sur-Yvette cemetery. At the road, turn right onto Rue du 8 mai 1945.

(17) Cross Avenue du Général Leclerc and continue straight ahead along Chemin des Sablons, going around the primary school. At the right-hand corner of the street, turn right and then left onto a path that leads to the Coupiére basin.

(18) Turn right at the basin until you reach the Yvette.

(19) Turn right and follow the Yvette for about 300 metres. Then turn right again onto a path that zigzags between the ponds.

(20) When you reach Avenue du Génèral Leclerc, turn left and then further on, turn left again onto Route du Val Courcelle.

(21) Cross the Yvette river, then immediately take a path on the right through the woods and rejoin the Yvette further on. Cross the Route de La Noue. Cross Rue Fernand Léger and continue straight ahead on Allée Jeanne de Carnaget, which leads to Courcelle-sur-Yvette station. (E)

Waypoints

  1. S : km 0 - alt. 71 m - Gare de Gif-sur-Yvette
  2. 1 : km 0.14 - alt. 64 m - Intersection
  3. 2 : km 0.52 - alt. 74 m - Roundabout, Rue Neuve - Église Saint-Rémi (Gif-sur-Yvette)
  4. 3 : km 1.17 - alt. 69 m - Road - Mérantaise (ruissseau) - Affluent de l'Yvette
  5. 4 : km 1.42 - alt. 79 m - Institute of Chemistry
  6. 5 : km 1.9 - alt. 94 m - Fork in the road
  7. 6 : km 2.57 - alt. 158 m - Saint-Aubin ditch
  8. 7 : km 3.01 - alt. 155 m - Intersection
  9. 8 : km 4.03 - alt. 151 m - Exit the village
  10. 9 : km 4.75 - alt. 151 m - Châteaufort ditch
  11. 10 : km 5.77 - alt. 152 m - Villiers le Bacle Town Hall Square
  12. 11 : km 6.07 - alt. 151 m - School complex in the centre
  13. 12 : km 6.47 - alt. 148 m - Entrance to the forest
  14. 13 : km 6.85 - alt. 138 m - Fork in the road
  15. 14 : km 7.32 - alt. 115 m - Three-way junction - Mérantaise (ruissseau) - Affluent de l'Yvette
  16. 15 : km 8.03 - alt. 92 m - Fork towards the Mèrantaise bridge - Mérantaise (ruissseau) - Affluent de l'Yvette
  17. 16 : km 8.73 - alt. 107 m - Fork in the road
  18. 17 : km 10.25 - alt. 90 m - Avenue and cemetery of Gif sur Yvette
  19. 18 : km 10.73 - alt. 65 m - Coupières Basin
  20. 19 : km 11.24 - alt. 65 m - Yvette (l')
  21. 20 : km 12.2 - alt. 80 m - Intersection, Rue du Général de Gaulle
  22. 21 : km 12.79 - alt. 67 m - Fork in the road - Yvette (l')
  23. E : km 13.44 - alt. 77 m - Gare de Courcelle-sur-Yvette

Notes

From (18) to (19), may be muddy in case of heavy rain.

Toilets and water at the cemetery at No. 18.

Worth a visit

  1. New mill
  2. Wash house
  3. L'Yvette
  4. Coupière basin
  5. Tête Ronde forest
  6. Abbaye Mill at No. 20 (300 metres)

Reviews and comments

5 / 5
Based on 1 review

Reliability of the description
5 / 5
Ease of following the route
5 / 5
Route interest
5 / 5
J
J

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 06, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Hello
I’m sorry, but I haven’t done that hike yet.
Kind regards.
Jean-François

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