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Hard Hiking Trails in Ile-de-France

80 routes in Ile-de-France qualify, ranked below by how much walkers rate them. They average 38.8 km and 843 m (2,766 ft) of ascent, with the longest running to 306 km.

That is 27 percent of the 297 routes we map in Ile-de-France. They run noticeably longer than average for the area, 38.8 km against 16.0 km, so budget more daylight than a typical outing here. The climbing is steeper too: 843 m (2,766 ft) on average versus 338 m (1,109 ft) across the wider area.

Hard routes mean sustained ascent, long descents and a real need to watch the clock and the forecast. These lean toward the demanding end, so plan for a full day and check the forecast before you commit.

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
Hard

de Paris à Versailles

Ile-de-France · France

Distance
30.5 km
/ 18.9 mi
Elevation gain
670 m
Typical duration
7 hr 49 min
Expert

De la Bièvre à l'Orge

Ile-de-France · France

Distance
79.9 km
/ 49.6 mi
Elevation gain
1,758 m
Typical duration
21 hr
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Du Val d'Yerres à l'Étampois

Ile-de-France · France

Distance
185 km
/ 115 mi
Elevation gain
4,077 m
Typical duration
49 hr
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Entre Essonne et Juine

Ile-de-France · France

Distance
119 km
/ 73.8 mi
Elevation gain
2,611 m
Typical duration
31 hr
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Tour du Massif de Fontainebleau

Ile-de-France · France

Distance
76.0 km
/ 47.2 mi
Elevation gain
1,673 m
Typical duration
20 hr
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Hard

Bords de Canal de l'Ourcq

Ile-de-France · France

Distance
16.0 km
/ 9.9 mi
Elevation gain
352 m
Typical duration
3 hr 53 min
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Bords de Marne

Ile-de-France · France

Distance
26.2 km
/ 16.3 mi
Elevation gain
576 m
Typical duration
6 hr 39 min
  • Waymarked route
Hard

La Seine impressionniste

Ile-de-France · France

Distance
31.8 km
/ 19.7 mi
Elevation gain
699 m
Typical duration
8 hr 10 min
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Traversée de Paris n°1

Ile-de-France · France

Distance
18.5 km
/ 11.5 mi
Elevation gain
408 m
Typical duration
4 hr 35 min
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Traversée de Paris n°2

Ile-de-France · France

Distance
18.5 km
/ 11.5 mi
Elevation gain
406 m
Typical duration
4 hr 34 min
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Traversée de Paris n°3

Ile-de-France · France

Distance
24.0 km
/ 14.9 mi
Elevation gain
528 m
Typical duration
6 hr 4 min
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Traversée de Paris n°4

Ile-de-France · France

Distance
17.9 km
/ 11.1 mi
Elevation gain
394 m
Typical duration
4 hr 25 min
  • 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
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
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
Hard

Le Grand Chemin

Ile-de-France · France

Distance
21.9 km
/ 13.6 mi
Elevation gain
482 m
Typical duration
5 hr 30 min
Hard

Aqueduc de la Dhuys

Ile-de-France · France

Distance
20.8 km
/ 12.9 mi
Elevation gain
458 m
Typical duration
5 hr 12 min
  • 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
Chemin de Trèves, Claye-Souilly - IgnyIle-de-France54.0 km1,189 m14 hrExpertApril to October
Chemin de Trèves, Igny - RambouilletIle-de-France46.3 km1,018 m12 hrExpertApril to October
Chemin de Trèves, Varredes - Claye-SouillyIle-de-France29.7 km653 m7 hr 36 minHardApril to October
Les Portes de ParisIle-de-France52.2 km1,149 m13 hrExpertApril to October
Via Turonensis par Orléans, Palaiseau - EtréchyIle-de-France47.0 km1,033 m12 hrExpertApril to October
De Villennes-sur-Seine à Villers-sur-MerIle-de-France306 km6,721 m82 hrExpertApril to October
Grand Tour de Paris, liaison Pont d’AusterlitzIle-de-France62.4 km1,372 m16 hrExpertApril to October
Grand Tour de Paris, variante par BallancourtIle-de-France22.4 km494 m5 hr 38 minHardApril to October
Grand Tour de Paris, variante par BonnellesIle-de-France20.2 km445 m5 hr 2 minHardApril to October
via Turonensis, Palaiseau - RambouilletIle-de-France51.2 km1,126 m13 hrExpertApril to October

If you only have time for one, start with Chemin de Trèves, Igny - Rambouillet, Chemin de Trèves, Claye-Souilly - Igny, Chemin de Trèves, Varredes - Claye-Souilly. 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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