Tour of the Bois de la Ferrière

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A forest hike starting from the Perche Water Park in Fontaine-Simon. The path leads into the Senonches State Forest after following the edge of the lake. A picturesque trail along the old railway line, a long forest line and then a path that descends into the Tourbière des Froux lead to this protected natural site, home to rare plant and animal species. Passing through hamlets and ponds, you return to La Ferrière, the site of former iron ore mining.

Details

n°20707893
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 11.02 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 20 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 61 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 54 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 253 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 192 m
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Photos

Fontaine-Simon pond

Description of the walk

Park in the aquatic centre car park, open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

No markings

(S/E) Head towards the edge of the lake in the direction of the playground and picnic tables and follow the shore to the D5.

(1) Take this road on the left towards Senonches and follow it carefully to the D348.6 crossroads.

Yellow and red markings

Turn right and go under the railway bridge. Then take the path on the left. Turn left onto the track running parallel to the railway line.

No markings

It reaches a path. Follow it straight ahead and arrive at the Rond du Grand Veneur.

(2) Cross the roundabout and follow the wide path along the old railway line.

Yellow markings

At the end, continue along a winding path that follows the old railway line, turns left then right and overlooks the cutting. Watch out for roots. The path continues and approaches the D25 without reaching it. Continue straight ahead until you reach the stony forest road

No markings

turn left and arrive at Rond de Francqueville.

(3) Cross the D25 with caution and take the forest road diagonally to the right. Cross the bridge and at the crossroads, follow the large gravel path opposite (Rachée line) for about 1.5 km. You will reach the junction with a path between plots 168 and 169.

(4) Turn left onto this perpendicular path. Follow it to the edge of the national forest. Do not cross the ditch; keep it on your left and continue to the D140.

(5) Do not cross the road; instead, turn left onto the path that descends to the bottom of the valley to reach the Froux bog trail. Follow it to the right, cross the footbridge and the pontoons to cross the stream. Continue past a magnificent oak tree and join the boardwalk path that crosses the valley. Climb the steps on the right and follow the path to the road (information sign). (Hotel Restaurant 300 m to the right)

(6) Go down the road on the left. You will reach the Boulay-Bellisseaux crossroads. Bus shelter. (On the right, access to Manou and view of the Château dit de Blanche de Castille).

(7) Turn left onto Chemin de la Haute Brosse and keep left at the three-way junction that appears just after. Cross the pond dyke and continue straight ahead on the communal path. Cut across a large field and continue straight ahead.

(8) On the left, you will see the remains of a feudal mound in the woods, about 50 metres from the path: two circular earthworks and large ditches. Please note that this is private woodland! Join the D348.6 at the entrance to La Ferrière. Cross the hamlet and continue along the road to return to the starting point (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 199 m - Parking at the Perche Water Park
  2. 1 : km 0.69 - alt. 193 m - D5 road - Eure (rivière)
  3. 2 : km 1.8 - alt. 207 m - Rond du Grand Veneur
  4. 3 : km 3.71 - alt. 245 m - Rond de Francqueville
  5. 4 : km 5.46 - alt. 252 m - Layon between plots 168 - 169
  6. 5 : km 6.76 - alt. 247 m - D140 road
  7. 6 : km 7.63 - alt. 225 m - Route du Boulay-Bellisseaux
  8. 7 : km 8.25 - alt. 221 m - Le Boulay-Bellisseaux
  9. 8 : km 9.93 - alt. 223 m - Archaeological site
  10. S/E : km 11.02 - alt. 199 m - Parking: Parc Aquatique du Perche

Notes

Parc Aquatique du Perche: swimming pool - water skiing - picnic area - fast food - drinks - camping.
If the water park car park is closed, you can park at Rond de Francqueville on the RD 25 - Point 3 - Then start from this point. At the Fontaine Simon lake, follow the eastern shore.
In the village of Fontaine-Simon, there are shops and a hotel-restaurant.
In Manou: Le Moulin à Vent hotel and restaurant.
Château de la Reine Blanche: guest rooms.

Hiking on paths that are sometimes flooded, so wear appropriate footwear.
Avoid this route during hunting season. Get the hunting schedule for the national forest from the town hall or the Senonches tourist office (no hunting on Sundays).
For the Bois de la Ferrière, please enquire at the town hall in Fontaine-Simon. Remain vigilant and follow the instructions of the hunters.

Worth a visit

Reviews and comments

4.5 / 5
Based on 2 reviews
Reliability of the description
5 / 5
Ease of following the route
4 / 5
Route interest
4.5 / 5
Odile NGUON
Odile NGUON

Okay, thanks for the information, which will be useful for future hikers ☺️

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FARGAS Jean-Claude
FARGAS Jean-Claude

When you arrive at the Tourbière des Froux discovery trail and follow it to the end, you will arrive 500 metres from the Auberge du Moulin à Vent. This is an excellent hotel and restaurant. You can also continue on to Manou, where you will certainly find somewhere sheltered to picnic in case of bad weather, if there are not too many of you.

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Odile NGUON
Odile NGUON

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 25, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant walk with no real difficulty. We enjoyed the forest and its paths, even in autumn when some sections were impassable due to muddy trails, although it wasn't too bad at the sides.
We completed this hike in a little less time than expected. There was nowhere to stop for a snack, so we ate our sandwiches while walking 😁. Parking at the swimming pool is convenient, and it was open, but unfortunately we didn't have our swimsuits with us 😁.

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FARGAS Jean-Claude
FARGAS Jean-Claude

The route does indeed partially follow several PR trails marked in yellow, which will soon be redesigned. Please disregard these.

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Coquelicot28
Coquelicot28
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

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

A magnificent hiking trail that is mainly forest but very varied, with beautiful paths, winding tracks, a trench (remains of an old railway line), the Froux peat bog, etc.
There are few signposts, so be wary of the PR markings that can be seen from time to time, as they do not always correspond to the route. No problems with GPS and the paper description.
A must-do
Coquelicot28

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