Royal Channels

Description of the hike

Start Point: on the D 91 in Vaux de Cernay, take the D 24 towards Auffargis. Pass the Vaux de Cernay Abbey on your right, then the Vallées farm and the Vallées pond. Park 700m after the farm, in the parking lot of the old sand pit which is located on your left.

1. At the car park, cross the D 24 and take the forest path which faces the entrance to the car park. 370 m further you cross Ru des Vaux via the Grandval bridge. At the bridge continue straight ahead along the path which goes up until you reach a crossroads at the top.

2. At the Cinq Cents Arpents crossroads, take the forest road of the same name (2nd on the left) which runs alongside the cycle path then which picks up further towards the exit of the forest. Always continue straight on the cycle path.
You walk along a field on your right and on your left you first walk along a wood, then a meadow, then a wood again.

3. At the end of the 2nd wood on your left you come across a field crossed by power lines. At this point leave the cycle path and turn left onto the path which marks the edge of the woods. At the end of the field continue straight ahead and head into the forest via the path to the right of the large oak tree. This path leads to another path for 450 m.

4. At the intersection, turn right then 20m later, at the fork, turn left. Be careful on the descent, stay in control of your speed. On the descent you will find a concrete path which leads to a property: continue on this path until the bottom.

5. Arriving at the bottom at the intersection with another path, turn right onto the GR which you continue straight on. You will cross houses, pass a tennis hall on your right then arrive on a road. At the road turn right onto the GR (white and red markings) and continue straight on this road until the church. 

6. Opposite the Auffargis church, turn left towards Vieille-Eglise. You arrive at a small square. At this place take a street on the right following the direction of Carrières. Then straight on through the houses until you arrive in front of a large meadow at Ru du Feu de la Saint-Jean.

7. At Ru du Feu de la Saint-Jean, turn left via the dead end of Pont des Murgers (GR), then continue straight
right on the path that runs along the ru.

8. At the intersection with a road, cross the road to take the path opposite, behind a barrier. You follow a channel to a large oak where you find the path on the dike of the Perray pond at the level
of a barrier.

9. Arriving opposite the pond, turn left onto the path on the dike.

10. At the end of the dike you arrive at a bridge: do not cross it and turn left on the path which runs along the channel. Then at the road, cross it and continue opposite by the path which continues to follow the channel through fields.

11. Arriving at a fork with an explanatory plaque on the Coupe-gorge channel, turn left when leaving the channel. You arrive on the D 61 which you cross to continue on the path opposite which takes you into the woods: continue straight on this path. Soon you are again following a channel which you cross twice on bridges, passing successively from one bank to the other.

12. Arriving at the PNR departure sign, continue straight on until you reach the road.

13. At the road, take the one-way lane opposite “Chemin des Forges” until the stop sign where you turn right onto the path which runs along the D 73 behind the safety guardrail, following the PNR markings (blue and white).

14. After the bridge at the ONF sign “Foret domaniale de Rambouillet”, head right into the car park, then at the end of the car park take the path behind the barrier which runs alongside the Etang de la Tour, following the PNR markings. Stop at the next parking lot.

15. At the car park with a PNR departure sign, turn left onto the GR towards the Vieille Eglise circuit, marked blue and white. Cross the D 73 to take the path opposite.

16. 400m further turn right onto the marked GR and PNR path and follow it until you reach a wide path.

17. At the wide path (Saint-Hubert hunting route), leave the GR and turn left (be careful, very distorted path). You cross a bridge, then you go along a field on your right. At the end of the field facing a wood, turn right at the intersection onto the grassy path which runs alongside the wood on the left and the field on the right.

18. At the next intersection, straight on towards the Saint-Benoît circuit, marked PNR. This grassy path continues with a tarmac road which you take until an intersection in the hamlet of Saint-Benoît.

19. In Saint-Benoît at the intersection at a small square continue straight, then at a fork with a PNR departure sign turn right onto rue de la Croix Picard which you go up to the D 61.

20. At the stop sign turn right then immediately left via rue du Chêne Pichard which you take to the end. Then, continue straight after the barrier until you reach an intersection in the forest.

21. At the intersection with a PNR post, turn left towards the Rigoles circuit. Then you cross two successive forks: turn right twice and straight on until you reach the Chêne aux Loups crossroads with a signpost.

22. At the Chêne aux Loups crossroads, take the direction of Route du Pt de Grandval opposite, at the next intersection on the right; then straight downhill. You are back.