Activity

Forest of Meudon 7.2 km

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Photo ofForest of Meudon 7.2 km Photo ofForest of Meudon 7.2 km Photo ofForest of Meudon 7.2 km

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Trail stats

Distance
4.5 mi
Elevation gain
502 ft
Technical difficulty
Moderate
Elevation loss
502 ft
Max elevation
573 ft
TrailRank 
65 5
Min elevation
292 ft
Trail type
Loop
Time
2 hours 11 minutes
Coordinates
860
Uploaded
June 24, 2019
Recorded
May 2019
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  •   5 1 review

near Clamart, Île-de-France (France)

Viewed 3544 times, downloaded 72 times

Trail photos

Photo ofForest of Meudon 7.2 km Photo ofForest of Meudon 7.2 km Photo ofForest of Meudon 7.2 km

Itinerary description

The Forêt domaniale de Meudon is a surprisingly attractive forest, close to Paris. On some stretches you hardly see any people, in some places you will see joggers and anglers. It is a mainly deciduous forest with lakes, stream, open spots, and plenty of forest flowers. You will pass a menhir. It is a bit unclear to me whether the forest at the start is called the Bois de Clamart or the Forêt de Meudon. There are restaurants at the Étang de Trivaux and the Étang de Meudon with limited opening times. You can park your car around the roundabout at the start. If you arrive by public transport, probably the Place du Garde or the Cimetière de Trivaux bus stops are more convenient starting places, close to the route. There are some steeper stretches on the walk, which maybe slippery when it rains.
From the roundabout you walk in the direction of Clamart, and then around an open spot in the forest. At the Route de la Porte de Clamart, a wooden wall made of tree trunks was put next to the forest road (but will be probably gone by now). At a next roundabout you take a minor trail downhill which ends at the menhir ‘Pierre aux Moines’. At the other side of the road there is the lake Étang de la Garenne, and you walk along the south side of it. You then arrive to a smaller trail, cross a small stream that has just surfaced from an underground duct, and continue uphill. During our walk, this part of the forest was disturbed by heavy machinery to cut trees and collect the trunks. When you are near the top of the hill you walk west to the Tapis Vert, a straight strip of about 30 meters wide between the trees of grassland covered with common broom. Looking north into the distance you can make out the Orangery de Meudon at the horizon. You walk down the ‘green carpet’ for a while and then continue west into the forest. After a short downhill stretch, the path is more or less straight, crossing the D406, going uphill. At the top of the hill, you go down a hollow path (Cavalière d'Aubervilliers) towards the Étang de Meudon. You walk halfway around it and then continue upstream to the Étang de Villebon. You walk around this lake and return to pass Étang de Meudon on the north side. From here you continue on an broad track towards the Étang de Trivaux, popular with anglers (the small restaurant there named after them). In this lake I saw wood duck (Carolina eend in Dutch) three times in one week hiding near the same tree on the edge of the water… From here you walk down the Route de la Porte-Fleury, along a stone wall and pass an open spot in the forest with the little stream coming from Étang de Garenne. A short while further you take a small trail through the woods which takes you past a little open spot with bluebells (wilde hyacinthen in Dutch). You continue mainly uphill until you get back to the starting point.

Waypoints

Photo ofAround Étang de la Garenne Photo ofAround Étang de la Garenne Photo ofAround Étang de la Garenne

Around Étang de la Garenne

You walk south and at some distance from the lake

PictographBridge Altitude 0 ft
Photo ofBridge Photo ofBridge Photo ofBridge

Bridge

Bridge across the stream between lakes Étang de Villebon and Étang de Meudon, which is carried in a half open stone duct when there is enough water.

Photo ofCavalière d'Aubervilliers Photo ofCavalière d'Aubervilliers Photo ofCavalière d'Aubervilliers

Cavalière d'Aubervilliers

Hollow path taking you down the hill.

Photo ofForest trail with bluebells Photo ofForest trail with bluebells Photo ofForest trail with bluebells

Forest trail with bluebells

Small forest trail which takes you past an open spot with bluebells

Photo ofMenhir de la Pierre aux Moines Photo ofMenhir de la Pierre aux Moines Photo ofMenhir de la Pierre aux Moines

Menhir de la Pierre aux Moines

A large sign indicates that the big stone is the Menhir de la Pierre aux Moines

Photo ofRoute de la Porte de Châtillon Photo ofRoute de la Porte de Châtillon Photo ofRoute de la Porte de Châtillon

Route de la Porte de Châtillon

Forest road towards Clamart. You leave the road to walk around an open spot in the forest.

Photo ofRoute de la Porte de Clamart Photo ofRoute de la Porte de Clamart Photo ofRoute de la Porte de Clamart

Route de la Porte de Clamart

Large stacks of trunks are collected along this Route de la Porte de Clamart

Photo ofRoute de la Porte-Fleury Photo ofRoute de la Porte-Fleury Photo ofRoute de la Porte-Fleury

Route de la Porte-Fleury

This track takes you past a stone wall along the edge of the forest.

Photo ofRoute du Vertugadin Photo ofRoute du Vertugadin Photo ofRoute du Vertugadin

Route du Vertugadin

Track taking you uphill and back to the start

PictographRiver Altitude 0 ft
Photo ofStream from Étang de la Garenne Photo ofStream from Étang de la Garenne Photo ofStream from Étang de la Garenne

Stream from Étang de la Garenne

A stream through an open spot in the forest flows below the Route de la Porte-Fleury.

Photo ofTapis Vert Photo ofTapis Vert Photo ofTapis Vert

Tapis Vert

'Green carpet', a straight strip of land void of trees, with grass and common broom. In the distance you see the Orangery de Meudon (observatory).

Photo ofTrail down to Étang de la Garenne Photo ofTrail down to Étang de la Garenne Photo ofTrail down to Étang de la Garenne

Trail down to Étang de la Garenne

Trail downhill towards the menhir and the Étang de la Garenne

Photo ofUnderground stream Photo ofUnderground stream Photo ofUnderground stream

Underground stream

A little stream pops up from an underground duct and feeds the Étang de Garenne. You cross here. The path was a bit unclear during our hike due to tree cutting work. After the crossing you go uphill on a broader track.

PictographLake Altitude 0 ft
Photo ofÉtang de Meudon Photo ofÉtang de Meudon Photo ofÉtang de Meudon

Étang de Meudon

Lake with a restaurant (La Terrasse De L'Etang).

PictographLake Altitude 0 ft
Photo ofÉtang de Trivaux Photo ofÉtang de Trivaux Photo ofÉtang de Trivaux

Étang de Trivaux

Lake popular with anglers and the wood duck I saw three times in one week, in the same tree on the edge of the lake. There is a restaurant 'Au Rendez-Vous des Pêcheurs' with limited opening times here.

PictographLake Altitude 0 ft
Photo ofÉtang de Villebon Photo ofÉtang de Villebon Photo ofÉtang de Villebon

Étang de Villebon

Lake

Comments  (2)

  • Photo of Smecher
    Smecher Sep 12, 2020

    I have followed this trail  View more

    Chemin très sympa !

  • Photo of Tjaart Molenkamp
    Tjaart Molenkamp Sep 12, 2020

    Merci, Smecher!

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