The tour of the Étang des Noës and a detour into the Port Royal Forest

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A walk between the new town and the forest. The Étang des Noés is home to many birds that nest in the reeds on its banks. After walking around the pond, the more adventurous can take an easy stroll through the forest.

Details

n°1953315
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 6.60 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 1h 55 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 8 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 8 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 173 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 159 m
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Photos

Flight of a crane
The pond's dyke

Description of the walk

Start from the Étang des Noës car park located along the D58. If you are coming from the N10, this car park is located on your right shortly after passing over the bridge that spans the N10 and the railway line.

(S/E) When you leave the car park, head left (west) towards the lake. Immediately turn left and take the dyke to walk around the lake in a clockwise direction. At the end of the dyke, turn right onto a straight path.

(1) A stream, part of a network of ditches, flows out of an underground canal: turn right and follow a small path that winds behind some houses. Be careful in wet weather as this section can be muddy. Near a street, turn right to pass as close as possible to the pond. This is the most pleasant part of the route as you can see many birds that come here to nest.

(2) Leave the Aimé Césaire media library on your left and turn right towards the pond. Walk as close to it as possible, passing by small peninsulas if the ground conditions allow it. Find the car park exit.

(S/E) Cross the D58 (take care, there is no pedestrian crossing). On the other side, take the path on the left, leaving the sign for "Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines. Bienvenue" sign on your left. Ignore a forest road on the right and, immediately after, turn right and walk along a car park on your right. Go through a metal barrier and follow a path eastwards towards Le Manet and Port Royal.

(3) At the Carrefour de Rhodon (at the end of the Trappes industrial estate), take the second lane on the right.

(4) At the next junction, cross the Champ Garnier forest road and continue straight ahead. At the end, take thefirst lane on the left.

(5) At the Carrefour du Chêne Brûlé (view of the Jean-Pierre Beltoise motor racing route), turn left at an acute angle onto the Route Forestière de Champ Garnier.

(4) At the crossroads, go straight ahead. Then turn right onto the forest road. Go straight ahead. At the end, turn left and cross the D58 (take care) to return to the car park where you started (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 167 m - Étang des Noës car park. Origin of the - Rhodon (rivière)
  2. 1 : km 1.11 - alt. 167 m - Exit from an underground canal.
  3. 2 : km 1.75 - alt. 168 m - Aimé Césaire Media Library
  4. 3 : km 3.61 - alt. 173 m - Rhodon crossroads
  5. 4 : km 3.95 - alt. 171 m - Crossroads - Bois de la Défonce
  6. 5 : km 4.97 - alt. 169 m - Carrefour du Chêne Brûlé
  7. S/E : km 6.6 - alt. 167 m - Étang des Noës car park

Notes

This short hike consists of two circular loops, each starting from the same point, one around the pond and the other in the forest. It is therefore possible to do only one of these two circular loops.

Worth a visit

The pond is a bird sanctuary. Swans, ducks, herons and moorhens can easily be spotted here.

Reviews and comments

4.4 / 5
Based on 11 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.6 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.6 / 5
Route interest
4 / 5
Philippe Max
Philippe Max

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 16, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant walk, particularly near the pond, which is home to a large colony of swans. During our visit, there were also a few geese, moorhens and ducks. The walk through Port Royal Forest was easy thanks to its often wide and well-marked paths, except for one section (at the Rhodon crossroads) which was a little more difficult to follow due to ongoing forestry work that had blocked the path.

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ozogiminy
ozogiminy

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 11, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

I did this hike starting from La Verriere station, a 15-minute walk from the lake
i combined this hike with "Les Granges de Port Royal and the Rhodon Valley", as these two walks almost intersect: a 10-minute walk from the Miniere crossroads.
In total, the two hikes took 4.5 hours and covered 15-16 km

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Laurvero
Laurvero

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 13, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful route around the pond, but be careful to follow the route carefully to stay along the pond.
Part of the route is through fairly dense forest.

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Chef Gambettes
Chef Gambettes

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 18, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

On a Sunday morning, I found a lot of bicycles on the course, which were quite annoying, especially in the wooded area.

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nanebe
nanebe

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 31, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

It's pretty, but I was expecting to walk along the pond for longer. Which is normal, ultimately, since part of it is a nature reserve.

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NOURRISSON
NOURRISSON

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 27, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We only walked around the lake, too interested in watching the swans, sandpipers, otters and other wildlife. A real lesson in nature!

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Frangi78
Frangi78

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 21, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

Only the northern and eastern parts are of interest. The rest of the circular route runs alongside pavilions and car parks in La Verrière, and you cannot see the pond. The map shows this clearly. There are small paths that lead to the pond through the woods, but they are dead ends because numerous streams flow into the pond and there are no footbridges to cross them.

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CHANTEUIL
CHANTEUIL

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 27, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant hike around the Étang des Noes lake; however, venturing into the Port Royal forest is not recommended if you enjoy peaceful forest walks: you will be hiking to the sound of roaring engines and screeching tyres from the Beltoise route! Where is the tranquillity of the forest? What a shame!

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Jean Pierre Duplan
Jean Pierre Duplan
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : May 24, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Lovely walk. Very happy to see baby swans and other animals walking around the pond. Watch out for snakes at this time of year, we saw a few.

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boisgon1
boisgon1
• Edited:

It's true that at the moment it's difficult to find a route without mud.
Enjoy your walks nonetheless.

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michelle15
michelle15
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 06, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Hello,

I just did the hike, but unfortunately I had to change the route.
You can't go around the lake because there's a fallen tree and lots of water, so it's muddy.
Otherwise, it's peaceful and ideal for gentle hikes.

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zabouriv
zabouriv
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 05, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

I only did the part around the lake.
Clear directions and an easy walk. Very pleasant in good weather.
You can see birds, swans, ducks, etc., and fishermen.

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