Les Roches d'Oëtre and La Forêt-Auvray

A beautiful hike offering views of the Roches d'Oëtre, the village of La Forêt-Auvray, the banks of the Orne and the Normandy countryside.
This hike is a slightly longer variation of the "Around La Forêt-Auvray" hike.
You can start the hike at La Fouillerie (the option chosen for the description) or at La Forêt-Auvray.

Details

82720
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 21.08 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 7h 05 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 374 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 380 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 236 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 50 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Park your car along the D18 at La Fouillerie.

(S) Follow the RD18 south-west,

(1) Cross the Orne bridge and, after about 200 metres, take the first road on the left. You are now on theGR®36, which you will follow to "Les Planches" along the Rouvre river.

(2) At Les Planches, leave theGR®36and continue straight ahead, following the bend in the road.

(3) After the Rouvou bend, when you reach the road, turn left, crossing the road and following the Rouvre.
Start climbing and stay on the path until you cross theGR®36.

(4) Take theGR® on the right (south-east) to the Roches d'Oëtre site, where you should definitely stop to admire the landscape (restaurant and picnic area).
Continue on theGR®36and follow it to Hamel and the next crossroads.

(5) At the crossroads, turn right uphill to admire the market halls of the village of La Forêt-Auvray (picnic area and restaurant).
Then retrace your steps and descend to the right towards the Orne.

(6) Immediately after the bridge, take theGR®36on the left.
Be careful, at one point theGR®36branches off to the right, uphill.

(7) After the climb, you will arrive at a paved section at La Bourganière.

After about 100 metres, take a path on the left (GR®36).

(8) When you reach a crossroads, turn diagonally left (not completely left) and continue along the road (GR®36).
At the bottom of the descent, take a path on the left to rejoin the road.

(9) Pass the confluence of the Orne and Baize rivers and continue straight ahead along the Orne.

At the crossroads, at a disused factory, turn right towards the viaduct.
Just before the viaduct, take a path on the left that passes under the viaduct and joins the D18 road, where you will find your vehicle by turning left (E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 75 m - Parking along the D18 at La Fouillerie
  2. 1 : km 0.61 - alt. 56 m - Bridge over the &gt - Orne (fleuve)
  3. 2 : km 4.08 - alt. 58 m - Les Planches - Go straight ahead and follow the bend in the road
  4. 3 : km 5.29 - alt. 66 m - Turn left towards &gt - Rouvre (rivière)
  5. 4 : km 7 - alt. 149 m - Crossroads - Take the GR on the right
  6. 5 : km 11.91 - alt. 194 m - At the crossroads, turn right and go uphill
  7. 6 : km 13.7 - alt. 69 m - Immediately after the bridge, take the GR on the left
  8. 7 : km 16.47 - alt. 125 m - After the climb, you arrive at La Bourganière
  9. 8 : km 17.62 - alt. 139 m - Turn diagonally left (not completely)
  10. 9 : km 19 - alt. 56 m - Confluence of the Orne and - Baize (affluent de l'Orne en rive droite)
  11. S/E : km 21.08 - alt. 75 m - Parking along the D18 at La Fouillerie

Notes

Bar in La Fouillerie.
Restaurant at Les Roches d'Oëtre (check opening times depending on the season) and picnic area with tables.
Restaurant in La Forêt-Auvray.
An easy hike, except for a short climb on the way back from the banks of the Orne to La Bouganière (100 m elevation gain).

Worth a visit

The landscapes from Les Roches d'Oëtre.
The market halls at La Forêt-Auvray.

Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

Reviews and comments

4.6 / 5
Based on 49 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.5 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.7 / 5
Route interest
4.7 / 5
Bene de b
Bene de b
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 04, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant walk with varied and stunning scenery!
Between points 3 and 4, it is actually more interesting to take the short hiking trail on the left after the bridge.
Nice café at Les Roches d'Oëtre.
No difficulty on the route, even in rainy weather, despite some muddy and/or slippery sections.
The route took 5 hours, not including the lunch break :-)

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claire.soli@sfr.fr
claire.soli@sfr.fr

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 15, 2025
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Follow the GPS route for an easier journey
For the start, rather than parking along the road, there is a large car park at the village hall (100 metres after the start of the walk description, take the road on the right towards Pont d'Ouilly, and the car park is immediately on the left after the turn)
We set off very early to avoid the heat. As a result, the colours were magnificent.
When you arrive at the Roche d'Oëtre, don't hesitate to take all the small marked paths to access all the viewpoints.
Very varied landscapes: forests, meadows, little tarmac
Picnic in the Forest of Auvers, in the shade under the large flower-covered hall with large tables.

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Isabelle COB
Isabelle COB

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 08, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A varied hike with beautiful views, particularly at Roches d'Oëtre, pleasant little paths through the woods and beautiful houses near La Vallée. We followed the PR between points 3 and 4 as recommended, and the climb was gradual.

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Mariemerlange
Mariemerlange

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 02, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Beautiful hike offering diverse landscapes

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Odile et  Bernard
Odile et Bernard

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 28, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Excellent hike. The Oitre rock is an exceptional place but very touristy. Otherwise, it's pure pleasure!
Don't take the D301 between 3 and 4, it's a long, boring climb on tarmac. Take the PR instead, which starts in the hamlet.

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Elodie1461
Elodie1461

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 12, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant hike, with well-maintained paths despite a short muddy section. We stopped for lunch at Le Caillou (a rock formation) and enjoyed an easy walk with the dog along quiet roads. There were some lovely views and beautiful houses.

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Onlyrunning
Onlyrunning

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 26, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Beautiful, peaceful hike

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fralamb33
fralamb33

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 04, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant and varied route.

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seullines
seullines

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 14, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : Yes

Impossible to do without the description and help from the Visiorando GPS.
A lot of driving, even though there is very little traffic.

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Mick88
Mick88
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 23, 2023
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very beautiful hike. I followed the trail on my GPS.
At point 3, instead of walking along the D301, take the winding path that runs alongside this road and rejoins the D301 just before point 4.
Thank you for this beautiful route.

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Didier14
Didier14

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 07, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike (with few roads and very little traffic), shaded paths, superb views... just one unpleasant stretch between two fields for about a kilometre, but that's nothing to worry about.
We'll do it again in the other direction!

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phjog
phjog

Hello,
Sorry about this incident. Unfortunately, I can't update the route because I did it several years ago (2015) and, not being from the area, I can't keep track of changes.
Best regards

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madfdl
madfdl
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 18, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

It should be noted that at the end of the route, the return journey takes you through unkempt areas and there was, in particular, a path between two fields that was completely impassable. We almost needed a machete to get through. It was dangerous and one of us twisted her ankle because she couldn't see the uneven ground.

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Bettina80
Bettina80

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 29, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very beautiful hike. The length is ideal for a day trip. I highly recommend picnicking at the old market halls in Forêt-Auvray, where there are large picnic tables. It's very pleasant and not too far off the trail.
Everything went well except between points 3 and 4, where, following the route on my GPS device, it did not indicate that we had to leave the road to the left to rejoin the GR. We had to go back and forth a few times to figure out what to do. Even with the description, it was not clear. I think something like this should be added: "Continue up the road until you cross the path (I think it says 'meanders') on the left, then take the GR36 on the right."
There are a few very typical hamlets in the bocage.
We enjoyed this beautiful region, where there are still some lovely walks to do. We'll be back!
Thanks to the author

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tagadam33
tagadam33

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 15, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike in the heart of Swiss Normandy! The terrain is quite varied (not much tarmac), with plenty to keep you entertained and plenty of places to stop and admire the beautiful scenery. If you're not too far away, I'd definitely recommend spending a day here.

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