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Best Forest Hikes in Centre-Val de Loire

339 routes in Centre-Val de Loire qualify, ranked below by how much walkers rate them. They average 12.2 km and 215 m (705 ft) of ascent, with the longest running to 131 km.

That is 33 percent of the 1,041 routes we map in Centre-Val de Loire.

Forest trails are the dependable choice: shade when it is hot, shelter when it is not, and a completely different character once the leaves turn. The mix is broad: 69 are rated easy and 54 are hard or harder, so there is something here whether you have two hours or a full day. A good share of them are loops, so you can park once and finish where you started.

Trails

Expert

Forêt d'Orléans

Centre-Val de Loire · France

Distance
110 km
/ 68.5 mi
Elevation gain
2,427 m
Typical duration
29 hr
  • Mountain
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Expert

Pays de la Castelvalérie

Centre-Val de Loire · France

Distance
131 km
/ 81.3 mi
Elevation gain
2,878 m
Typical duration
35 hr
  • Mountain
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Par les sentiers boisés

Centre-Val de Loire · France

Distance
8.2 km
/ 5.1 mi
Elevation gain
181 m
Typical duration
1 hr 59 min
  • River
  • Forest
  • Castle and ruins
Moderate

Les coteaux de l'Abloux

Centre-Val de Loire · France

Distance
13.0 km
/ 8.1 mi
Elevation gain
287 m
Typical duration
3 hr 9 min
  • Mountain
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Le Lac des Mousseaux - Rillé

Centre-Val de Loire · France

Distance
11.4 km
/ 7.1 mi
Elevation gain
18 m
Typical duration
2 hr 25 min
  • Lake
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Le bois des Roches

Centre-Val de Loire · France

Distance
7.6 km
/ 4.7 mi
Elevation gain
166 m
Typical duration
1 hr 49 min
  • Lake
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Chenonceaux - Sur les Bords du Cher

Centre-Val de Loire · France

Distance
8.6 km
/ 5.4 mi
Elevation gain
32 m
Typical duration
1 hr 51 min
  • Forest
  • Castle and ruins
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Circuit Forêt et Château

Centre-Val de Loire · France

Distance
13.3 km
/ 8.3 mi
Elevation gain
292 m
Typical duration
3 hr 12 min
  • Forest
  • Castle and ruins
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Le Château d'Hommes - Hommes

Centre-Val de Loire · France

Distance
12.6 km
/ 7.8 mi
Typical duration
2 hr 37 min
  • Forest
  • Castle and ruins
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Le Château de Gizeux - Gizeux

Centre-Val de Loire · France

Distance
11.3 km
/ 7.0 mi
Elevation gain
45 m
Typical duration
2 hr 25 min
  • Forest
  • Castle and ruins
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Le château - Langeais

Centre-Val de Loire · France

Distance
2.8 km
/ 1.7 mi
Elevation gain
61 m
Typical duration
40 min
  • Forest
  • Castle and ruins
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Le château de la Bruyère

Centre-Val de Loire · France

Distance
15.6 km
/ 9.7 mi
Elevation gain
344 m
Typical duration
3 hr 48 min
  • Forest
  • Castle and ruins
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Le château et ses demoiselles

Centre-Val de Loire · France

Distance
3.7 km
/ 2.3 mi
Elevation gain
82 m
Typical duration
54 min
  • Forest
  • Castle and ruins
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Sur les monts Brennous

Centre-Val de Loire · France

Distance
4.4 km
/ 2.8 mi
Elevation gain
97 m
Typical duration
1 hr 4 min
  • Forest
  • Castle and ruins
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Chemin d'eau, chemin de fer

Centre-Val de Loire · France

Distance
10.3 km
/ 6.4 mi
Elevation gain
227 m
Typical duration
2 hr 30 min
  • River
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Les bords de l'Anglin

Centre-Val de Loire · France

Distance
7.5 km
/ 4.7 mi
Elevation gain
166 m
Typical duration
1 hr 49 min
  • River
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Par la voie verte

Centre-Val de Loire · France

Distance
8.2 km
/ 5.1 mi
Elevation gain
181 m
Typical duration
1 hr 59 min
  • River
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Villandry Sentier découverte

Centre-Val de Loire · France

Distance
10.9 km
/ 6.8 mi
Elevation gain
191 m
Typical duration
2 hr 34 min
  • River
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Horizon de nénuphars

Centre-Val de Loire · France

Distance
7.5 km
/ 4.6 mi
Elevation gain
164 m
Typical duration
1 hr 48 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path

The shortlist, side by side

The ten highest scoring routes on this page, so you can compare effort before opening any of them.

Distance, ascent, walking time and difficulty for the top routes
RouteDistanceAscentTimeDifficultyBest season
Forêt d'OrléansCentre-Val de Loire110 km2,427 m29 hrExpertApril to October
L'Essonne - Aux Confins de la BeauceCentre-Val de Loire63.0 km1,386 m16 hrExpertApril to October
Pays de la CastelvalérieCentre-Val de Loire131 km2,878 m35 hrExpertApril to October
La butte de Saint-Hippolyte - Saint-Germain d’ArcéCentre-Val de Loire3.3 km17 m43 minEasyApril to October
Les Landes - Château-la-Vallière - AmbillouCentre-Val de Loire40.2 km884 m10 hrExpertApril to October
Via Turonensis par Chartres - Saint-Denis-les-Ponts - Moulin de CourgainCentre-Val de Loire6.0 km132 m1 hr 27 minEasyApril to October
Via Turonensis, Bonneval à Saint-Denis-les-PontsCentre-Val de Loire27.4 km603 m6 hr 59 minHardApril to October
Sentier au travers des landes - Chambray-les-ToursCentre-Val de Loire13.2 km22 m2 hr 46 minModerateApril to October
Sentier de la Grotte aux Fées - MettrayCentre-Val de Loire8.7 km117 m1 hr 59 minModerateApril to October
Par les sentiers boisésCentre-Val de Loire8.2 km181 m1 hr 59 minModerateApril to October

If you only have time for one, start with Forêt d'Orléans, Pays de la Castelvalérie, L'Essonne - Aux Confins de la Beauce. Those are the routes people come back to. Every route on this page links through to a full guide with the map, elevation profile, seasonal advice and what to bring.

Frequently asked questions

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