Tour of Bois de Serre

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The Bois de Serre loop in Dardilly is an easy, shaded hike. The trail runs alongside a stream and winds through cool, pleasant woodland.

Details

n°606196
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 3.19 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 1h 05 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 46 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 46 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 297 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 241 m
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Photos

Climbing
A cabin in the undergrowth
The boundary stone from the year VIII
A stream

Description of the walk

(S/E) Park on Chemin du Bois de Serre in Dardilly and continue on foot towards the forest. Continue straight ahead when the road ends and a path begins. Pass under a power line and descend to the point marked "La Thuillière".

(1) Turn left towards "Jeansavon". The path follows the stream and then veers away from it as it passes under the railway bridge.

(2) At the point called "Jeansavon", turn left again towards the Year VIII marker. Go up the path called Chemin des Planches and pass in front of the Year VIII marker.

(3) Continue along the path, pass under another power line and reach the point marked "Bois de Serre".

(4) Turn left onto the path at the edge of the woods (the street).
Turn immediately left onto Chemin des Prés, then left again onto Chemin des Mouilles.
At the "Bois de Serre" point, turn left onto the Chemin du Bois de Serre to return to the starting point (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 287 m - Parking on Chemin du Bois de Serre
  2. 1 : km 0.5 - alt. 247 m - La Thuillière
  3. 2 : km 1.13 - alt. 252 m - Jeansavon
  4. 3 : km 1.64 - alt. 294 m - Anno VIII marker
  5. 4 : km 2.33 - alt. 293 m - Bois de Serre
  6. S/E : km 3.19 - alt. 287 m - Parking on Chemin du Bois de Serre

Notes

  • Parking is easy on Chemin du Bois de Serre.
  • It is not possible to walk with a pushchair
  • Walking shoes are recommended, as the trail can be muddy if it has rained recently
  • It is possible to do the hike in reverse if you wish to start with the road section.

Worth a visit

  • (3) The boundary marker from the year VIII that separates the municipalities of Dardilly and Écully
  • The undergrowth with its huts
  • The railway bridges
  • A pretty little stream

Reviews and comments

4.7 / 5
Based on 20 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.8 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.9 / 5
Route interest
4.4 / 5
stucky76
stucky76
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 20, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A pleasant path with plenty of shade, featuring different types of woodland and varied scenery along this length of trail. Follow the direction indicated to avoid a steep climb up natural steps (wood and earth).

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User 8021941

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 19, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

We did this route arriving on bus 3 at the " Bois de Dardilly " stop. There is a section of road without a pavement before you reach the entrance to the forest path.
Please note that the climb/descent (depending on the direction you choose) is quite steep despite its "staircase" appearance, so take care, especially in wet weather.
One small downside due to the season was that the stream was completely dry.
The walk was very pleasant, and the trees protected us from the light rain.
Recommended route

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Santhial
Santhial

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

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

A pleasant family route through woodland, well shaded in hot weather.

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Viviane Razafindranaly
Viviane Razafindranaly

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 21, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Lovely little walk, varied landscapes, close to Lyon, easy parking.

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liliane.clarens
liliane.clarens
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 27, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A pleasant and surprising route through woods and valleys ablaze with colour, dotted with beautiful residences, ponds, educational biodiversity trails, a wetland area and a natural sanitation area.
Thank you to the author for this varied route close to the city.
Sorry, route error to be deleted, please.

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magninf
magninf

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 12, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant family outing.
Not too difficult for little ones.
Takes a good hour to complete the loop

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anthracri
anthracri

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 22, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : Yes

Within 10 km of Lyon, obviously, there are lots of people. Not much to see on this route, but it's a great breath of fresh air. Thank you for the idea.

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anthracri
anthracri

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 09, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Lovely woodland and a beautiful view at the summit. Of course, we lost our way after point 2 on the map... As we wanted to extend the walk to the Ajoux cross, we found our way back through the Ajoux woods and did the circuit from 4 to 2 in the other direction (thank you GPS). This inconvenience was partly our fault, but the walk is really worth the trip. We were "bothered" by a group of about fifteen people on motocross bikes on the same circuit. But they were the only ones we came across.

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andras
andras

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 10, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk that allowed us to discover a wood not far from our home!

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randonneur083451
randonneur083451

No change to the programme yet.

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MONIQUE ET ROGER
MONIQUE ET ROGER

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 14, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A short, very pleasant walk in the woods, especially when it's 30°C.
Just one small difficulty for people with minor walking difficulties (my wife has two prosthetic legs): the first few metres of the path are steep and, more importantly, rocky with loose stones. Once you're past this section, it's pure pleasure!

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annie_12
annie_12

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 09, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A lovely little walk in the shade. As it is short, it is interesting to do it in both directions.

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vapieton
vapieton

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 30, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

It's a very pleasant short walk, just a stone's throw from Lyon but under a beautiful canopy of oak trees

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dbigeon
dbigeon

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 26, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

We did this loop trail yesterday afternoon. It's very pleasant, especially the first part along the Serre stream. There were two of us, and we recommend it for families and/or on hot days.
Going in the opposite direction might be even more enjoyable!
We are keen to return with our grandchildren.

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zygopetale
zygopetale

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 13, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

For once, it's a well-marked route.

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