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Best Forest Hikes in Ile-de-France

87 routes in Ile-de-France qualify, ranked below by how much walkers rate them. They average 10.4 km and 208 m (682 ft) of ascent, with the longest running to 52.2 km.

That is 29 percent of the 297 routes we map in Ile-de-France. They are shorter than the local average, 10.4 km against 16.0 km, which is what makes this a practical shortlist for a half day. They also climb less than the area average, 208 m (682 ft) against 338 m (1,109 ft), so they suit a recovery day or a group with mixed fitness.

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: 23 are rated easy and 10 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

Les Portes de Paris

Ile-de-France · France

Distance
52.2 km
/ 32.5 mi
Elevation gain
1,149 m
Typical duration
13 hr
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Moderate

GRP Bois de Vincennes (boucle)

Ile-de-France · France

Distance
9.8 km
/ 6.1 mi
Elevation gain
216 m
Typical duration
2 hr 22 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

A saute-mouton sur la Viosne

Ile-de-France · France

Distance
11.2 km
/ 7.0 mi
Elevation gain
194 m
Typical duration
2 hr 38 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Aigrefoin

Ile-de-France · France

Distance
16.6 km
/ 10.3 mi
Elevation gain
343 m
Typical duration
4 hr 1 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Batellerie et foret

Ile-de-France · France

Distance
8.6 km
/ 5.4 mi
Elevation gain
189 m
Typical duration
2 hr 5 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Bois de Vincennes

Ile-de-France · France

Distance
5.2 km
/ 3.2 mi
Elevation gain
114 m
Typical duration
1 hr 15 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Bois de Vincennes

Ile-de-France · France

Distance
4.1 km
/ 2.5 mi
Elevation gain
90 m
Typical duration
59 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Bois de Vincennes

Ile-de-France · France

Distance
4.0 km
/ 2.5 mi
Elevation gain
88 m
Typical duration
58 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Bois de Vincennes

Ile-de-France · France

Distance
4.0 km
/ 2.5 mi
Elevation gain
88 m
Typical duration
58 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Bois de Vincennes

Ile-de-France · France

Distance
3.1 km
/ 2.0 mi
Elevation gain
69 m
Typical duration
46 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Bois de Vincennes

Ile-de-France · France

Distance
5.0 km
/ 3.1 mi
Elevation gain
110 m
Typical duration
1 hr 12 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Bois de la Tour du Lay

Ile-de-France · France

Distance
2.0 km
/ 1.3 mi
Elevation gain
45 m
Typical duration
30 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Boucle Forêt

Ile-de-France · France

Distance
2.4 km
/ 1.5 mi
Elevation gain
53 m
Typical duration
35 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Boucle Forêt Réduit

Ile-de-France · France

Distance
0.4 km
/ 0.3 mi
Elevation gain
9 m
Typical duration
6 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Boucle de l'Abbaye

Ile-de-France · France

Distance
4.8 km
/ 3.0 mi
Elevation gain
106 m
Typical duration
1 hr 10 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Boucle de la Mérantaise

Ile-de-France · France

Distance
8.1 km
/ 5.1 mi
Elevation gain
179 m
Typical duration
1 hr 58 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Chemin Jean Racine

Ile-de-France · France

Distance
7.9 km
/ 4.9 mi
Elevation gain
189 m
Typical duration
1 hr 56 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Chevry Gometz

Ile-de-France · France

Distance
15.0 km
/ 9.3 mi
Elevation gain
349 m
Typical duration
3 hr 39 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

En forêt de Saint-Germain

Ile-de-France · France

Distance
10.6 km
/ 6.6 mi
Elevation gain
234 m
Typical duration
2 hr 34 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Entre jardins et forêt

Ile-de-France · France

Distance
11.3 km
/ 7.0 mi
Elevation gain
249 m
Typical duration
2 hr 44 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Forêt de Barbeau

Ile-de-France · France

Distance
8.7 km
/ 5.4 mi
Elevation gain
192 m
Typical duration
2 hr 6 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Forêt de Dourdan

Ile-de-France · France

Distance
16.4 km
/ 10.2 mi
Elevation gain
360 m
Typical duration
3 hr 59 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Forêt de Verrières

Ile-de-France · France

Distance
10.6 km
/ 6.6 mi
Elevation gain
234 m
Typical duration
2 hr 34 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

L'Abbaye aux bois

Ile-de-France · France

Distance
11.8 km
/ 7.3 mi
Elevation gain
260 m
Typical duration
2 hr 51 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

La Guyonnerie

Ile-de-France · France

Distance
7.3 km
/ 4.5 mi
Elevation gain
127 m
Typical duration
1 hr 42 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

La boucle de Courmonbois

Ile-de-France · France

Distance
12.9 km
/ 8.0 mi
Elevation gain
184 m
Typical duration
2 hr 57 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

La foret de Nanteau

Ile-de-France · France

Distance
8.9 km
/ 5.6 mi
Elevation gain
197 m
Typical duration
2 hr 10 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

La forêt de Carnelle

Ile-de-France · France

Distance
15.4 km
/ 9.6 mi
Elevation gain
340 m
Typical duration
3 hr 44 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Hard

La forêt de L'Isle-Adam

Ile-de-France · France

Distance
19.1 km
/ 11.9 mi
Elevation gain
420 m
Typical duration
4 hr 44 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Le chemin des Croix

Ile-de-France · France

Distance
11.9 km
/ 7.4 mi
Elevation gain
173 m
Typical duration
2 hr 45 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Le circuit de Rosny sous Bois

Ile-de-France · France

Distance
12.8 km
/ 8.0 mi
Elevation gain
282 m
Typical duration
3 hr 5 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Le tour de Saulx-les-Chartreux

Ile-de-France · France

Distance
15.1 km
/ 9.4 mi
Elevation gain
238 m
Typical duration
3 hr 30 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
Les Portes de ParisIle-de-France52.2 km1,149 m13 hrExpertApril to October
Du Gâtinais au Morvan, Bois-le-Roi - FontainebleauIle-de-France19.4 km426 m4 hr 48 minHardApril to October
Jean Racine côté Abbaye de Port-RoyalIle-de-France10.5 km135 m2 hr 23 minModerateApril to October
GRP Bois de Vincennes (accès nord-ouest)Ile-de-France1.2 km27 m18 minEasyApril to October
GRP Bois de Vincennes (accès sud-est)Ile-de-France1.3 km28 m18 minEasyApril to October
GRP Bois de Vincennes (accès sud-ouest)Ile-de-France2.7 km59 m39 minEasyApril to October
GRP Bois de Vincennes (boucle)Ile-de-France9.8 km216 m2 hr 22 minModerateApril to October
La Brie Verte - Boucle 2 - Forêt de MalvoisineIle-de-France38.9 km855 m10 hrExpertApril to October
A saute-mouton sur la ViosneIle-de-France11.2 km194 m2 hr 38 minModerateApril to October
AigrefoinIle-de-France16.6 km343 m4 hr 1 minHardApril to October

If you only have time for one, start with Les Portes de Paris, Du Gâtinais au Morvan, Bois-le-Roi - Fontainebleau, GRP Bois de Vincennes (accès sud-ouest). 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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