Lac de la Maix and Haut du Bon Dieu

Leaving from the Lac de la Maix, in a beautiful setting, we pass through the Clairière de Prayé, the Haut du Bon Dieu and the charming Fontaine Colas Lorrain spring. We also visit two sites of trough or cup rock. A hike through beautiful woodland with pleasant stretches of open country.

Technical sheet

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 9.69 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 25 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Return to departure point: Yes
  • ↗
    Vertical gain: + 235 m
  • ↘
    Vertical drop: - 227 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 805 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 669 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Park at the end of the small road signposted "Lac de la Maix" from Vexaincourt, a village on the D392 road between Raon-l'Etape and the Col du Donon. On the left-hand side of the small road, there is space for 4 or 5 cars and, on the right-hand side of the road, access to a larger car park.
=> For information, departure from the car park N 48.477011° / E 7.077776° is not possible from 15/06 to 15/09 (barrier lowered to N48.48398 E7.06911). The remaining distance on the small tarmac road is 2.9 km.

Signs Yellow ring + Red and Yellow

(S) Cross the forest fence (incorrectly positioned on the map) and immediately after take a track to the left. After around 200m, look for a fork in the road, leave the path and turn left onto a path heading towards Prayé (signposted). The path climbs steadily through the forest. From place to place, the summit of the Donon can be seen on the left through the trees. This leads to a track that you follow to the right. After around 100 metres, turn right onto a wide track and immediately reach a crossroads.

(1) Turn left onto a track towards Prayé (signposted). Head east downhill, ignoring the paths to the left and right. You will come to a small road in the Clairière de Prayé.

Yellow Ring

(2) Take the road to the right and follow the Refuge Laederich (Refuge de Prayé on the map) on your right. After about 1.2km, leave the road and turn right onto the Route Forestière du Haut du Bon Dieu (signposted).

(3) This wide track climbs gently up to a large crossroads at Le Haut du Bon Dieu (sign).

Yellow Triangle markings

(4) At the end of the crossroads (west), look out for a tree bearing forest plot no. 72 and signs (on the right is an oratory that you can visit). Turn left onto a track that runs slightly uphill into the forest. At a flat spot, look for a sign on the right indicating "Les Auges": follow this direction and you will very quickly reach the Roches à Auges site (sign). Retrace your steps and turn right along the signposted path. Reach a crossroads.

Unmarked

(5) Turn right onto the path between two trees bearing plot numbers 87 (on your left) and 72 (on your right). Stay on this path, which descends steeply through dense forest cover, ignoring the smaller paths to the left and right. At the bottom of the descent, reach a crossroads.

(6) Take the first track on the right, between plot numbers 73 (on your left) and 72 (on your right). Climb back up and follow the path over open ground (on the left, there is a view of the Tête du Coquin). Ignore the start of a path on the right and head downhill until you come to a Y-shaped crossroads where you will find signposts. Turn right and immediately reach the Fontaine Colas Lorrain (spring at the side of the path, sign).

Red Triangle markings

(7) Take the path opposite the spring, to the north-west. The path winds between trees and rocks and leads to the Roches à Cupules site (sign).

(8) Retrace your steps back to the spring.

Yellow disc (+ red disc at the start).

(7) Turn left downhill towards Lac de la Maix (sign). At a T-junction, turn right and head slightly uphill. After a few dozen metres, leave a path (not shown on the map) marked with a red disc and head left towards the lake. Stay on the wide path marked with a yellow disc, which offers a more open and less steep route. At a fork in the road, take the left-hand path down to the chapel overlooking Lac de la Maix to the west and reach the lake.

(9) Walk alongside the lake, ignoring the paths on your left. Walk past the information signs and continue eastwards as far as the forest barrier, immediately returning to the starting point.

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 669 m - Lac de la Maix car park (except from 15/06 to 15/09)
  2. 1 : km 1.78 - alt. 805 m - Crossroads on the Route Forestière des Bannes
  3. 2 : km 2.43 - alt. 771 m - Clairière de Prayé
  4. 3 : km 3.62 - alt. 741 m - Fork - Route Forestière - Rabodeau (rivière)
  5. 4 : km 5.05 - alt. 774 m - Le Haut du Bon Dieu
  6. 5 : km 5.65 - alt. 795 m - Bifurcation
  7. 6 : km 6.06 - alt. 742 m - Carrefour
  8. 7 : km 7.34 - alt. 707 m - Fontaine Colas Lorrain
  9. 8 : km 7.55 - alt. 713 m - Cup-shaped rocks
  10. 9 : km 9.42 - alt. 677 m - Lac de la Maix
  11. S/E : km 9.69 - alt. 670 m - Lac de la Maix car park (except from 15/06 to 15/09)

Practical information

Hiking boots required.
Water and shelter at the Prayé clearing (2).

Possible alternatives
Variant A - From the crossroads (1), go directly to Haut du Bon Dieu (4) following the Route Forestière des Bannes from west to south-west. This route is less clear than the Clairière de Prayé route.
Variant B - From Haut du Bon Dieu (4), take the path to the right of the oratory (north-west) and join the path linking Fontaine Colas Lorrain (7) and Lac de la Maix (9). Turn left as far as the Fontaine Colas Lorrain and the Roches à Cupules, then retrace your steps to reach the lake.
Option C - Same start as option B. At the path between (7) and (9), turn right and walk directly to the lake (approximately 4 km and 1 hour less walking).

A 1:25,000 map is essential (at least the one you can download from the website). A compass may be useful.

This walk has been done twice by the author, the first on1 January 2010, the second on 10 May 2015.

In the nearby area

- Clairière de Prayé (2): beautiful setting, peat bog, meadows.
- Haut du Bon Dieu (4): oratory.
- Roches à Auges, between (4) and (5): sandstone rocks with natural cavities that would have been used in prehistoric times.
- Fontaine Colas Lorrain (7): charming roadside spring.
- Roches à Cupules (8): sandstone rocks with natural cavities said to have been used for therapeutic purposes in Celtic times.
- Lac de la Maix (9): a lake nestling in a beautiful setting, ideal for a stopover or picnic. Just west of the lake, a chapel (open daily) and sandstone sarcophagus.

Reviews and comments

4.6 / 5
Based on 94 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.6 / 5
Clarity of route map
4.5 / 5
Route interest
4.6 / 5
User 11856963

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Jul 02, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Beautiful hike with a magnificent view of the lake and chapel at the end.

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User 3863605

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of walk : May 25, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

Beautiful circuit with good paths! Pleasant and soothing!

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Sof88
Sof88

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Nov 10, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

Nice tour, but we didn't meet many people

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Gp&Pmn
Gp&Pmn

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of walk : Nov 05, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

An easy tour in autumn with magnificent colours. Very beautiful Lac de la Maix , mirror effect guaranteed in fine weather . Not too many hikers at the end of October, except around the lake.

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AGAT90
AGAT90

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Jul 28, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Busy trail : No

For information, departure from the car park N 48.477011° / E 7.077776° is not possible from 15/06 to 15/09 (barrier lowered to N48.48398 E7.06911). The remaining distance on the small tarmac road is 2.9 km.

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Sylvie Gal
Sylvie Gal
• Last modified:

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

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

One problem though: the car park next to the Lac de la Maix is no longer accessible from June to September (barrier at least 45 minutes from the departure point...).
It would be good to mention this in the description...
Thanks in any case for all your suggestions for walks.

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Mat5455
Mat5455

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Jun 29, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Circuit with many points of interest, but you can't see how much time has passed: it grips as much as it descends ☺️ Be sure to read the previous comments on the crossing at level 8.

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gerasyl
gerasyl
• Last modified:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : May 03, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

superb walk Easy description

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Pilipe54
Pilipe54

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Oct 29, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : Yes

Clockwise tour facing the lake, very pleasant route on the part of the small paths representing a total of 40% of the route, the return to the lake after the Lorrain fountain is preferable by the path for experienced hikers, a simpler solution is offered by a path (same distance).
This route is packed with sites to discover, and the autumn views of the lake from the viewpoint and at the finish are quite simply magnificent.

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tremblois
tremblois

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Jun 16, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Please note that access to Lac de la Maix is forbidden to motor vehicles from 15/06 to 15/09. A barrier is located 3 km from the lake on the Vexaincourt road.

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michel54110
michel54110

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Mar 06, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

Lovely loop above the Lac de la Maix, not monotonous, well signposted, except to be careful in the woods where you have to branch off between lots 32, 87 and 33; the finish at the chapel and the lake is magnificent;
Michel

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lvallet67
lvallet67

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Oct 23, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

A great way to discover a picturesque area offering a number of hiking options

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Tete54
Tete54

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Oct 23, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : Yes

A colourful autumn walk, very pleasant in the forest. Best done in the morning for a bit more light.
A magnificent finish at the lake.
Beware of the rocks, which can be slippery at this time of year.
There are several paths and the markings are well indicated by the Club Vosgien.
I'd definitely recommend it!

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jazzaline
jazzaline

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Sep 05, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

A delight, especially the arrival on the lake, a magical atmosphere.

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marcellarcher
marcellarcher

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Sep 04, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : Yes

Very nice tour. True to life description.

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