The Hautes Plaines viewpoint

de fr

An easy route, ideal for a family outing. The hike takes you through varied landscapes: deciduous forest, coniferous forest, heathland, rocks, etc.

Details

n°69491
Creation:
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 9.42 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 50 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 40 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 40 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 130 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 88 m
Downloads
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Photos

View
A pretty path through the rocks.
Meeting point in the Fontainebleau forest...
Panoramic view

Description of the walk

Parking at Carrefour des Grands Feuillards, where the Route de la Plaine de la Haute Borne is closed to traffic coming from the D301 (Route ronde). The junction with the Route de la Plaine de la Haute Borne is located on the D301 between the D152, which connects Ury and Fontainebleau, and the D409, which connects Arbonne-la-Forêt and Fontainebleau.

No signposts

(S/E) Take the Route de Joinville (signposted), heading north-west. Continue straight ahead, heading north-east, for about 3 km. You will come to the Route de la Gibelotte. Turn left and you will soon reach the Carrefour du Sapin Rouge.

Red and white markings

(1) Turn right (north) and follow theGR®®1, which winds its way through the heather. Continue along theGR®® on the Route de Gévise.

(2) Cross Route de Milly in Fontainebleau and continue straight ahead. The path climbs. Cross Route de la Louve and you will reach Route de l'Occident.

No markings

(3) Leave theGR®® and follow the Route de l'Occident to the left. At the next crossroads, take the Route de Saint-Mégrin (north) on the right. Cross the Route des Hautes Plaines and join theGR®®11.

Red and white markings

Continue north to quickly reach the Hautes Plaines viewpoint.

(4) Continue east on theGR®® and, after about 300m, you will reach a crossroads.

No markings

(5) Leave theGR®® and take Route du Long Boyau, slightly to the right (south-east). Continue straight ahead on this road until you reach Carrefour Raymond (beautiful cedar tree).

(6) Continue straight ahead and you will soon reach Carrefour des Ventes Caillot.

(7) Turn right at thesecond road, Route de l'Intendant. You will reach Carrefour de la Couronne.

(8) Then take Route de Montpensier (third right). After about 3.5 km heading south, you will reach the Grands Feuillards crossroads (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 128 m - Carrefour des Grands Feuillards
  2. 1 : km 2.16 - alt. 122 m - Carrefour du Sapin Rouge
  3. 2 : km 3.17 - alt. 88 m - Crossing the Route de Milly in Fontainebleau.
  4. 3 : km 3.89 - alt. 112 m - Crossroads - Abandoning the GR
  5. 4 : km 4.83 - alt. 126 m - Point de vue des Hautes Plaines
  6. 5 : km 5.08 - alt. 125 m - Route du Long Boyau
  7. 6 : km 6.32 - alt. 128 m - Carrefour Raymond
  8. 7 : km 6.58 - alt. 129 m - Carrefour des Ventes Caillot
  9. 8 : km 6.82 - alt. 130 m - Carrefour de la Couronne
  10. S/E : km 9.42 - alt. 128 m - Carrefour des Grands Feuillards

Notes

Hiking boots or good sports shoes are recommended.

Although most of the paths are signposted, a 1:25,000 map is useful (at least the one accompanying this description).

Hike completed six times by the author, the first on 24 December 1998, the last on 22 December 2013.

Worth a visit

Hautes Plaines viewpoint: as its name suggests, it offers extensive views and is also a good place to stop for a break or a picnic.

Beautiful forest surroundings.

Reviews and comments

4.4 / 5
Based on 26 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.5 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.6 / 5
Route interest
4.2 / 5
User 25835624

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 10, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Hi, an easy hike with lots of wide, flat paths and very little elevation gain, but a nice hike to get back into the swing of things.

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Olivier Lenoir
Olivier Lenoir

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 15, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Hike completed in 2 hours and 15 minutes, no difficulties and few people early in the morning.

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randonnee viso
randonnee viso

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 31, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

Long straight stretches at the start and finish, but what beauty in the rocks of Milly. I reprogrammed this route starting from Arbonne, avoiding the long straight stretches. I'll test it on 09/02/2023

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maryfly
maryfly

Overall rating : 3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 10, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

We had to change our itinerary almost as soon as we set off. To begin with, you directed us to take the road to Joinville, but there were no signs indicating this road. After finally finding the right track, we were faced with either roads with no signs or signs that were placed further down the road.
Having already hiked in Achères la Forêt, we have always encountered problems with unmarked paths.

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ldds
ldds

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 30, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful family hike with no major difficulties. The diversity of the landscapes you pass through is what makes this walk so interesting. The route is well described and the paths are not very busy.

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valentine87
valentine87

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 16, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Amazing hike!!! What we didn't expect was to come across a hunt... I hate the idea of it, but the riders looked impressive, the dogs were beautiful and the horns sounded great, but poor animal... HORRIBLE §

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yakiniku
yakiniku
• Edited:

Overall rating : 3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 17, 2020
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

An interesting hike in terms of wildlife. A small deer, rabbits, lizards.

However, the route is very monotonous. A few interesting viewpoints.

An ideal hike for stretching your legs without having to check the map or GPS frequently.

Otherwise, refer to other routes for more charismatic walks such as the Gorges du Houx or Franchard, which are almost adjacent to this one

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duodiscu92
duodiscu92

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 02, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Beautiful short hike (2 hours 22 minutes)
Varied route
No road crossings
Complete silence

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marion.cavoue
marion.cavoue

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 22, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

This was our first hike in the Fontainebleau Forest and we were blown away: really varied scenery, awesome rock climbing, magical views from up high, medium difficulty and not many people (at that time of year?). We used the app to guide us, so we had no trouble finding our way. The hike took place during hunting season, so we didn't see any animals (as mentioned in other reviews)! I recommend this hike.

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sunbertrand
sunbertrand

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

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

No problem, enjoy your hike.

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surfweb91
surfweb91
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 14, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A walk for those who love peace and quiet. It's a shame that many of the signs are missing, even at the start! We enjoyed walking through the rocky "desert" and the viewpoint where you can "sunbathe" on the rocks. The return trip along the Montpensier road is endless, but we saw a deer and a herd of wild boars.

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loic.vatar@bbox.fr
loic.vatar@bbox.fr
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 23, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Very nice hike, varied landscapes, encountered four wild boars, beautiful cedar tree. I really enjoyed the climb up the rocks, beautiful view.

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Kozmic_Blues
Kozmic_Blues

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 17, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average

If you are looking for what really makes the Fontainebleau forest so charming, you would be better off heading for other trails... On this hike, there are far too many wide, flat, straight paths for my taste. (3 km at the start, 3.5 km at the end...) However, some sections are very pleasant (when the path climbs up among the rocks, then the viewpoint, which is really worth seeing)
I was disappointed by the explanations, which seemed very simple on paper but were unclear in some places. Fortunately, I had downloaded the GPX route. Some of the roads mentioned in the description do not have signs, or perhaps they have been removed, which makes it difficult to find your way... Starting with the starting point. (Joinville) The details provided by user "colombel" in the comments are invaluable but unfortunately are not included in the PDF file...

However, the hike was very interesting in terms of wildlife: we saw a fox, a pair of magnificent black woodpeckers and then had a much less pleasant encounter, but one that nevertheless proves the natural balance of this corner of Île-de-France. (See photos.)

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TOINETAD480857
TOINETAD480857

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 15, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A very pleasant hike, with a short, easy climb and spectacular views.
The return trip along the Montpensier road (straight) is a little less interesting, so we will try to take an alternative route at the Carrefour de la Couronne on our next outing. Thank you for this lovely route.

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fbernard
fbernard

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 21, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

I did this route yesterday with a group of friends and half a dozen dogs to make the most of an exceptional October.

The landscape is varied (oak forest, then fir trees, moorland, rocks), it's a real treat, and the going is easy.

There are few changes in direction, so you don't need to keep your nose in the map to enjoy the walk.

You can take a short detour (600 m) at the Raymond crossroads (take the Route de l'Etranger towards the north-east) to pass by the giant sequoia before heading back down the Route de Montpensier to reach the finish.

However, you will need to bring water for your dogs in this area, as there is no water nearby.

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