The Tête Ronde Forest and Saint-Aubin Wood

A hike which is mostly in the forest, with lovely sections along the Mérantaise river and the ditches which run down from the Saclay Plateau.

Technical sheet

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 7.67 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 25 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Return to departure point: Yes
  • ↗
    Vertical gain: + 69 m
  • ↘
    Vertical drop: - 69 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 155 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 82 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Depart from the Villiers-le-Bâcle town hall. Parking is available in the huge car park along the Saint-Aubin road, where several businesses are located.

"Yellow Waymarker"

(S/E) Opposite the town hall, turn right on to Route de Gif in the direction of the Foujita Museum (signposted). Go past the front of the museum located at No 7-9 on the road. At the roundabout, continue straight ahead, go alongside a school on the right and then a teaching farm on the left. The road veers to the left and, at the Stop sign, continue on round the bend to the left.

"Yellow + Orange Waymarking for horseriders"

(1) Coming out of the bend, leave the road and take the level, wide path to the right which goes into the district forest (signposted). At the first crossroads, take the Chemin des Merisiers on the right (signposted). Stay on the main path and, when it bends to the right, ignore what looks like a path heading off to the left. Pass under a high voltage electricity line, turn left and go downhill for a few metres.

"Yellow Waymarker"

At a crossroads (forest plot No 15), take the first path on the right which heads off on a flat section and continues on an apparently flat section, but is actually a slight slope uphill.

"No Waymarking"

(2) At the forest gate, do not follow either of the Yellow arrows, instead continue straight ahead (in a north-west direction, Yellow cross) on a well-marked path. At a fork in the path, turn left and begin to go downhill. After about one hundred metres, make a sharp turn to the left (ignoring the path heading off to the right in the bend). Continue going downhill, heading in a south-east direction. At the bottom, turn left at the T-junction. After a few metres, locate the PR path coming from the left.

"Yellow Waymarking + very rare Red and Green waymarkers"

(3) Head south-east on a very good path through the forest with the Mérantaise river below you to the right. At a crossroads, continue straight ahead on the flat. Go between the abandoned buildings, ignore the path on the right which goes up to one of the buildings, and instead continue on in an east-south-east direction. Once past a forest gate, the path turns into a narrow tarmacked street. Once past a car park (which you go past on the left), the tarmac is replaced by a path. Go past a chicane, go down some steps and you will end up on a road (Route de Gif on the map).

(4) "Note: Up to the next point in the hike, apart from a brief section on a tarmacked road, the waymarked route takes paths which are not shown on the IGN map". Cross the road, go down several steps on to the pontoon which crosses over a reed bed and a small river. At the end, turn to the right and cross over the small wooden bridge which goes over a small river. At the T-junction (No 2 opposite), turn right on to the road. Go across the first river. At the Billehou EDF pole and before the Mérantaise river, turn left onto a a good path which goes along the right bank of the river. Go over two wooden bridges to cross over the first river again and then over the actual Mérantaise river. Go alongside the river on the left bank. You will see horse pastures on the right bank.

"No Waymarking"

(5) After a bend on the right, leave the path and continue towards the small hill in the Aigrefoin wood which is clearly in view, and then turn left to cross over the wooden bridge over the Mérantaise. Enter into the forest and climb gently uphill with a fence on your right. At the T-junction, turn right and go alongside a wire fence on your right-hand side.

"Yellow Waymarker"

(6) At the bottom of a slight descent and just before a small stone bridge, take Chemin du Moulin on your left towards Saint-Aubin (signposted). Climb considerably uphill, up the valley, with the river bed down below to your right. On the last few metres of this climb, you will find wooden steps.

(7) At the top of the point, turn 90° to the left onto Chemin de la Fontaine Billehou (signposted). "Note: On the IGN map, two parallel paths are shown, but - of the two - only the one to the far north actually exists on the ground." At the next crossroads (there are two waymarked PRs at this point), turn 90° to the right, stay on the flat on the edge of an enclosed wood on the left-hand side and a field on the right-hand side, and head towards the north towards a horse-riding centre with a green roof. Go alongside the equestrian centre on the right-hand side until you end up on a small road (with Saint-Aubin forest cemetery on your left).

(8) "Note: On the IGN map, up to the road, the Saint-Aubin Ditch ('rigole') is shown on the left of the paths taken, but on the ground it's the opposite, as the route in this description shows." Continue opposite on the path which goes past the cemetery on the left-hand side. At a crossroads, ignore the path going downhill to the left (sign "CR9") and continue straight ahead with the ditch and houses on your right. Ignore a wooden bridge crossing the ditch - twice. The path turns into a gravel path on the edge of a wood on the left-hand side, with the ditch and a field on the right-hand side. At the T-junction (with a road), turn left, still staying on the gravel path. About one hundred metres further on, at the crossroads, turn left (ignore the wooden bridge on the right) and head in the direction of Villiers-le-Bâcle (marker). Follow the gravel path to the west for about 1 km, parallel to the road, with the wall of a property on your left-hand side and a ditch on your right-hand side. Enter into Villiers-le-Bâcle and, at the fork, follow Route de Saint-Aubin to the right in order to quickly return to the car park where you departed from (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 151 m - Villiers-le-Bâcle Town Hall
  2. 1 : km 0.6 - alt. 145 m - Entrance to the Tête Ronde forest
  3. 2 : km 1.55 - alt. 151 m - Forest barrier
  4. 3 : km 2.23 - alt. 102 m - Junction with the PR
  5. 4 : km 3.66 - alt. 87 m - Route de Gif
  6. 5 : km 4.2 - alt. 82 m - Wooden bridge over the - Mérantaise (ruissseau) - Affluent de l'Yvette
  7. 6 : km 4.46 - alt. 94 m - Chemin du Moulin
  8. 7 : km 4.93 - alt. 155 m - Saclay plateau
  9. 8 : km 5.56 - alt. 153 m - Saint-Aubin forest cemetery
  10. S/E : km 7.67 - alt. 151 m - Villiers-le-Bâcle Town Hall

Practical information

Hiking shoes are necessary.
No water point identified. There is a small supermarket and a few restaurants in Villiers-le-Bâcle.

Variation:
It is possible to join points (2) and (3) together directly by staying on the PR track. At the forest gate, turn left and take the little-marked path going downhill. Start slowly because the gradient becomes very steep - be careful. The gradient evens out and the track ends up on a path perpendicular to point (3).
This route is not suggested as the main route because it includes this very steep section. For the same reason, avoid this variation in wet weather when the ground will be slippery.

Map with a ratio of 1/25000 is required (as a minimum, use the map which accompanies this description).

In the nearby area

- The Foujita Museum in Villiers-le-Bâcle, the last house-studio of the painter Tsugouharu Foujita (1886-1968).
- The Mérantaise River.
- The Saint-Aubin forest cemetery (8). : situated deep in the forest, the graves are spaced out in a simple and moving way.
- The Saclay Plateau Ditches, part of a huge hydraulic water network intended to feed the Château de Versailles with water.

 Always stay careful and alert while following a route. Visorando and the author of this walk cannot be held responsible in the event of an accident during this route.

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

Reviews and comments

4.8 / 5
Based on 138 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.9 / 5
Clarity of route map
4.8 / 5
Route interest
4.6 / 5
User 6988814

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Jun 08, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

However, there are no yellow markings on the circuit as indicated in the description.

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mdajl
mdajl

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : May 28, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

A very pleasant walk, mainly in the woods. The route is very well described and without difficulty. We'd love to do it again. Many thanks to the author.

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sylvene
sylvene

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Nov 09, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

A very varied walk: forest, stream crossings, field edges, a descent and a short climb on well-marked paths, old villages, educational explanations along the way. The route is very well signposted.

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paciwar
paciwar

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of walk : Jul 04, 2024
Reliability of the description : N/A
Clarity of route map : N/A
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

Pleasant route. I recommend using your phone to follow the route. Nice climb to point 6.

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olivier91.laurent
olivier91.laurent

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Jan 19, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

A very pleasant circuit with beautiful views over the valley.
More pleasant to do it in the other direction as the end of the circuit along the road loses some of its charm.
In the woodland section, you need to be with your phone regularly to avoid taking the wrong route.
I recommend it!!!

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ovil
ovil

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of walk : Feb 12, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Busy trail : No

We grouped this walk with the one entitled "Carrières de grès, moulin d'Ors....." where we got lost. So we only walked this route from the start to point 7.
Muddy or stony sections and a few climbs.

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felix roche
felix roche

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Nov 18, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

A very pleasant walk, with the forest taking on new colours in autumn.
The route has a wide variety of points of interest.
The passage through the Mérantaise valley is muddy in places, but that's normal at this time of year.

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Happyfeet
Happyfeet
• Last modified:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Sep 05, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

A pleasant walk in the shade during the heatwave.
Varied walk, no real difficulties, moving and "unusual" cemetery passage,

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Bagaritou
Bagaritou

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of walk : Sep 10, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Clarity of route map : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Hello
Hiking in an interesting area, wooded and close to water.
But right from the start the explanations were confusing - there was no stop sign, so we went straight on looking for the stop sign! When we realised that we were following the route in the wrong direction - we found the stop sign.
That didn't stop us from admiring the scenery, the wilderness, spotting 3 deer and a squirrel, and above all being far from the crowds!

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Jocely
Jocely

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Jul 12, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

You can shorten the return journey by turning left at the cemetery, but be careful - it's a steep climb!

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Simadree Runganaikaloo
Simadree Runganaikaloo

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Jun 20, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

A very easy route with a short, slightly steep climb, but overall a very pleasant walk 👍

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RV94800
RV94800

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Jul 02, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

A very pleasant walk, to be recommended in very hot weather as a large part of the route is in the forest. Hiking boots required, 1 good short climb.

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kerdual
kerdual

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Apr 30, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

Lovely walk, with our dog (Labrador) who was able to go in the water all the way. Lots of greenery, no particular difficulties. The itinerary is precise enough, thank you.

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PascalFrancette
PascalFrancette

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Feb 26, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

A lovely walk that can be enjoyed at leisure on a Sunday afternoon........
Very little tarmac, which is good! Perfect description, thank you.

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Randaltom
Randaltom
• Last modified:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Jan 28, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

What a lovely walk that must be in spring.
Thank you

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