The Halatte forest and its mountains

Part of the Oise-Pays de France Regional Nature Park, the Pays d'Oise et d'Halatte offers visitors a host of remarkable natural areas.

Take off on a peaceful walk with your family or friends on Mont Pagnotte in the Halatte forest. Discover its fauna, plants, mushrooms and flora, and its animals, particularly the king of the forest, the deer.

A centuries-old forest

The Halatte forest is now part of what is known as the Trois Forêts massif (Halatte, Ermenonville and Chantilly).
With its hills and tall oak and beech forests, the Halatte forest is certainly one of the most majestic in the Hauts-de-France region. There are remains from the Celtic (dolmens and menhirs) and Roman eras.
In the Middle Ages, the monks began to clear the forest. For a long time, the forest was divided between the king and various ecclesiastical and secular seigneuries, before becoming a state forest after the French Revolution. The armorial markers still bear witness to this division.

Like the royal and princely forests, this massif underwent radical development during the Renaissance and the Ancien Régime for hunting purposes. Rectilinear vistas were created. Star-shaped crossroads, crosses, tables and posts were laid out.

The deer, king of the forest

Big game (roe deer, doe, wild boar, etc.), particularly red deer, is very present in the massif. It is in autumn that the bellowing is heard. At this time, the young stags without a herd confront the older males. The outcome of the fight determines the new animal hierarchy, and the winner becomes master of a herd of up to 30 head, thus winning the favour of the hinds.
Hunting has been practised in the Halatte forest for centuries, and enthusiasts still enjoy the trails.

The massif also provides a habitat for other uncommon species that are both aquatic and terrestrial: the hoopoe (Europe's largest beetle), the great crested newt and the black woodpecker.

Through thick and thin

Although the landscape of this massif is structured by a few large, straight avenues, the curves and gentle slopes make it wild, peaceful and bucolic. Three mounts and two hillocks define its relief.
Le Mount Pagnotte (222 metres) is the highest point in the Valois and one of the highest in the Paris region and the Oise département. Its location explains why it served as an oppidum in Celtic and Gallo-Roman times.
The way to Mount Calipet (behind the church in Pont-Sainte-Maxence) leads to the hill overlooking the town. At the top, you can see the remains of a chapel (1880) and a windmill (1721). Mont Calipet is classified Natura2000 for its rich biodiversity.

Le Mount Alta (140 metres) is a plateau with no summit, entirely covered in forest, while the Butte d'Aumont (124 metres) offers views for several kilometres. It's on the Butte Saint-Christophe (185 metres) that monks built a priory.

Plants by the thousands

The current stand of Halatte forest (6,000 hectares, 4,295 of which are state forest) largely reflects the history of the massif. In the north and west, as around Mont Pagnotte in the former royal domain, there are mainly oak and beech forests. In the southern part, where the private seigneuries dominated, the stands are mainly coppice under fir. Since the second half of the 19th century, clumps of beech and oak, lime and hornbeam have become established, with conifers having a limited place in the sandier areas. The Halatte forest has 6 remarkable trees: 2 oak trees around 250 years old and 4 chestnut trees (the 4 brothers).

A multitude of plants and fungi cover the ground in all seasons. Royal fern, spiked speedwell, ashy heather, belladonna, false buttercup anemone and a number of wild orchids can all be admired.
No fewer than 10,000 species of mushroom have been listed, including the Bordeaux boletus, the morel, the death's trumpet, the sheep's foot, the mousseron... You might even spot the clitocybe odora, the amanite césar, the pezize sarrazine or the peppered boletus, one of the smallest boletus in the world.