First pick
Forêt de Chaux
Wood or forest
20,594 ha663 km of path
147 h 20 minto walk all 663 km of path
10 km eastfrom the center
Voie des salinesRoute du SudSommiere Huffel+5 paths
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Florian Fèvre · CC BY-SA 4.037%of the land protected
Outdoors in Dole · protected areas, woods and footpaths
37% of Dole’s land is protected for nature
Dole has 51 km of waymarked hiking routes. 36% of Dole is mapped woodland. Footpaths add up to 94 km across Dole (2.5 km per km²). France has no Outdoors Grade yet: these are the figures, each beside the compared towns’ median.
Protected areas
37%
of the commune’s land
Compared town: 0.1%
Woodland
36%
of the land, mapped on OpenStreetMap
Compared town: 13%
Footpaths
94 km
2.5 km per km²
Compared town: 1.7 km per km²
Hiking routes
51 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 de Chaux
Throughout this page, the Jura 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 Dole?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and less good.
Protected countryside37% of the land lies in protected areas.On waymarked routes51 km of GR and other hiking routes cross the commune.A wooded commune36% mapped woodland, more than in 82% of compared French towns, against 13% for the median compared town.
What sets Dole apart: its protected countryside, then its hiking routes.
Against French towns
How Dole 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 areas37%Share of the land in a national park, regional nature park, nature reserve or Natura 2000 site
84out of 100
Woodland36%Share of the land mapped as forest or woods on OpenStreetMap
82out of 100
Footpaths2.5 km per km²Km of mapped footpath and track open on foot, per km² of the commune
65out of 100
Hiking routes1.3 km per km²Km of waymarked hiking routes (GR and others), per km² of the commune
90out of 100
Percentiles among compared French towns; ties count half.
Towns its size
Dole has the 12th fewest footpaths per km² of 41 towns its size
The 40 compared French towns nearest in population (22,480 to 25,224 residents), by km of footpath per km². Hover for each one’s protected land and woods; click for its page.
From Torcy (11 km per km²) to Beaupréau-en-Mauges (0.4 km per km²).
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Paths (km/km²) | Woodland | Protected | Coast | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Torcy Seine-et-Marne | 11 | 17% | 0% | 163 km |
| 2 | Vichy Allier | 8.8 | 1.3% | 12% | 290 km |
| 3 | Gif-sur-Yvette Essonne | 7.8 | 28% | 60% | 153 km |
| 4 | Vélizy-Villacoublay Yvelines | 7.6 | 33% | 0% | 150 km |
| 5 | Hérouville-Saint-Clair Calvados | 7 | 4.9% | 0% | 11 km |
| 6 | Les Lilas Seine-Saint-Denis | 6.6 | 4.4% | 0% | 150 km |
| 7 | Fontenay-aux-Roses Hauts-de-Seine | 6.1 | 1.8% | 0% | 153 km |
| 8 | Rodez Aveyron | 5.9 | 5.5% | 0% | 136 km |
| 9 | Roissy-en-Brie Seine-et-Marne | 5.9 | 46% | 0% | 168 km |
| 10 | Le Kremlin-Bicêtre Val-de-Marne | 5.8 | 1.8% | 0% | 154 km |
| 11 | Lanester Morbihan | 5.2 | 13% | 0.1% | On it |
| 12 | Loos Nord | 5 | 4.6% | 0% | 63 km |
| 13 | Saint-Jean-de-Braye Loiret | 5 | 16% | 4.3% | 207 km |
| 14 | Montbéliard Doubs | 4.9 | 22% | 0% | 418 km |
| 15 | Marseille 2e Bouches-du-Rhône | 4.8 | 0% | 0% | On it |
| 16 | Deuil-la-Barre Val-d'Oise | 4.6 | 6.1% | 0% | 138 km |
| 17 | Montgeron Essonne | 4.6 | 46% | 0% | 168 km |
| 18 | Combs-la-Ville Seine-et-Marne | 4.4 | 14% | 0% | 176 km |
| 19 | Béthune Pas-de-Calais | 4 | 4% | 0% | 60 km |
| 20 | Orly Val-de-Marne | 3.9 | 5% | 0% | 162 km |
| 21 | Eysines Gironde | 3.9 | 7.6% | 3.1% | 15 km |
| 22 | Rochefort Charente-Maritime | 3.5 | 1.4% | 38% | On it |
| 23 | La Valette-du-Var Var | 3.4 | 23% | 32% | 3.7 km |
| 24 | Tassin-la-Demi-Lune Rhône | 3.2 | 18% | 0% | 250 km |
| 25 | Le Bouscat Gironde | 3 | 1.4% | 0% | 16 km |
| 26 | Saint-Louis Haut-Rhin | 2.9 | 8.5% | 18% | 423 km |
| 27 | Dammarie-les-Lys Seine-et-Marne | 2.7 | 35% | 26% | 192 km |
| 28 | Maisons-Laffitte Yvelines | 2.6 | 6.5% | 0% | 133 km |
| 29 | Olivet Loiret | 2.5 | 23% | 0% | 208 km |
| 30 | Dole Jura | 2.5 | 36% | 37% | 400 km |
| 31 | Oyonnax Ain | 2.4 | 59% | 0% | 312 km |
| 32 | Les Pennes-Mirabeau Bouches-du-Rhône | 2.4 | 11% | 0% | 4.3 km |
| 33 | Manosque Alpes-de-Haute-Provence | 2.2 | 26% | 100% | 64 km |
| 34 | Saint-Dizier Haute-Marne | 2.1 | 47% | 0% | 293 km |
| 35 | Libourne Gironde | 2 | 2.5% | 14% | 30 km |
| 36 | Frontignan Hérault | 1.8 | 0.9% | 29% | On it |
| 37 | Couëron Loire-Atlantique | 1.3 | 6.6% | 33% | 28 km |
| 38 | Laon Aisne | 1.1 | 16% | 0% | 156 km |
| 39 | Challans Vendée | 0.9 | 10% | 0.9% | 15 km |
| 40 | Vierzon Cher | 0.8 | 44% | 0% | 265 km |
| 41 | Beaupréau-en-Mauges Maine-et-Loire | 0.4 | 5.1% | 0% | 78 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 Dole
Named parks, gardens and woods in the commune or within 400 m, the biggest and best-pathed first: Forêt de Chaux leads, at 20,594 ha. Directions go to a point inside.
Parc animalier de la Sauline
Park or garden
7.8 ha
2.8 km south-eastfrom the center
Directionsto a point inside
Parc de la Vouivre
Park or garden
5.6 ha0.8 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.8 km of path
0.6 km southfrom the center
Directionsto a point inside
Cours Saint-Mauris
Park or garden
2.1 ha1.5 km of path
20 minto walk all 1.5 km of path
1.1 km north-eastfrom the center
Directionsto a point inside
Espace Carrel
Park or garden
3.3 ha0.4 km of path
1.7 km south-westfrom the center
Directionsto a point inside
Parc Urbain Rive Gauche
Park or garden
1.4 ha0.7 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.7 km of path
Centralin the middle of Dole
Directionsto a point inside
Place du Pasquier
Park or garden · 400 m outside the commune
1 ha0.1 km of path
3.6 km south-westfrom the center
Directionsto a point inside
All 14 named parks, gardens and woods
Forêt de ChauxWood or forest · 20,594 ha · 663 km of path
DirectionsParc animalier de la SaulinePark or garden · 7.8 ha
DirectionsParc de la VouivrePark or garden · 5.6 ha · 0.8 km of path
DirectionsCours Saint-MaurisPark or garden · 2.1 ha · 1.5 km of path
DirectionsEspace CarrelPark or garden · 3.3 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsParc Urbain Rive GauchePark or garden · 1.4 ha · 0.7 km of path
DirectionsLes BainsPark or garden · 0.8 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsPlace du PasquierPark or garden · 1 ha · 0.1 km of path · just outside
DirectionsJardin PhilippePark or garden · 0.9 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsEspace Docteur BillardPark or garden · 0.4 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsJardin à la FaulxPark or garden · 0.8 ha
DirectionsJardin des ChevannesPark or garden · 0.2 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsParc de SceyPark or garden · 0.3 ha · 0.1 km of path
DirectionsSquare du 19 Mars 1962Park or garden · 0.2 ha · just outside
DirectionsSource: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL): named parks, gardens and woods; sizes are the whole site.
Protected areas
Protected land in and around Dole
The protected areas reaching the commune, and the nearest: national parks, regional nature parks, nature reserves and Natura 2000 sites.
Natura 2000 site
Forêt de Chaux
29% of the commune1.9 km from the center
Natura 2000 site
Basse vallée du Doubs
8.1% of the commune0.2 km from the center
Natura 2000 site
Basse vallée du Doubs
8.1% of the commune0.2 km from the center
Share of the commune’s land
Any protected area37%
Natura 2000 site37%
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.
37% of Dole’s land is protected, more than in 84% of compared French towns; the median compared town in Jura has 1.8%.
Source: INPN / PatriNat, protected areas July 2026, Natura 2000 December 2024; shares of IGN’s commune boundary.
Footpaths and woods
94 km of footpaths and 51 km of hiking routes cross Dole
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
94 km
2.5 km per km²
Hiking routes
51 km
waymarked: 1.3 km per km²
Woodland
36%
about 13.6 km² of mapped woods
Km per km² of the commune · mapped on OpenStreetMap
DoleJura medianFrance median
Footpaths2.5
Hiking routes1.3
01.53 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
DoleJura medianFrance median
Woodland36%
0%50%100%
That is more than in 65% of compared French towns for footpaths per km², and for woodland more than in 82% 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 Dole is within 800 m of a mapped park or wood, as in most French towns.
6 named hiking routes within 2 km
GR (long-distance)Other named walk
GR 59A9.4 km
Via Cluny variante Dole Etape 19.5 km
Circuit du Mont Roland5.5 km
Circuit du Grand Tour4.6 km
Circuit du Chat Perché3.5 km
Circuit des Pins Noirs3.1 km
GR 59A passes within 2 km of Dole.
Source: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), extracts of October 25, 2026 (Geofabrik).
When to get out
The best walking months in Dole: April and June to September
Météo-France’s 1991–2020 normals at Dole, 2.8 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) | 8.9 | 10.2 | 11.8 | 13.5 | 15.0 | 15.9 | 15.5 | 14.2 | 12.5 | 10.8 | 9.3 | 8.5 |
| High (°C) | 6 | 8 | 13 | 17 | 21 | 25 | 28 | 27 | 22 | 17 | 10 | 7 |
| Rain (mm) | 78 | 72 | 73 | 79 | 97 | 80 | 79 | 84 | 87 | 104 | 104 | 88 |
February is the driest month (72 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 28 °C). 104 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 71 nights a year. The climate in Dole →
Gardens
A garden to visit in Dole
Named gardens in the commune.
Jardin à la FaulxIn Dole
DirectionsSource: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and Wikidata.
Neighbors
Next to Dole
The nearest towns of 2,500 or more, colored by the share of their land in protected areas.
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 Dole
Is Dole in a national or regional nature park?
No, but 37% of its land is in a nature reserve or a Natura 2000 site.
Are there good walks in Dole?
OpenStreetMap maps 94 km of footpaths and tracks open on foot in the commune, 2.5 km per km² (the median compared town: 1.7 km per km²); 51 km of waymarked hiking routes cross it.
How much of Dole is woodland?
36% of the commune is mapped woodland, private woods included; the median compared French town has 13%.
Is Dole near the sea?
No: the coast is 400 km from the town center, as the crow flies.
When is the best time for walking in Dole?
April and June 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.