Vallée des Cailles via the Chemin des Fontaines

This is a moderately difficult and varied hike, following part ofthe GR®22 trailthrough the Vallée des Cailles.

Details

68710
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 10.01 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 10 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 104 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 104 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 132 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 61 m
  • ⚐ Country: France
  • ⚐ District: Anet (28260)
  • ⚑
    Start/End: N 48.857915° / E 1.440731°
  • ❏
    IGN map(s): Ref. 2014E, 2114O
  • Hour-by-hour weather

Photos

Description of the walk

Departure from the Aire de la Friche car park in Anet.

(S/E) Cross Rue Le Nôtre towards Place du Château and walk along the castle to Boulevard Ferdinand Moreau, which you take on the right (towards Saussay). Then, just before the river with the fountains, turn left into Rue de l'Abreuvoir until you reach the D928, which you take on the right.

(1) Take Ruelle de l'Étang on the right and, a few metres later, continue left along Chemin des Fontaines. Follow this narrow, grassy path to the end, then take the path on the left to the D116 road.

(2) Go up the road on the left until you reach Chemin du Riquet, which you take on the right. Go up this path to the forest (Côte de Dreux on the map), then take the path on the left near the houses. Continue along this path.

(3) Cross the D928 (signposted La Charmoie), arrive at a fork, continue on the left until you reach the D147 road. (Do not turn right at the metal barrier).

(4) Go down this road for 30 metres and take a path on the right. You will arrive at the forest at Carrefour des Chevreuils (sign), continue straight on until you reach Carrefour des Fours à Chaux.

(5) From this crossroads, take the main road on the left (Route des Coutumes) until you reach a path overlooking the Vallée des Cailles, which you take on the left. Continue along this path until you reach Boncourt.

(6) At the stop sign, take the road on the left, D21-2, marked with white and redGR®22signs.
Then turn left at the stop sign onto Route d'Anet, passing in front of the war memorial, then take the Oulins road on the right (D21).

(7) At the bottom of the hill, leave the D21 on your right, which leads to Oulins, and continue straight ahead towards the community hall (sign). Then take the small road uphill on the left (sign for the community lodge). When you reach the communal lodge, continue straight ahead on the grassy path, follow the fence and then leave it by climbing a short, very steep distance to the left (do not go down). At the end of this small path, you will come to a path at the top. Take it to the right, then follow theGR®22(white and red) markings for a few metres.

(8) Turn left to descend between two fields. Then continue along the path on the left.
When you reach a house, continue straight ahead along a fence (narrow, grassy path) until you reach the road, where you turn right.
Continue to the Aire de la Friche to reach the starting point on the left (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 66 m - Aire de la Friche
  2. 1 : km 0.84 - alt. 67 m - Ruelle de l'Étang on the right
  3. 2 : km 1.73 - alt. 72 m - D116, on the left
  4. 3 : km 3.39 - alt. 132 m - D928, opposite
  5. 4 : km 4.24 - alt. 117 m - D147, left a few metres
  6. 5 : km 5.54 - alt. 128 m - Carrefour des Fours à Chaux
  7. 6 : km 7.47 - alt. 76 m - Boncourt, stop sign, D21-2 on the left
  8. 7 : km 8.13 - alt. 65 m - At the bottom of the hill, continue straight ahead towards the community hall - Vesgre (rivière)
  9. 8 : km 8.74 - alt. 92 m - Descent between two fields
  10. S/E : km 10.01 - alt. 66 m - Aire de la Friche

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

4.1 / 5
Based on 19 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.1 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.1 / 5
Route interest
4.3 / 5
Alain0850
Alain0850

Hello
For a first attempt, a little research, but the result is satisfactory

Best regards

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sissidanseuse
sissidanseuse

Overall rating : 2.5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 12, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : Not used / Not applicable
Very busy route : No

the path has changed, blocked by crops or houses, poorly marked... needs to be redone with the changes.

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CA
CA

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 19, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Highly varied landscapes

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gfy78
gfy78

I disagree with point b). The entrance to the path does exist, but it is narrow and slightly offset. The path runs alongside the property and widens further on.

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gfy78
gfy78

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 27, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

200 metres of the path no longer exists, so we had to cross a cultivated field.

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jpat
jpat

Overall rating : 4 / 5

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

Nice hike. Beautiful passage through the valley. Few trail names in the forest. Fortunately, we had the map...
lovely visit to the Château d'Anet.

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Grosse  Valérie
Grosse Valérie

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 25, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

At point 2, there has been roadworks on the Ď116, so you have to make a left-right-left-right turn to go up this road to the Dreux coast.
The start of the walk is a bit noisy, but the village at the end is full of charm.

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popeyeoliv
popeyeoliv

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 26, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Pleasant route through fields and forest
Same comment between points 2 and 3

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heavyfuel
heavyfuel

Overall rating : 2.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 18, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

Overall, the map is quite old, so there are likely to be some changes to the route.
a) Between points 2 and 3, at the end of Chemin du Piquet, a new road has been built between the D928 roundabout and the D116. The path that continued towards the Dreux coast is now occupied by a beautiful, well-cultivated field. At the end of Chemin du Piquet, you must therefore go up the road to the left towards the D928 roundabout and then find (before the roundabout) a path on the right that goes up to the edge of the Bois de la Côte de Dreux. Follow the edge of the woods to find the marked path (roughly at the altitude of 83 metres).
b) At point 4 (where the route crosses the D147), it is no longer possible to enter the forest at this point, as a magnificent property (!!) has been built on the path. You must therefore head south on the D147, then leave the D147 on the left to take the 'route de Boncourt'. You will then find the marked path at the junction with the Bardaut road to resume the indicated route (please note that there is no sign indicating the Bardaut road, so be careful not to miss it).
c) After point 5, at an altitude of 125 metres, the cliff has collapsed slightly, and a fence has been installed to prevent falls. At this point, you must therefore cut through the woods (no path) to the right, follow the fence to find a path that will take you to the GR22.
The walk remains pleasant overall, but with these few changes, it is now a little over 13 km long.
Enjoy your walk.

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marsupilami_888
marsupilami_888

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : May 17, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant, varied and easy hike.
As already mentioned in point 2, you need to take the Chemin du Piquet. Please note that this path is now cut off by a new road; you need to follow it to the left for about 200 metres and then take a path on the right (just before a new roundabout) that veers towards the forest.
The Vallée des Cailles is magnificent. Thank you for this hike!

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superyoda86
superyoda86

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 19, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

The highlight of the hike is the Château d'Anet. Otherwise, it's a classic hike with quite a bit of forest, which is rather pleasant. However, be careful because there are no markings, so you need to have the GPS track or it will be a nightmare.

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cathrosquelfen
cathrosquelfen

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

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

Thank you for this hike. I didn't particularly enjoy the start, which was along a very busy road, but it should be possible to avoid this by going through the centre of Anet.
The rest of the trail was very pleasant in the forest, but especially enjoyable when we reached the hillside of the Vallée des Cailles, a protected regional area that is very beautiful and perfect for a bucolic break!
An easy hike...

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Ultriam
Ultriam

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 29, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

10km is a route for starting your training.
It's pleasant, not too much tarmac, and a good base for extending the route. I admit I'm a bit of a moaner. I haven't been out running for three years, so I'm fed up with the Dreux forest and the surrounding forests. But I like this circuit. My real problem is that I'm looking for good shoes that are suitable for both dirt tracks (my favourite, of course) and tarmac (which is becoming more and more common). Everyone has a different opinion, I'm not a millionaire, so what should I choose?

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joremond
joremond

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 24, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Diverse landscapes (forest, fields), and very few towns
A lovely walk
it was hot when we did it and we really enjoyed the coolness of the forest
highly recommended

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grandin
grandin ★

Thank you for these clarifications, which will be useful to the author and other hikers

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