First pick
Forêt de Verrières
Wood or forest
604 ha59.5 km of path
13 h 15 minto walk all 59.5 km of path
1.6 km north-westfrom the center
Chemin des PinsRoute de la ChâtaigneraieRoute de la Boursidière+5 paths
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Musée de Verrières · CC BY-SA 4.03.9%of the land protected
Outdoors in Verrières-le-Buisson · protected areas, woods and footpaths
Verrières-le-Buisson has more footpaths per km² than 9 in 10 French towns
Footpaths add up to 85 km across Verrières-le-Buisson (8.5 km per km²). 52% of Verrières-le-Buisson is mapped woodland. Waymarked hiking routes add up to 28 km in Verrières-le-Buisson. France has no Outdoors Grade yet: these are the figures, each beside the compared towns’ median.
Protected areas
3.9%
of the commune’s land
Compared town: 0.1%
Woodland
52%
of the land, mapped on OpenStreetMap
Compared town: 13%
Footpaths
85 km
8.5 km per km²
Compared town: 1.7 km per km²
Hiking routes
28 km
waymarked, GR and others
Compared town: 0.3 km per km²
Parks & woods
19
named, in or within 400 m of the commune
First: Forêt de Verrières
Throughout this page, the Essonne median and the France median are the median of compared communes (those with an overall grade), each figure its own median.
What kind of place
What kind of outdoors place is Verrières-le-Buisson?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and less good.
A place of footpaths8.5 km per km² of mapped footpath, against 1.7 km per km² for the median compared town.On waymarked routes28 km of GR and other hiking routes cross the commune.A wooded commune52% mapped woodland, more than in 93% of compared French towns, against 13% for the median compared town.
What sets Verrières-le-Buisson apart: its footpaths, then its hiking routes.
Against French towns
How Verrières-le-Buisson compares with French towns
Each figure against the 3,798 compared French towns (communes with an overall grade): the marked bar is the town’s, the line the median. Described, not graded.
Protected areas3.9%Share of the land in a national park, regional nature park, nature reserve or Natura 2000 site
63out of 100
Woodland52%Share of the land mapped as forest or woods on OpenStreetMap
93out of 100
Footpaths8.5 km per km²Km of mapped footpath and track open on foot, per km² of the commune
98out of 100
Hiking routes2.8 km per km²Km of waymarked hiking routes (GR and others), per km² of the commune
99out of 100
Percentiles among compared French towns; ties count half.
Towns its size
Verrières-le-Buisson has the 3rd most footpaths per km² of 41 towns its size
The 40 compared French towns nearest in population (14,607 to 15,525 residents), by km of footpath per km². Hover for each one’s protected land and woods; click for its page.
From Paris 1er (17.1 km per km²) to Saint-Gilles (0.4 km per km²).
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Paths (km/km²) | Woodland | Protected | Coast | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paris 1er Paris | 17.1 | 0% | 0% | 148 km |
| 2 | Lognes Seine-et-Marne | 9.3 | 14% | 0% | 164 km |
| 3 | Verrières-le-Buisson Essonne | 8.5 | 52% | 3.9% | 156 km |
| 4 | Villers-lès-Nancy Meurthe-et-Moselle | 8.4 | 48% | 0% | 365 km |
| 5 | Laxou Meurthe-et-Moselle | 6.9 | 74% | 0% | 364 km |
| 6 | Haubourdin Nord | 6.6 | 10% | 0% | 62 km |
| 7 | Ramonville-Saint-Agne Haute-Garonne | 5.6 | 9.9% | 0% | 141 km |
| 8 | Castanet-Tolosan Haute-Garonne | 5.1 | 12% | 0% | 138 km |
| 9 | Avrillé Maine-et-Loire | 4.9 | 9.1% | 0% | 117 km |
| 10 | Montargis Loiret | 4.8 | 5.7% | 0% | 237 km |
| 11 | Dinan Côtes-d'Armor | 4.7 | 17% | 100% | 5.6 km |
| 12 | Montmagny Val-d'Oise | 4.4 | 25% | 0% | 139 km |
| 13 | Saint-Avertin Indre-et-Loire | 4.3 | 14% | 0% | 184 km |
| 14 | Bar-le-Duc Meuse | 3.7 | 55% | 0% | 297 km |
| 15 | Wattignies Nord | 3.5 | 1.5% | 0% | 66 km |
| 16 | Bouc-Bel-Air Bouches-du-Rhône | 3.5 | 29% | 0% | 12 km |
| 17 | Saint-Brice-sous-Forêt Val-d'Oise | 3.3 | 24% | 0% | 137 km |
| 18 | Saint-Orens-de-Gameville Haute-Garonne | 3.2 | 6.4% | 0% | 138 km |
| 19 | Vesoul Haute-Saône | 3.1 | 3.3% | 3.6% | 434 km |
| 20 | Woippy Moselle | 3.1 | 12% | 0% | 325 km |
| 21 | Pontivy Morbihan | 2.8 | 14% | 0% | 36 km |
| 22 | Saint-Avold Moselle | 2.5 | 53% | 2.9% | 356 km |
| 23 | Saint-Jean-de-Luz Pyrénées-Atlantiques | 2.4 | 28% | 7.6% | On it |
| 24 | Roquebrune-sur-Argens Var | 2.4 | 40% | 25% | On it |
| 25 | Morlaix Finistère | 2.3 | 18% | 3.8% | On it |
| 26 | Carrières-sur-Seine Yvelines | 2.2 | 5% | 0% | 138 km |
| 27 | Fameck Moselle | 2.2 | 32% | 0% | 309 km |
| 28 | Senlis Oise | 2.1 | 48% | 100% | 126 km |
| 29 | Montivilliers Seine-Maritime | 2 | 6.9% | 0% | 6.8 km |
| 30 | Château-Thierry Aisne | 1.9 | 18% | 0% | 176 km |
| 31 | Illzach Haut-Rhin | 1.9 | 2.6% | 0% | 443 km |
| 32 | Rive-de-Gier Loire | 1.7 | 13% | 0.1% | 222 km |
| 33 | Arnouville Val-d'Oise | 1.6 | 4.6% | 0% | 141 km |
| 34 | Issoire Puy-de-Dôme | 1.4 | 8% | 3.4% | 229 km |
| 35 | La Flèche Sarthe | 1.3 | 34% | 11% | 140 km |
| 36 | Elbeuf Seine-Maritime | 1 | 75% | 0% | 49 km |
| 37 | Tarascon Bouches-du-Rhône | 0.9 | 16% | 13% | 41 km |
| 38 | Le Raincy Seine-Saint-Denis | 0.8 | 0% | 0.1% | 153 km |
| 39 | Romilly-sur-Seine Aube | 0.8 | 35% | 4.2% | 237 km |
| 40 | Bailleul Nord | 0.7 | 0.9% | 0% | 42 km |
| 41 | Saint-Gilles Gard | 0.4 | 2.5% | 18% | 25 km |
The map
Parks, woods, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park or wood. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is the commune’s boundary.
Green: parks, gardens and woods mapped on OpenStreetMap, named or not.© OpenStreetMap contributors · INPN / PatriNat · IGN
Places to walk
Parks and woods to walk in, in and around Verrières-le-Buisson
Named parks, gardens and woods in the commune or within 400 m, the biggest and best-pathed first: Forêt de Verrières leads, at 604 ha. Directions go to a point inside.
Coulée verte du sud parisien
Park or garden
56 ha32 km of path
7 h 5 minto walk all 32 km of path
5.8 km northfrom the center
La Coulée VerteParcours SportifAllée Jean Macheras+5 paths
Directionsto a point inside
Bois du Chat Noir
Wood or forest · 380 m outside the commune
209 ha20.8 km of path
4 h 35 minto walk all 20.8 km of path
3.7 km westfrom the center
Chemin Rural Numéro 14 du Chat Noir à VauhallanRoute du CordonChemin de la Voie Creuse+5 paths
Directionsto a point inside
Bois du Loup Pendu
Wood or forest · 280 m outside the commune
74 ha1.4 km of path
20 minto walk all 1.4 km of path
3.8 km north-westfrom the center
Chemin Cholette
Directionsto a point inside
Parc Heller
Park or garden · 10 m outside the commune
12 ha5.1 km of path
1 h 5 minto walk all 5.1 km of path
1.8 km eastfrom the center
Directionsto a point inside
Espace Naturel de Vilgénis
Park or garden · 10 m outside the commune
18 ha1.8 km of path
25 minto walk all 1.8 km of path
1.6 km south-westfrom the center
Allée des Marronniers
Directionsto a point inside
Parc de la Noisette
Park or garden
13 ha2.8 km of path
35 minto walk all 2.8 km of path
1.3 km north-eastfrom the center
Coulée Verte des Godets
Directionsto a point inside
Le Bouquet de Verrières
Wood or forest
24 ha4.4 km of path
1 hto walk all 4.4 km of path
2.2 km north-westfrom the center
Route aux VachesRoute Forestière de la CorneilleRoute de la Mare Chalot+1 path
Directionsto a point inside
All 19 named parks, gardens and woods
Forêt de VerrièresWood or forest · 604 ha · 59.5 km of path
DirectionsCoulée verte du sud parisienPark or garden · 56 ha · 32 km of path
DirectionsBois du Chat NoirWood or forest · 209 ha · 20.8 km of path · just outside
DirectionsBois du Loup PenduWood or forest · 74 ha · 1.4 km of path · just outside
DirectionsParc HellerPark or garden · 12 ha · 5.1 km of path · just outside
DirectionsEspace Naturel de VilgénisPark or garden · 18 ha · 1.8 km of path · just outside
DirectionsParc de la NoisettePark or garden · 13 ha · 2.8 km of path
DirectionsLe Bouquet de VerrièresWood or forest · 24 ha · 4.4 km of path
DirectionsParc de la RoseraiePark or garden · 8.1 ha · 2.2 km of path · just outside
DirectionsParc RatelPark or garden · 5.9 ha · 1.3 km of path · just outside
DirectionsArboretum municipal Roger de VilmorinPark or garden · 5.3 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsLa Coulée VerteWood or forest · 3.7 ha · 2.4 km of path · just outside
DirectionsParc des AlisiersPark or garden · 2.2 ha · 0.8 km of path · just outside
DirectionsParc RégnierPark or garden · 1.1 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsParc VaillantPark or garden · 0.7 ha · 0.6 km of path
DirectionsSquare Louise de VilmorinPark or garden · 0.6 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsL'hexagonePark or garden · 0.6 ha
DirectionsSquare Henri SellierPark or garden · 0.5 ha · just outside
DirectionsPlace du PoulinatPark or garden · 0.6 ha
DirectionsSource: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL): named parks, gardens and woods; sizes are the whole site.
Protected areas
3.9% of Verrières-le-Buisson lies in protected areas
The protected areas reaching the commune, and the nearest: national parks, regional nature parks, nature reserves and Natura 2000 sites.
Nature reserve
Verrières nature reserve
3.9% of the commune1 km from the center
Nature reserve
Bassin de la Bièvre nature reserve
1 km from the town center
Share of the commune’s land
Any protected area3.9%
Nature reserve3.9%
Designations overlap (a regional park can hold a Natura 2000 site), so the rows don’t add up; the first counts each piece of land once.
3.9% of Verrières-le-Buisson’s land is protected, more than in 63% of compared French towns; the median compared town in Essonne has 0%.
Source: INPN / PatriNat, protected areas July 2026, Natura 2000 December 2024; shares of IGN’s commune boundary.
Footpaths and woods
Footpaths and woods in Verrières-le-Buisson
Paths, bridleways, steps and tracks open on foot, and waymarked hiking routes, mapped on OpenStreetMap inside the commune; woods are mapped forest and woodland, private woods included.
Footpaths
85 km
8.5 km per km²
Hiking routes
28 km
waymarked: 2.8 km per km²
Woodland
52%
about 5.2 km² of mapped woods
Km per km² of the commune · mapped on OpenStreetMap
Verrières-le-BuissonEssonne medianFrance median
Footpaths8.5
Hiking routes2.8
0510 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
Verrières-le-BuissonEssonne medianFrance median
Woodland52%
0%50%100%
That is more than in 98% of compared French towns for footpaths per km², and for woodland more than in 93% of compared French towns. Hiking routes often follow paths and lanes already counted, so the two lengths overlap: don’t add them. Every home in Verrières-le-Buisson is within 800 m of a mapped park or wood, as in most French towns.
15 named hiking routes within 2 km
GR (long-distance)PR (local walk)Other named walk
GR 1111 km
PR 713 km
PR 67.9 km
PR 112.1 km
PR 50.9 km
PR 1000.4 km
Boucle de 27,7 km depuis la gare RER Sceaux14 km
Entre jardins et forêt11 km
Chemin de Trèves, Claye-Souilly - Igny10 km
De la Bièvre à l'Orge8.2 km
Les Rigoles du Plateau3.4 km
Promenade des quatre Forets2.7 km
+3 more
GR 11 passes within 2 km of Verrières-le-Buisson.
Source: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), extracts of October 25, 2026 (Geofabrik).
When to get out
The best walking months in Verrières-le-Buisson: April to September
Météo-France’s 1991–2020 normals at Orly, 10 km away, and the daylight at the town’s latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 15 to 30 °C and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 8.7 | 10.1 | 11.7 | 13.6 | 15.2 | 16.1 | 15.8 | 14.3 | 12.5 | 10.7 | 9.1 | 8.3 |
| High (°C) | 7 | 9 | 13 | 16 | 20 | 23 | 26 | 26 | 22 | 16 | 11 | 8 |
| Rain (mm) | 47 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 63 | 56 | 53 | 58 | 47 | 53 | 53 | 60 |
February is the driest month (43 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 26 °C). 63 mm of rain falls in May, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 36 nights a year. The climate in Verrières-le-Buisson →
Gardens
2 gardens to visit in Verrières-le-Buisson
Named gardens in the commune.
Arboretum municipal de Verrières-le-BuissonIn Verrières-le-Buisson
DirectionsArboretum VilmorinIn Verrières-le-Buisson
DirectionsSource: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and Wikidata.
Neighbors
Next to Verrières-le-Buisson
The nearest towns of 2,500 or more, colored by the share of their land in protected areas.
MassyChâtenay-MalabryAntonyIgnyLe Plessis-RobinsonBièvresVerrières-le-Buisson
Under 1%1–10 %10–25 %25–50 %50 %+
| Town | Protected | Woodland | Paths (km/km²) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verrières-le-Buisson | 3.9% | 52% | 8.5 |
| Massy 51,729 · 1.8 km | 0% | 5.3% | 9.4 |
| Châtenay-Malabry 35,825 · 2.5 km | 0% | 30% | 8.2 |
| Antony 64,263 · 2.6 km | 0.6% | 4.8% | 6.2 |
| Igny 10,833 · 3.1 km | 0% | 20% | 5.5 |
| Le Plessis-Robinson 28,848 · 3.8 km | 0% | 13% | 8.6 |
| Bièvres 4,686 · 3.9 km | 0% | 31% | 3.5 |
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Protected areas. National-park cores, national parks’ outer areas, regional nature parks, nature reserves and Natura 2000 sites, from INPN. A national park’s core is strictly protected; its outer area and a regional park are charters between communes, not bans. Designations overlap, so the total counts each piece of land once.
- Woodland. Forest and woods as OpenStreetMap maps them, private woods included: woods nobody has mapped are missing, and a mapped wood isn’t necessarily open to walkers.
- Footpaths and hiking routes. Footpaths, bridleways, steps and tracks open on foot, then waymarked hiking routes (GR and others) measured apart. A route often follows a path or lane already counted: the two overlap. Paths nobody has mapped are missing.
- Green space nearby. The share of residents (INSEE’s 200 m grid) within 800 m, as the crow flies, of a mapped park, garden or wood edge. It measures nearness, not a way in. Guadeloupe and French Guiana have no grid: their pages say whether the town center is within 800 m.
- The coast. The straight-line distance from the town center to OpenStreetMap’s coastline, which follows the tide line into estuaries. A commune is on the coast when the coastline crosses its boundary.
- No grade yet. U.S. and UK towns have an Outdoors Grade; French towns don’t yet. Each figure is set beside the median of compared communes (those with an overall grade) in the département and in France, each figure its own median.
Questions about the outdoors in Verrières-le-Buisson
Is Verrières-le-Buisson in a national or regional nature park?
No, but 3.9% of its land is in a nature reserve or a Natura 2000 site.
Are there good walks in Verrières-le-Buisson?
OpenStreetMap maps 85 km of footpaths and tracks open on foot in the commune, 8.5 km per km² (the median compared town: 1.7 km per km²); 28 km of waymarked hiking routes cross it.
How much of Verrières-le-Buisson is woodland?
52% of the commune is mapped woodland, private woods included; the median compared French town has 13%.
Is Verrières-le-Buisson near the sea?
No: the coast is 156 km from the town center, as the crow flies.
When is the best time for walking in Verrières-le-Buisson?
April to September: long days, mild highs and little rain, from Météo-France’s 1991–2020 normals at the nearest suitable station.
Why is there no Outdoors Grade for French towns?
TownRatings grades the outdoors in the U.S. and the UK; the French figures are new and not graded yet. This page sets each one beside the median compared French town instead.
Sources: INPN / PatriNat (protected areas 2026, Natura 2000 2024) · © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL (paths, hiking routes, woods, coast, gardens) · INSEE, Filosofi 2021 200 m grid (residents) · IGN Admin Express (boundaries) · Météo-France normals 1991–2020 · Medians and percentiles: TownRatings, over compared French towns, updated November 4, 2026. Under the Licence Ouverte / Open Licence 2.0 (Etalab).
Contains public sector information under the Licence Ouverte / Open Licence 2.0 (Etalab): INSEE, DGFiP, the Interior Ministry’s statistics service (SSMSI), the Ministry of Education (DEPP), the Health Ministry’s statistics service (DREES) and the Housing Ministry (Carte des loyers). Commune boundaries: IGN Admin Express.