Parking at the Carrefour des Grands Feuillards, where the Route de la Plaine de la Haute Borne is closed to cars coming from the D301 (Route ronde). The junction with the Route de la Plaine de la Haute Borne is on the D301 between the D152, which connects Ury and Fontainebleau, and the D409, which connects Arbonne-la-Forêt and Fontainebleau.
For the most part, the route is not signposted.
(S/E) Head south-west onto Route Clémentine. Cross Route du Décagone. At the next junction, turn right onto Route de Recloses in Arbonne. Continue until you reach Carrefour Neuf.
(1) At Carrefour Neuf, turn left at a right angle onto Route d'Achères in Fontainebleau (this is the widest road). Continue south-west until the next junction. Be careful not to miss this junction as the road you come to is much smaller.
(2) Turn right at a sharp angle onto Route du Vacher, which heads north. After about 150 metres, turn left onto Route du Grelot, which is a narrow road. Cross Route Circulaire and continue to the next intersection.
(3) Turn right onto Route de la Gorge aux Archers. Walk through a landscape where you can see the first rocks. Descend briefly to cross Route du Gros Buisson and climb back up opposite. The road becomes a path that winds its way through the heather. At the next junction (with Route des Béorlots, no. 643), continue straight ahead (north-west). The path is winding, in the middle of the rocks. After a short descent, climb back up to reach a pine forest.
(4) At the junction (No. 654), turn left onto Route de la Bourse (green and white signpost). The path, which is very sandy, descends slightly. At the next junction, turn sharply north-west onto the first path on the right (not named on the map, no sign but with a green and white signpost; the sign "Route du Putois" indicates the path that heads west-southwest, which you should not take). On sandy ground, make a left turn and then head west between pine trees and heather.
(5) Cross the Route d'Achères in Arbonne (very wide lane). Take the path directly opposite that branches off between two pine trees. N.B. If you cannot see this path, take the lane on the left and then immediately after, take a path on the right at the tree with the number 644. This is all within a very small area and the two paths join up immediately.
Follow the path westwards. At a fork, take the better marked path on the right. This path winds its way through the heather, turns left and leads to a group of rocks. Ignore a path coming from the left, continue south-west and you will come to a larger path (without a sign). Take this path on the right. At the next junction (n° 657 and 645), a sign indicates that you are on the Route des Platières. Continue west on this road, ignore a path that branches off to the right (Route de la Hase, not shown on the 1:25,000 map) and reach the Route du Panneau.
(6) Take the Route du Panneau on the right (north). The road is winding, runs alongside some rocks and climbs slightly. Pass the Route du Furet coming from the right and you will come to the Route de la Plaine de la Haute Borne (tarmac).
(7) You are now near the Mare des Couleuvreux, which is actually a group of small ponds that are difficult to access. Here are two optional ways to get a glimpse of them.
- Continue straight ahead on Route du Panneau (go past the barrier with a "no horse riding" sign). After a few metres, the path disappears and there is a pond on the left. Retrace your steps.
- Turn left onto the tarmac road. Pass the Route du Lapin on your left and immediately after, turn right onto the same Route du Lapin (8). The path leads to another pond (pine tree with a blue circle painted on the bark). Just behind this pond, there is another one. Retrace your steps and take the paved road on the left until you reach Route du Panneau.
Do not attempt to go any further: the middle section is difficult, waterlogged for much of the year and fragile.
(7) Take the paved road east. Note the flat landscape on your left, with heathland and birch trees. At the junction with a path (No. 631), turn left onto Route de la Hase. Head north and cross Route de la Fontaine Sainte-Marguerite. At a fork, leave Route de la Hase and turn right onto an unnamed path. Cross Route de la Gorge aux Archers and continue to another junction.
(9) Turn right onto Route Descamps (green and white signpost). Walk east with heathland and birch trees on your left and a pine forest on your right. Cross Route du Larron, then Route Circulaire. At the next crossroads, head south-east onto Route du Vacher (2nd path on the right). Continue until you reach Carrefour des Aiguisoirs.
(10) At the crossroads, head east-northeast onto Route des Aiguisoirs (second road on the left). Cross Chemin d'Arbonne in Ury and continue to Carrefour de Joinville. Head southeast onto Route de Joinville (third road on the right). Continue straight ahead on this road until you reach Carrefour des Grands Feuillards (S/E).
