Tour of the Lacs des Mortes and Bellefontaine lakes, starting from La Chapelle-des-Bois

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A superb hike starting from the Chapelle des Bois with beautiful countryside and forest landscapes, not to mention the Lac des Mortes and Lac de Bellefontaine. In winter, this circuit can easily be done on snowshoes, allowing you to discover the frozen lakes.

⚠️ From 15/11 to 15/03: This hike crosses Nordic ski trails that are groomed in winter. Out of respect for skiers and the work of the ski patrollers , we kindly ask you not to walk on the trails.

Details

n°2890847
Creation:
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 14.87 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 45 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 179 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 175 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,190 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 1,065 m
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Photos

Cross of the Plague Victims
La Chapelle-des-Bois
Skater on the Lac des Mortes in winter
Lac des Mortes

Description of the walk

Park in the large car park at the Chapelle des Bois near the holiday centre. In winter, this car park is used as the starting point for the cross-country ski trails.

(S/E) Turn opposite into Rue des Pâturages. Keep right on Rue Cheminon and continue to the Y-junction with Rue des Clarines.

(1) Turn left onto Route des Clarines, passing the fire station. Turn right and then quickly left onto Chemin des Sources, following the sign for Chemin de la Madone.
Note for winter: the Grande Traversée du Jura snowshoe trail follows almost the same route, passing through the meadow and then the forest to point 3. It is very well signposted.
Pass the Croix des Pestiférés (see § During the hike). Reach the top of the hill at the GR®® crossroads. Turn right and leave theGR®®5to stay on the GTJ. Reach the statue of the Madonna. Enjoy the view of this beautiful statue.

(2) Continue along the path and enter the forest. Leave three paths leading to the fields on your right. At the next crossroads, at the cross, continue to the left. Continue until you reach the Chez l'Aimé chalet.

(3) Pass the refuge. Continue and leave a path on your left. Reach a crossroads between the Lac des Mortes and Lac de Bellefontaine.

(4) Continue straight ahead, leaving the lakeside path on your right. At the next crossroads, ignore the paths and continue to the D18 road.

(5) Turn right and follow it for about 700 m to reach the Chez Bourgeois farm.

(6) Turn left onto Chemin des Briolettes. This part of the path is marked with a yellow rectangle. Continue along the edge of the forest and then enter the forest. Leave a path on your right, then two on your left, following the markings. Pass by the hamlet of Chez Jean Bouveret, staying in the forest. Leave a path on your left, then take the one on the right towards the D46. Follow this for 100 m before turning left to pass through the hamlet of Les Mortes. Keep to the right to rejoin the D46 and follow it for 400 m until you reach the junction with the D46E1.

(7) Turn left onto the D46E1 until you find a path on the right that leads into the forest.

(8) Take the path, ignoring all paths on the left. At the edge of the forest, pass the Chaumeau farm.

(9) Do not take the road but follow the path on the right that crosses the meadows. Follow the forest. At the end of the meadow, continue on the main path, and 100 m further on, turn left and cross the copse and then the meadow. Leave a path on your right, enter the forest again and, at the exit, turn right. Join a paved road called Route Vers l'Église

(10). Cross it, enter the forest again and arrive at the crossroads with theGR®®5. Turn right and arrive at the hamlet of Les Landry.

(11) Here, theGR®®5joins the Route des Clarines. Turn right, continue along this road and return to the original crossroads in the centre of Chapelle-des-Bois.

(1) Turn left to rejoin the path you started on, Rue Cheminon, then Route des Pâturages to return to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 1,084 m - Holiday centre Route des Pâturages
  2. 1 : km 0.5 - alt. 1,086 m - Chapelle-des-Bois village centre
  3. 2 : km 1.89 - alt. 1,134 m - Statue of the Madonna
  4. 3 : km 3.9 - alt. 1,140 m - Chez L'Aimé refuge
  5. 4 : km 4.45 - alt. 1,124 m - Crossroads between the two lakes
  6. 5 : km 6.4 - alt. 1,096 m - Crossroads with the main road D18
  7. 6 : km 7.13 - alt. 1,112 m - Pin Chemin des Briolettes
  8. 7 : km 9.77 - alt. 1,105 m - D6 D46E1 junction
  9. 8 : km 10.46 - alt. 1,105 m - D46E1
  10. 9 : km 11.49 - alt. 1,074 m - La Chaumeau farm
  11. 10 : km 12.78 - alt. 1,066 m - Route Towards the church
  12. 11 : km 13.82 - alt. 1,071 m - Route des Clarines, Les Landry hamlet
  13. S/E : km 14.87 - alt. 1,084 m - Holiday centre Route des Pâturages

Notes

Start at Chapelle-des-Bois near the holiday centre. At the end of Rue des Pâturages, there is a large car park which, in winter, serves as the starting point for cross-country skiing trails. In summer, parking is available throughout the village.
In winter, it is possible to do this hike on snowshoes.
Between points (5) and (10), the hike is marked by a yellow rectangle. The markings are very clear and easy to spot. Thank you to the team responsible for the markings.

This route passes through a protected area, which may be subject to special regulations:

Worth a visit

Between points (1) and (2), just after the stream on the right, the Croix des Pestiférés (plague cross) marks the site of an old cemetery. There is an information board.
(S/E) At the Chapelle-des-Bois, you can discover:
- a cheese dairy where you can find local cheeses: Comté and Morbier.
- a small, well-stocked general grocery store called Croq' Jura.
- restaurants,
- the eco-museum, which shows what life was like for farmers in the past. Ask when bread is baked.
- the Saint-Jean-Baptiste Church, built in the 17th century.
Between the points (3) and (5), the Lacs de Bellefontaine and Lacs des Mortes are two lakes surrounded by remarkable wetlands.
Accommodation options:
(S/E) at the holiday centre, Chalet Montagnon
(3) at the Aymé stopover lodge.

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.

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Reviews and comments

4.7 / 5
Based on 20 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.7 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.7 / 5
Route interest
4.8 / 5
Citron10
Citron10
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 02, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The problem is on the forest path between points 8 and 9. This path was recognised in June 2004 by 4 hikers, then used by 20 hikers in June 20025. A tricky section of about a hundred metres in 2004 became dangerous for a group of walkers over a distance of almost a kilometre. Forestry machines have torn up most of the path between points 8 and 9. The ruts are deep and often filled with mud. It is often impossible to follow the path, which can be very steep. You have to return, then wander through the forest looking for possible passages. This is on sharp limestone pavement cluttered with dead branches, sometimes tree trunks and heads, with moss-covered rocks and deep holes. The hike is magnificent, but this passage has become dangerous for a group.

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ELISABETH21
ELISABETH21

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 26, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A pleasant hike despite a bit too much paved road.

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pierreantoine
pierreantoine

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 21, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Nice, easy hike

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DROUILLOT
DROUILLOT

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 03, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful, varied environment and pleasant trails make up this hike, accompanied by the tinkling of cowbells. No technical difficulty. The description is reliable and reinforced by various signposts along the route, except when crossing the hamlet of Les Mortes (6).
Just one small error: at (S/E), read "chemin Minon" instead of "rue Cheminon".
Avoid in wet weather, as many sections become very muddy.
There is only one picnic table between points (3) and (4).
Thanks to "randodusamedi".

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Christian delode
Christian delode

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 31, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

a peaceful hike with no particular difficulties, but best avoided the day after heavy rain
varied paths, trails and roads and equally varied landscapes
encounters with sheep, cows, donkeys, dogs, snails and very friendly local men and women
the snails we encountered were enormous and therefore very different from those that end up on our plates!

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Nine la randonneuse
Nine la randonneuse

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 19, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very beautiful hike, easy to complete as there are no difficulties along the route. Well signposted and offering beautiful views of the lakes.

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mauricejeannine
mauricejeannine

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 25, 2023
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

I would like to qualify my opinion of 10 June. We returned to Chapelle-des-Bois (walking from Les Rousses through the forest on 25 June, walked around the Lacs des Mortes and Belle Fontaine lakes on 26 June and returned on foot on 27 June, taking the magnificent route from La Roche Champion to La Roche Bernard, then through the forest to Les Rousses, where we are staying during June). If I wish to qualify my previous opinion, it is because we were very disappointed to find that all the magnificent meadows we had seen at the beginning of June had been mowed! At most, there were a few trolles left at the edge of the paths and some flowering gentians. It's a shame, because in the Alps, buttercups and orchids, to name but a few, are considered rare flowers that are forbidden to pick. On the other hand, there were so many horseflies! However, the lakes are still as beautiful as ever and the view from La Roche Champion and La Roche Bernard is breathtaking. Not to be missed

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mauricejeannine
mauricejeannine

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 05, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We followed the route to the village of Les Mortes, but via La Roche Champion and La Roche Bernard. Between points 5 and 6, the signposting was a little unclear near a large villa. Fortunately, our compass confirmed our direction.
At Les Mortes, we continued along the road until we reached the Auberge de la Distillerie and from there returned to Chapelle-des-Bois through the flower-filled meadows that run alongside the peat bogs. Magnificent!

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shutilo
shutilo

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 15, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

An ideal hike on a hot day, with shaded areas and an altitude of 1,000 metres.
Beautiful views of the Haut-Jura.
The only downside is that some sections are on departmental roads with traffic.

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Thut
Thut

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 24, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Hike completed with snowshoes. Well-marked trail

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masdelaraz38
masdelaraz38

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 18, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

family hike with beautiful views throughout. A nice climb right from the start got us warmed up. It had rained heavily in the previous days, so we had to be careful on some of the descents as they were slippery.
thanks to the author for this enjoyable time spent in the Jura.

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zonzon
zonzon

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 26, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Thank you for this route. We tried to do it during the week of 10 to 17 July, but unfortunately, with all the rain, it was almost impassable: there was a lot of mud almost immediately after setting off and the path between the two lakes was completely flooded... What a shame! We'll try again next year! A very pleasant route, more suitable for families if you shorten it to Lac des Mortes.

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Moucal
Moucal

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 17, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We completed this hike using the written notes and map I had downloaded, and we didn't encounter any difficulties. The meadows haven't been mowed yet and are full of flowers. It was a very beautiful outing.

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gougouilles
gougouilles

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 23, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

We had already done the ridge walk, and we wanted to explore the lower part of the area!
it was great fun, although very muddy (it had been raining and there was still snow in Chapelle last week!)
We'll definitely do it again in dry weather because we enjoyed it so much
Don't hesitate to stop at Michel's, Auberge de la Distillerie, to visit their little shop: jams, honey, and various aperitifs, absinthes, and gentian liqueurs... to be enjoyed in moderation!
You're sure to receive a very warm welcome!

Thank you, Visorando, for all these discoveries

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randocollectif
randocollectif

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 10, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A pleasant route in warm weather under the shade of pine trees! Typical Jura landscape: pine forests and lakes!

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