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Best Forest Hikes in Switzerland

There are 245 hikes in Switzerland in our database that fit. They average 3.2 km and 136 m (446 ft) of ascent, with the longest running to 60.7 km.

That is 3 percent of the 8,422 routes we map in Switzerland. They are shorter than the local average, 3.2 km against 4.8 km, which is what makes this a practical shortlist for a half day. They also climb less than the area average, 136 m (446 ft) against 224 m (735 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: 92 are rated easy and 9 are hard or harder, so there is something here whether you have two hours or a full day.

Trails

Dans les gorges de l'Orbe.
Expert

Jura Crest Trail

Vaud · Switzerland

Distance
35.9 km
/ 22.3 mi
Elevation gain
1,520 m
Typical duration
10 hr
  • Mountain
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Borne frontière Neuchâtel-Vaud VD070
Hard

Jura Crest Trail

Neuchâtel · Switzerland

Distance
13.0 km
/ 8.1 mi
Elevation gain
888 m
Typical duration
4 hr 2 min
  • Mountain
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Refuge près de Métabief
Moderate

Via Cluny Etape 8

Vaud · Switzerland

Distance
7.5 km
/ 4.7 mi
Elevation gain
114 m
Typical duration
1 hr 45 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Borne frontière Neuchâtel-Vaud VD029
Hard

Jura Crest Trail

Vaud · Switzerland

Distance
18.4 km
/ 11.4 mi
Elevation gain
697 m
Typical duration
4 hr 58 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Granges-près-Marnand and Sassel, Valbroye, Canton of Vaud, Switzerland
Moderate

ViaJacobi

Fribourg · Switzerland

Distance
16.5 km
/ 10.3 mi
Elevation gain
94 m
Typical duration
3 hr 38 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Bramois
Moderate

Chemin de la Foire

Valais/Wallis · Switzerland

Distance
5.1 km
/ 3.2 mi
Elevation gain
135 m
Typical duration
1 hr 16 min
  • Mountain
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
MSN 2081 A318-111 AIR FRANCE FLIGHT CDG-BLQ
Moderate

Leidbach - Obere Schwarze Wald

Valais/Wallis · Switzerland

Distance
2.7 km
/ 1.7 mi
Elevation gain
25 m
Typical duration
36 min
  • Mountain
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Photo prise depuis la terrasse des Marindes, dans la réserve naturelle du Vanil Noir, faisant partie du Parc naturel régional Gruyère-Pays-d’Enhaut, dans le canton de Fribourg, en Suisse
Moderate

Les Marindes-Motélon

Fribourg · Switzerland

Distance
4.5 km
/ 2.8 mi
Elevation gain
282 m
Typical duration
1 hr 22 min
  • Mountain
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Charmey 26-06-2008
Moderate

Les Reposoirs

Fribourg · Switzerland

Distance
2.0 km
/ 1.3 mi
Elevation gain
200 m
Typical duration
43 min
  • Mountain
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Plaine Morte
Moderate

Plaine Morte-Les Violettes

Bern · Switzerland

Distance
5.0 km
/ 3.1 mi
Elevation gain
897 m
Typical duration
2 hr 23 min
  • Mountain
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Vue de Sainte-Croix depuis les Aiguilles de Baulmes. A droite, le Cochet et le Chasseron
Moderate

Chemin des Gorges de Covatannaz

Vaud · Switzerland

Distance
8.2 km
/ 5.1 mi
Elevation gain
544 m
Typical duration
2 hr 32 min
  • Canyon and gorge
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
borNE.BUTT-LCAF.i
Moderate

La Côte-aux-Fées - Buttes

Neuchâtel · Switzerland

Distance
6.7 km
/ 4.2 mi
Elevation gain
345 m
Typical duration
1 hr 55 min
  • Coastal
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Building of the railway station of Fey.
Hard

Chemin des Blés

Vaud · Switzerland

Distance
22.5 km
/ 14.0 mi
Elevation gain
429 m
Typical duration
5 hr 33 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
borNE.BUTT-LCAF.b
Easy

La Côte-aux-Fées - fixme

Neuchâtel · Switzerland

Distance
1.4 km
/ 0.9 mi
Elevation gain
57 m
Typical duration
23 min
  • Coastal
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
TRANSJURA 26.07.2016
Moderate

Les Cugnets -Mont Dar

Neuchâtel · Switzerland

Distance
2.2 km
/ 1.3 mi
Elevation gain
149 m
Typical duration
41 min
  • Mountain
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Sledging at La Tzoumaz resort, in Riddes, Valais, Switzerland.
Moderate

Les Chablotays - Crête de Seu

Valais/Wallis · Switzerland

Distance
2.1 km
/ 1.3 mi
Elevation gain
113 m
Typical duration
36 min
  • Mountain
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
View on the Batiaz old tower
Moderate

Sur le Mont > Chez les Proz

Valais/Wallis · Switzerland

Distance
0.6 km
/ 0.4 mi
Elevation gain
68 m
Typical duration
14 min
  • Mountain
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Creux du Van / Switzerland
Moderate

Les Oeuillons-Le Soliat

Neuchâtel · Switzerland

Distance
3.1 km
/ 1.9 mi
Elevation gain
536 m
Typical duration
1 hr 27 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
River delta of the Maggia River between Locarno and Ascona ( Lake Maggiore / Switzerland )
Moderate

Ronco di Bosco - ?

Ticino · Switzerland

Distance
1.9 km
/ 1.2 mi
Elevation gain
509 m
Typical duration
1 hr 9 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Parc du Doubs
Moderate

Soubey - Les Enfers

Jura · Switzerland

Distance
3.5 km
/ 2.2 mi
Typical duration
44 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
MSN 2081 A318-111 AIR FRANCE FLIGHT CDG-BLQ
Moderate

Gspon - Obere Schwarze Wald

Valais/Wallis · Switzerland

Distance
4.3 km
/ 2.7 mi
Elevation gain
284 m
Typical duration
1 hr 20 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
trockengefallene Bisse de Saxon im Fôret des Râpes
Moderate

Isérables - Les Crêtaux

Valais/Wallis · Switzerland

Distance
1.5 km
/ 1.0 mi
Elevation gain
361 m
Typical duration
52 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Crettet Borney
Moderate

Les Crosets-Sur Cou

Valais/Wallis · Switzerland

Distance
3.6 km
/ 2.2 mi
Elevation gain
57 m
Typical duration
50 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Bâtiment du service de dermatologie-vénérologie du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV) (Lausanne, Suisse)
Moderate

Sur les traces du renard

Vaud · Switzerland

Distance
7.8 km
/ 4.9 mi
Elevation gain
615 m
Typical duration
2 hr 33 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Blick von der Farmeralp auf den Zürichsee
Moderate

Wald - Farneralp

St. Gallen · Switzerland

Distance
5.8 km
/ 3.6 mi
Elevation gain
11 m
Typical duration
1 hr 14 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Champex, Valais
Moderate

Chez les Reuses > Le Signal

Valais/Wallis · Switzerland

Distance
1.3 km
/ 0.8 mi
Elevation gain
263 m
Typical duration
40 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Vue sur la plaine du Rhône depuis le village de Fey(Nendaz)
Moderate

Fey - Les Condémines

Valais/Wallis · Switzerland

Distance
2.2 km
/ 1.3 mi
Elevation gain
17 m
Typical duration
29 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
l'A Bran, (1798 m) Val d'Anniviers. View of mountains above Sierre in the Rhone Valley.
Moderate

Les Tsâblos-Vercorin

Valais/Wallis · Switzerland

Distance
2.8 km
/ 1.7 mi
Elevation gain
290 m
Typical duration
1 hr 1 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Durnand Canyon (Bovernier, Switzerland)
Moderate

Les Valettes > Bémont #1

Valais/Wallis · Switzerland

Distance
1.4 km
/ 0.8 mi
Elevation gain
6 m
Typical duration
17 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Durnand Canyon (Bovernier, Switzerland)
Moderate

Les Valettes > Bémont #2

Valais/Wallis · Switzerland

Distance
1.9 km
/ 1.2 mi
Elevation gain
303 m
Typical duration
51 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
La ferme du Sollier et le sommet du Chasseron.
Moderate

Chalet de la Maya - fixme

Vaud · Switzerland

Distance
1.4 km
/ 0.8 mi
Elevation gain
25 m
Typical duration
19 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Bullet-Fiez-Chasseron-pt1558
Easy

Chasseron-Les Illars

Vaud · Switzerland

Distance
2.3 km
/ 1.4 mi
Elevation gain
140 m
Typical duration
41 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
[E4/E5] Europäischer Fernwanderweg Rhein bis Grenze DSt. Gallen60.7 km1,656 m16 hrExpertApril to October
Via Francigena - Historical variantVaud33.8 km503 m8 hr 21 minHardApril to October
Jura Crest TrailVaud35.9 km1,520 m10 hrExpertApril to October
Jura Crest TrailNeuchâtel13.0 km888 m4 hr 2 minHardApril to October
Via Cluny Variante Morteau Etape 2Neuchâtel20.3 km619 m5 hr 19 minHardApril to October
Via Cluny Etape 8Vaud7.5 km114 m1 hr 45 minModerateApril to October
Jura Crest TrailVaud18.4 km697 m4 hr 58 minHardApril to October
Sur les pas des Huguenots et des Vaudois du PiémontVaud1.6 kmflat21 minModerateApril to October
ViaJacobiFribourg16.5 km94 m3 hr 38 minModerateApril to October
Chemin de la FoireValais/Wallis5.1 km135 m1 hr 16 minModerateApril to October

If you only have time for one, start with [E4/E5] Europäischer Fernwanderweg Rhein bis Grenze D, Via Francigena - Historical variant, Jura Crest Trail. 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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