Best moderate hike in Fontainebleau Forest near Paris
- 7 days ago
- 2 min read
Fontainebleau forest
The Fontainebleau forest is one of the most, if not the most, beautiful natural areas near Paris. Located in the Île-de-France region, the forest stretches across 25,000 hectares. It is easily accessible from Paris via the R train line departing from Paris Gare de Lyon. Since it is located in the Île-de-France region, it is accessible with your Navigo train pass, making it super affordable. Alternatively, parking is available at many forest entry points if you prefer to go by car.
Fontainebleau forest
The forest is particularly famous for its bouldering areas made of rock formed from ancient sea sand that solidified over millions of years. You’ll see many climbers from all over the country coming to try the different climbing circuits.
The forest also used to be a royal hunting forest, directly connected to the Fontainebleau castle. You can check out my post on 5 free day trips from Paris for more information about the castle.
Fontainebleau forest hike
AllTrails
For this hike, we will be using the AllTrails app. AllTrails is a popular hiking app that helps you discover and navigate outdoor trails around the world. It offers both a free and a paid subscription, but for most hikes, the free version is more than enough. Unless you are in a very remote area with no connection or want advanced offline features, the free plan will usually work perfectly well.
The hike
Like in most places, you will find hiking trails ranging from easy to extremely difficult. This hike is considered moderate, and what I particularly enjoy about it is how much variety it offers. Along the way, you will see very different landscapes within the forest, from impressive rock formations to beautiful oak tree areas. Out of all the hikes I have done in Fontainebleau so far, I think this is one of the best options for intermediate hikers wanting to experience the beauty and diversity of the forest. It is a hike that allows you to reconnect with nature and disconnect from the outside world.
The hike is easily accessible from the Fontainebleau-Avon train station on the R line and takes about 2 to 3 hours to complete, or closer to 4 hours if you enjoy having a picnic in the middle of the hike like we do. It is 10.53 km long with an elevation gain of 216 m. You can access the AllTrails itinerary by clicking here.
Since the elevation gain is rather manageable, hiking poles are optional. We did the hike without hiking poles but they might be useful, especially if you are carrying a heavy backpack.
You may likely encounter squirrels during the hike
Beautiful rocks
Scots pines
Le bouquet de la Reine Amelie
Panoramic view
Needless to say, do not leave any trash behind or disturb the wildlife so that we can help protect and take care of the forest. Let me know in the comments if you try this hike or if you have any hiking recommendations.
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