Mare aux Evées trail - Accessible to persons with reduced mobility

This walk allows you to discover the pond called “Mare aux Evées” with its surrounding oak and beech high groves, but also a little-known historic heritage: former oil wells.

La Mare aux Evées: its name “Evées” is an old French word for a marshy area. In order to drain this part of the forest which is flooded most of the time, some works were undertaken under the reign of King Louis Philippe in accordance with the drainage plan designed by Achille Marrier de Bois d’Hyver, head of the Water and Forest Administration between 1833 and 1835. More than 20 km of ditches were dug in a star pattern as well as the central Basin of 12,000 m3.

Former oil well: between 1958 and 1986, 58 oil wells were drilled in this part of the forest. An old structure was preserved as a witness of this odd history. This project was stopped in the framework of the forest conservation.

Bald cypress: this area of the forest is the only one where bald cypresses (taxodium distichum) can be observed. It is a large, pyramidal coni ferous fond of wetlands. Its “bald” name comes from its deciduous nature, which is rare among coniferous trees.