First pick
Forêt domaniale de Dreux
Wood or forest
3,777 ha143.6 km of path
31 h 55 minto walk all 143.6 km of path
5.2 km westfrom the center
Route de la RonceLaie des Longs ChampsRoute Angélique+5 paths
Directionsto a point inside
26%woodland
Outdoors in Bû · protected areas, woods and footpaths
Almost every home in Bû is within 800 m of a park or wood
Mapped woodland covers 26% of Bû. No protected area reaches Bû; the nearest, Vallée de l’Eure de Maintenon à Anet et vallons affluents (Natura 2000), is 3.9 km from the town center. 37 km of footpaths cross Bû (1.6 km per km²). France has no Outdoors Grade yet: these are the figures, each beside the compared towns’ median.
Protected areas
0%
of the commune’s land
Nearest: Vallée de l’Eure de Maintenon à Anet et vallons affluents, 3.9 km
Woodland
26%
of the land, mapped on OpenStreetMap
Compared town: 13%
Footpaths
37 km
1.6 km per km²
Compared town: 1.7 km per km²
Hiking routes
0 km
waymarked, GR and others
Compared town: 0.3 km per km²
Parks & woods
14
named, in or within 400 m of the commune
First: Forêt domaniale de Dreux
Throughout this page, the Eure-et-Loir median and the France median are the median of compared communes (those with an overall grade), each figure its own median.
Against French towns
How Bû 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 areas0%Share of the land in a national park, regional nature park, nature reserve or Natura 2000 site
22out of 100
Woodland26%Share of the land mapped as forest or woods on OpenStreetMap
71out of 100
Footpaths1.6 km per km²Km of mapped footpath and track open on foot, per km² of the commune
48out of 100
Hiking routes0 km per km²Km of waymarked hiking routes (GR and others), per km² of the commune
12out of 100
Percentiles among compared French towns; ties count half.
Towns its size
Bû has the 11th most footpaths per km² of 41 towns its size
The 40 compared French towns nearest in population (2,077 to 2,582 residents), by km of footpath per km². Hover for each one’s protected land and woods; click for its page.
From École-Valentin (3.9 km per km²) to Bouligny (0.1 km per km²).
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Paths (km/km²) | Woodland | Protected | Coast | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | École-Valentin Doubs | 3.9 | 16% | 0% | 405 km |
| 2 | Sainte-Foy-la-Grande Gironde | 3.7 | 0% | 8.7% | 66 km |
| 3 | Mers-les-Bains Somme | 3.5 | 10% | 100% | On it |
| 4 | Villejust Essonne | 2.4 | 4.4% | 0% | 160 km |
| 5 | Sainte-Feyre Creuse | 2.1 | 30% | 0% | 222 km |
| 6 | Camiers Pas-de-Calais | 2 | 30% | 32% | On it |
| 7 | Sain-Bel Rhône | 1.9 | 12% | 0% | 253 km |
| 8 | La Rivière-Saint-Sauveur Calvados | 1.8 | 14% | 29% | On it |
| 9 | Fareins Ain | 1.8 | 8.8% | 0.1% | 279 km |
| 10 | Entzheim Bas-Rhin | 1.7 | 1.5% | 0% | 449 km |
| 11 | Bû Eure-et-Loir | 1.6 | 26% | 0% | 109 km |
| 12 | Mornas Vaucluse | 1.5 | 35% | 5% | 84 km |
| 13 | Watten Nord | 1.4 | 24% | 100% | 18 km |
| 14 | Rantigny Oise | 1.4 | 18% | 0% | 109 km |
| 15 | Beautor Aisne | 1.3 | 3.6% | 40% | 133 km |
| 16 | Conques-sur-Orbiel Aude | 1.3 | 8.1% | 0% | 60 km |
| 17 | Barcelonnette Alpes-de-Haute-Provence | 1.3 | 46% | 100% | 91 km |
| 18 | Granges-Aumontzey Vosges | 1.1 | 70% | 90% | 436 km |
| 19 | Cattenom Moselle | 1.1 | 37% | 0% | 308 km |
| 20 | Prayssac Lot | 1 | 42% | 0% | 151 km |
| 21 | Chatte Isère | 0.7 | 24% | 0% | 190 km |
| 22 | Arelaune-en-Seine Seine-Maritime | 0.7 | 69% | 100% | 29 km |
| 23 | La Croix-en-Touraine Indre-et-Loire | 0.7 | 24% | 0% | 199 km |
| 24 | Criel-sur-Mer Seine-Maritime | 0.7 | 4.9% | 7% | On it |
| 25 | Lusignan Vienne | 0.7 | 17% | 0% | 97 km |
| 26 | Avelin Nord | 0.6 | 6.1% | 0% | 72 km |
| 27 | Civray Vienne | 0.5 | 19% | 0% | 101 km |
| 28 | Le Cailar Gard | 0.4 | 2% | 68% | 17 km |
| 29 | Vervins Aisne | 0.4 | 1.1% | 0% | 164 km |
| 30 | Port-Sainte-Foy-et-Ponchapt Dordogne | 0.4 | 13% | 2.1% | 65 km |
| 31 | Frans Ain | 0.4 | 4% | 0% | 275 km |
| 32 | Toucy Yonne | 0.4 | 24% | 0% | 288 km |
| 33 | Auxi-le-Château Pas-de-Calais | 0.3 | 25% | 1% | 31 km |
| 34 | Vivy Maine-et-Loire | 0.3 | 15% | 100% | 140 km |
| 35 | Nogent-sur-Vernisson Loiret | 0.2 | 46% | 0.3% | 249 km |
| 36 | Eymet Dordogne | 0.2 | 8.6% | 0.4% | 86 km |
| 37 | Athies-sous-Laon Aisne | 0.2 | 8.9% | 0% | 159 km |
| 38 | Val-de-Scie Seine-Maritime | 0.1 | 18% | 0% | 23 km |
| 39 | Noyen-sur-Sarthe Sarthe | 0.1 | 28% | 0% | 126 km |
| 40 | Chalamont Ain | 0.1 | 20% | 69% | 284 km |
| 41 | Bouligny Meuse | 0.1 | 8.4% | 0% | 293 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 Bû
Named parks, gardens and woods in the commune or within 400 m, the biggest and best-pathed first: Forêt domaniale de Dreux leads, at 3,777 ha. Directions go to a point inside.
Petits Bois des Champs
Wood or forest
36 ha2 km of path
25 minto walk all 2 km of path
1.2 km northfrom the center
Directionsto a point inside
Les Montauderies
Wood or forest
23 ha1.5 km of path
20 minto walk all 1.5 km of path
1.6 km north-westfrom the center
Directionsto a point inside
Bois de l'Alisier
Wood or forest
18 ha1 km of path
15 minto walk all 1 km of path
1.9 km north-westfrom the center
Directionsto a point inside
Le Clos Mignot
Wood or forest
19 ha0.7 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.7 km of path
1.7 km northfrom the center
Chemin de Bû aux Roberts
Directionsto a point inside
Sous la Muette
Wood or forest
5.9 ha0.3 km of path
2 km northfrom the center
Directionsto a point inside
Garenne de Saint-Antoine
Wood or forest
6.7 ha0.1 km of path
1.4 km westfrom the center
Directionsto a point inside
All 14 named parks, gardens and woods
Forêt domaniale de DreuxWood or forest · 3,777 ha · 143.6 km of path
DirectionsPetits Bois des ChampsWood or forest · 36 ha · 2 km of path
DirectionsLes MontauderiesWood or forest · 23 ha · 1.5 km of path
DirectionsBois de l'AlisierWood or forest · 18 ha · 1 km of path
DirectionsLe Clos MignotWood or forest · 19 ha · 0.7 km of path
DirectionsLes DésertsWood or forest · 19 ha
DirectionsSous la MuetteWood or forest · 5.9 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsGarenne de Saint-AntoineWood or forest · 6.7 ha · 0.1 km of path
DirectionsLa GarenneWood or forest · 5.7 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsLa Mare VerteWood or forest · 5.4 ha
DirectionsLes Mares de la CaillebotterieWood or forest · 5 ha
DirectionsLes PlaudsWood or forest · 4.9 ha
DirectionsBois du RondWood or forest · 4.8 ha
DirectionsLe Fond des NouesWood or forest · 4.4 ha · just outside
DirectionsSource: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL): named parks, gardens and woods; sizes are the whole site.
Protected areas
Vallée de l’Eure de Maintenon à Anet et vallons affluents is the nearest protected area, 3.9 km away
The protected areas reaching the commune, and the nearest: national parks, regional nature parks, nature reserves and Natura 2000 sites.
Natura 2000 site
Vallée de l’Eure de Maintenon à Anet et vallons affluents
3.9 km from the town center
Share of the commune’s land
Any protected area0%
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.
Source: INPN / PatriNat, protected areas July 2026, Natura 2000 December 2024; shares of IGN’s commune boundary.
Footpaths and woods
37 km of footpaths cross Bû
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
37 km
1.6 km per km²
Hiking routes
0 km
waymarked: 0 km per km²
Woodland
26%
about 5.9 km² of mapped woods
Km per km² of the commune · mapped on OpenStreetMap
BûEure-et-Loir medianFrance median
Footpaths1.6
Hiking routes0
012 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
BûEure-et-Loir medianFrance median
Woodland26%
0%50%100%
That is less than in 52% of compared French towns for footpaths per km², and for woodland more than in 71% of compared French towns. Hiking routes often follow paths and lanes already counted, so the two lengths overlap: don’t add them. 96% of Bû’s residents live within 800 m of a mapped park or wood, close to the typical town.
2 named hiking routes within 2 km
Other named walk
de Versailles à Verneuil11 km
De Anet à Montreuil3.6 km
Source: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), extracts of October 25, 2026 (Geofabrik).
When to get out
The best walking months in Bû: April to September
Météo-France’s 1991–2020 normals at Bu_Sapc, 0.5 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 | 8 | 12 | 16 | 19 | 23 | 25 | 25 | 22 | 16 | 11 | 7 |
| Rain (mm) | 50 | 43 | 47 | 44 | 57 | 57 | 49 | 55 | 40 | 63 | 58 | 69 |
September is the driest month (40 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 25 °C). 69 mm of rain falls in December, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 47 nights a year. The climate in Bû →
Neighbors
Next to Bû
The nearest towns of 2,500 or more, colored by the share of their land in protected areas.
AnetHoudanÉzy-sur-EureIvry-la-BatailleDreuxGambaisBû
Under 1%1–10 %10–25 %25–50 %50 %+
| Town | Protected | Woodland | Paths (km/km²) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bû | 0% | 26% | 1.6 |
| Anet 2,721 · 7.3 km | 0.1% | 48% | 2.4 |
| Houdan 3,721 · 7.5 km | 0% | 1.9% | 0.9 |
| Ézy-sur-Eure 3,644 · 9.5 km | 8.3% | 42% | 2.3 |
| Ivry-la-Bataille 2,609 · 9.9 km | 3.2% | 2.6% | 0.8 |
| Dreux 31,543 · 12 km | 2.4% | 24% | 2.7 |
| Gambais 2,574 · 13 km | 100% | 41% | 0.6 |
Gambais has at least twice as much protected land. Anet, Ézy-sur-Eure and Gambais are more wooded.
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 Bû
Is Bû in a national or regional nature park?
No. The nearest protected area is Vallée de l’Eure de Maintenon à Anet et vallons affluents, 3.9 km from the town center.
Are there good walks in Bû?
OpenStreetMap maps 37 km of footpaths and tracks open on foot in the commune, 1.6 km per km² (the median compared town: 1.7 km per km²).
How much of Bû is woodland?
26% of the commune is mapped woodland, private woods included; the median compared French town has 13%.
Is Bû near the sea?
No: the coast is 109 km from the town center, as the crow flies.
When is the best time for walking in Bû?
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 9, 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.