Fontainebleau Forest highlights 34 km

This brisk hike takes in a lot of highlights of the Fontainebleau Forest, roughly between Fontainebleau and Barbizon. It includes among others the Gorges de Franchard, the Elephant rock, the Gorges d’Apremont, the Tour Denecourt, the Croix du Calvaire, the park and gardens of Fontainebleau Castle, Mont Aigu, an endless series of particularly shaped sandstone rocks, little fountains and natural ponds, and varied forest types (pine, oak, beech). The hike is largely on forest tracks and trails. The ridges of sandstone hills with peculiar rocks require continuous climbing and descent on uneven trails. Many trails I chose are well signposted with blue arrows and paint dots, part of one of many Denecourt-Colinet trails, named after the guides who developed these trails in the nineteenth century (Colinet being the successor of Denecourt). The sandstone rocks have peculiar shapes like an elephant and a crocodile, and are also used for rock climbing (bouldering). The gardens and courtyards within the Fontainebleau castle grounds are free and open between 9 am and 5 to 7 pm, depending on the season (see https://www.chateaudefontainebleau.fr/Opening-Hours?lang=en). Only in Fontainebleau/Avon and at the start of the Cavalière des Brigands, you will find something to eat or drink.
The hike starts at the free parking at the entrance of the Gorges de Franchard. I started at sunrise, and there was a deer on the Route de l’Ermitage next to the parking. From the parking you walk past the building of the Ermitage and then you follow the blue signs on the Sentier des Gorges de Franchard. The route directly takes you on a sandstone ridge with boulders and pine trees. The winding trail takes you past several viewpoints (although it was a bit misty on my trip) to the viewpoint Point de Vue de Saint-Mégrin. Soon after you descend from the ridge and go north, passing de Butte de Franchard, and the D409 road, towards the Gorges d’Apremont. You follow the ridge on a small trail towards the famous Elephant rock. From here you go east towards the start of the Cavalière des Brigands trail, where there is also a restaurant. The trail takes you up on another sandstone ridge with peculiar boulders. You pass by the Caverne des Brigands, a little cave, and walk on past the Mare aux Biches, a natural pond. You walk through a flatter piece before you get to another hill with another pond, the Mare aux Sangliers. Shortly after, you come across some small sand drifts (the area is also called Désert d’Apremont, and then cross the busy four-lane D607: watch out for fast traffic! On a forest road you to the D142 where there is the Belle Croix at a parking. Here starts another trail through another hilly area with a fountain, a cave and more boulders. At the end of the trail you come to a large grassy area (Cabaret Masson). You cross the D606 and follow other small trails in the Rocher Cassepot area, including viewpoint. After crossing the D116 it is another trail with rocks until you get to the Tour Denecour, a tower with viewpoint. From here you follow fores tracks with viewpoints, fountains and the Sponge Stone towards the Croix du Calvaire. Here, you have a good view across Fontainebleau. You descend to Avon, the town grown together with Fontainebleau, and walk to the castle park. You cross it towards the Canal Grande, and then to the entrance of the castle garden and courtyards (not open early in the morning, and in the evening). You get a good view of the castle before you end up on the square in front of the castle, where there are some bars and restaurants. From here you walk west towards the forest. Along a long and pretty straight forest road through dry forest you get to the start of the trail that takes you up the Mont Aigu, with sandstone rock formations and a view. After descending the hill, you walk west back towards the start, on the way crossing another area with sandstone hills. After crossing the D301 you pass by the natural pond Mare aux Pigeons. From there, it is not far back to the starting point.