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Best Forest Hikes in Grand Est

382 routes in Grand Est qualify, ranked below by how much walkers rate them. They average 10.5 km and 233 m (764 ft) of ascent, with the longest running to 130 km.

That is 19 percent of the 2,023 routes we map in Grand Est. They are shorter than the local average, 10.5 km against 13.5 km, which is what makes this a practical shortlist for a half day.

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: 115 are rated easy and 51 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

Hard

De Toul à Vaucouleurs

Grand Est · France

Distance
21.8 km
/ 13.5 mi
Elevation gain
479 m
Typical duration
5 hr 27 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Expert

Nancy - Metz

Grand Est · France

Distance
64.8 km
/ 40.3 mi
Elevation gain
540 m
Typical duration
15 hr
  • Mountain
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Expert

Tour de la Woëvre

Grand Est · France

Distance
76.9 km
/ 47.8 mi
Elevation gain
1,692 m
Typical duration
20 hr
  • Mountain
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Boucle Sainte Marie

Grand Est · France

Distance
15.6 km
/ 9.7 mi
Elevation gain
343 m
Typical duration
3 hr 47 min
  • Coastal
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Boucle Val et Plateau

Grand Est · France

Distance
17.0 km
/ 10.6 mi
Elevation gain
374 m
Typical duration
4 hr 10 min
  • Coastal
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Boucle de la grange en Haye

Grand Est · France

Distance
18.4 km
/ 11.4 mi
Elevation gain
404 m
Typical duration
4 hr 32 min
  • Coastal
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Boucle du Moulin

Grand Est · France

Distance
18.8 km
/ 11.7 mi
Elevation gain
414 m
Typical duration
4 hr 40 min
  • Coastal
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Circuit de la Ronde Saussaie

Grand Est · France

Distance
3.9 km
/ 2.4 mi
Elevation gain
86 m
Typical duration
57 min
  • Coastal
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Circuit des abreuvoirs

Grand Est · France

Distance
9.3 km
/ 5.8 mi
Elevation gain
205 m
Typical duration
2 hr 15 min
  • Coastal
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Circuit des etangs

Grand Est · France

Distance
5.4 km
/ 3.4 mi
Elevation gain
119 m
Typical duration
1 hr 18 min
  • Coastal
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Le Bois de la Côte

Grand Est · France

Distance
8.1 km
/ 5.0 mi
Elevation gain
179 m
Typical duration
1 hr 58 min
  • Coastal
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Les sentiers de la côte

Grand Est · France

Distance
1.5 km
/ 0.9 mi
Elevation gain
33 m
Typical duration
21 min
  • Coastal
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Val de Metz: Fèves - Gorze

Grand Est · France

Distance
32.1 km
/ 19.9 mi
Elevation gain
705 m
Typical duration
8 hr 15 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Circuit Les Gorges de Crosery

Grand Est · France

Distance
2.8 km
/ 1.8 mi
Elevation gain
10 m
Typical duration
36 min
  • Canyon and gorge
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Circuit de la Forêt des Dames

Grand Est · France

Distance
8.6 km
/ 5.3 mi
Elevation gain
189 m
Typical duration
2 hr 4 min
  • Mountain
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Les Gorges d'Argonne

Grand Est · France

Distance
15.9 km
/ 9.9 mi
Elevation gain
350 m
Typical duration
3 hr 52 min
  • Canyon and gorge
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Les Gorges de Vingeanne

Grand Est · France

Distance
17.0 km
/ 10.6 mi
Elevation gain
374 m
Typical duration
4 hr 10 min
  • Canyon and gorge
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Liaison Gye/Mont-le-Vignoble

Grand Est · France

Distance
3.8 km
/ 2.4 mi
Elevation gain
84 m
Typical duration
55 min
  • Mountain
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Château de Moncel

Grand Est · France

Distance
7.3 km
/ 4.5 mi
Elevation gain
160 m
Typical duration
1 hr 45 min
  • Forest
  • Castle and ruins
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Au Pays des Hommes du Fer

Grand Est · France

Distance
18.7 km
/ 11.6 mi
Elevation gain
411 m
Typical duration
4 hr 37 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Bois de Napatan

Grand Est · France

Distance
7.3 km
/ 4.5 mi
Elevation gain
161 m
Typical duration
1 hr 46 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Bois des Moines

Grand Est · France

Distance
6.3 km
/ 3.9 mi
Elevation gain
138 m
Typical duration
1 hr 31 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Boucle Châtillon

Grand Est · France

Distance
6.7 km
/ 4.1 mi
Elevation gain
147 m
Typical duration
1 hr 37 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Boucle de Boulange

Grand Est · France

Distance
15.5 km
/ 9.6 mi
Elevation gain
341 m
Typical duration
3 hr 45 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Boucle de Froidmont

Grand Est · France

Distance
6.0 km
/ 3.7 mi
Elevation gain
132 m
Typical duration
1 hr 27 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Boucle de Lantefontaine

Grand Est · France

Distance
10.2 km
/ 6.3 mi
Elevation gain
224 m
Typical duration
2 hr 27 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Boucle de Mance

Grand Est · France

Distance
10.0 km
/ 6.2 mi
Elevation gain
221 m
Typical duration
2 hr 25 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Boucle de Puvenelle

Grand Est · France

Distance
8.8 km
/ 5.5 mi
Elevation gain
193 m
Typical duration
2 hr 7 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Boucle de l'Aéroparc

Grand Est · France

Distance
7.4 km
/ 4.6 mi
Elevation gain
162 m
Typical duration
1 hr 47 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Boucle de l'Epine

Grand Est · France

Distance
3.4 km
/ 2.1 mi
Elevation gain
75 m
Typical duration
50 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route

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
Via Francigena France 04, Clairvaux - Perrancey-les-Vieux-MoulinsGrand Est74.8 km1,645 m19 hrExpertApril to October
De Toul à VaucouleursGrand Est21.8 km479 m5 hr 27 minHardApril to October
De Vaucouleurs à Domrémy-la-PucelleGrand Est32.0 km703 m8 hr 13 minHardApril to October
MDM Boucle 4 - Les Hautes ValléesGrand Est70.0 km1,540 m18 hrExpertApril to October
Nancy - MetzGrand Est64.8 km540 m15 hrExpertApril to October
Tour de la WoëvreGrand Est76.9 km1,692 m20 hrExpertApril to October
Tour entre Côtes de Moselle et Côtes de MeuseGrand Est130 km2,854 m34 hrExpertApril to October
Boucle Sainte MarieGrand Est15.6 km343 m3 hr 47 minHardApril to October
Boucle Val et PlateauGrand Est17.0 km374 m4 hr 10 minHardApril to October
Boucle de la Moselle et du Rupt de MadGrand Est22.4 km493 m5 hr 38 minHardApril to October

If you only have time for one, start with Via Francigena France 04, Clairvaux - Perrancey-les-Vieux-Moulins, De Vaucouleurs à Domrémy-la-Pucelle, De Toul à Vaucouleurs. 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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