The deer rut trail in Ambel Forest

Date of your route : Oct 08, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A beautiful route that is easy to follow as it is very well signposted. A little too busy during the rutting season, but that's to be expected! Congratulations on the quality of the route. There is little elevation gain, making it very accessible. Be careful of the numerous tree roots, which are very present, but that's normal, we are in the forest and in nature! If you are returning to your car at night, be careful as it gets dark quickly at this time of year and can take you by surprise. Bring warm clothing and, above all, good personal lighting. On the other hand, the part that runs along the road is of little interest and, in our opinion, only the circular that starts at the viewpoint and goes into the forest towards the two observatories is interesting. Best regards. And thank you very much for the information that accompanies the route: very well done.

Machine-translated

Date of your route : Aug 11, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

Based on the description, I thought this would be an easy hike. In fact, part of the path through the woods is a single track with lots of tree roots, which makes walking difficult for someone with balance issues. It would be good to mention this. During the deer rutting season, it is certainly more interesting.

Machine-translated

Date of your route : Oct 02, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A short, very easy and well-marked hike that leads to observation points where you can watch deer from a distance.
However, I would advise against going at the weekend, as it has become a bit of a tourist trap. We tried it on a Saturday around 6pm and there were at least 50 cars parked on the sides of the road, people everywhere, children running around... In my opinion, there was no chance of seeing any deer, so we didn't even stop . It's better to go on a weekday, as late as possible. There will still be people there, but at least they will be respectful.

Machine-translated

Date of your route : Sep 24, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Well-marked trail with small reflective deer head signs. Very crowded. We did it on a Sunday at the end of the day. Unfortunately, not everyone was respectful of the quiet zone. For some, it was a family outing. I think it's important to remember that this area is subject to rules between 15/09 and 15/10, the rutting season. It's common sense, but apparently not for everyone.
We returned on Monday evening. There were perhaps fewer people, but those who were there were more respectful of the site.
Nevertheless, the two observatories seem to be in really strategic locations, as we were still able to observe stags and hinds at varying distances.
It's a great time for nature lovers.
Remember to bring your binoculars, though.

Machine-translated

Date of your route : Sep 30, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very beautiful trail, well marked with small reflective deer head signs. Lots of people at the start and no one in the forest... many stay near their vehicles at the side of the road... a shame, but good for us!
The deer were there, very close to us, and we loved it.

Machine-translated