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Cavalière des Brigands trail
Description
This trail will enable you to discover one of the rocky boulders of the forest, as well as the traditional wood and sandstone works undertaken to fight erosion. You will walk a “cavaliere” or bridle path, which is a throughfare across a rocky ridge.
Geology: after invading the Parisian Basin for the last time some 37 million years ago, the sea deposited a huge quantity of very fine and pure sand that in some areas reached a thickness of 60 meters. In the Quaternary era, long after the sea withdrew, a very complex evolution took place and some sandy zones were solidified by the silica contained in water, forming sandstone beds in the sand called “platières”. Freed by erosion, their borders collapsed thus creating the Fontainebleau sandstone boulders arranged in spectacular chaos.
The Brigand cavern: it is the work of Claude François Denecourt. This cavern has 2 entries linked by an underground tunnel. Claude François Denecourt, who invented nature tourism, invented as well the legend whereby this cavern would have served as a den of bandits under the reign of King Louis XV.
Technical Information
Altimetric profile
Starting point
Steps
Additional information
Environments
Forest location
Updated by
Office de tourisme du Pays de Fontainebleau - 22/01/2026
www.fontainebleau-tourisme.com/
Report a problem
Open period
All year round.
Contact
Phone : 01 60 74 99 99
Email : info@fontainebleau-tourisme.com
Website : http://www.fontainebleau-tourisme.com/
Reception complements
Best practices in the forest:
• No waste in the forest
• Do not light fires in the forest
• Do not disturb wild fauna
• Bivouac only in authorized areas
• Share space together
• Do not climb on piles of wood
• Moderate picking
• Stay on trails
• Leave dead wood on the ground
• Dogs on leash in spring
• Hunting ground, do not enter
• Watch out for ticks
Data author
