First pick
Bois de L'Huisserie
Wood or forest
172 ha17.5 km of path
3 h 55 minto walk all 17.5 km of path
3.6 km southfrom the center
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Tim Tim (VD fr) · CC BY-SA 4.08.6%woodland
Outdoors in Laval · protected areas, woods and footpaths
Laval has more footpaths per km² than 8 in 10 French towns
153 km of footpaths cross Laval (4.5 km per km²). No protected area reaches Laval; the nearest, Bocage de Montsûrs à la forêt de Sillé-le-Guillaume (Natura 2000), is 14 km from the town center. Mapped woodland covers 8.6% of Laval. 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: Bocage de Montsûrs à la forêt de Sillé-le-Guillaume, 14 km
Woodland
8.6%
of the land, mapped on OpenStreetMap
Compared town: 13%
Footpaths
153 km
4.5 km per km²
Compared town: 1.7 km per km²
Hiking routes
6.2 km
waymarked, GR and others
Compared town: 0.3 km per km²
Parks & woods
16
named, in or within 400 m of the commune
First: Bois de L'Huisserie
Throughout this page, the Mayenne 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 Laval 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
Woodland8.6%Share of the land mapped as forest or woods on OpenStreetMap
36out of 100
Footpaths4.5 km per km²Km of mapped footpath and track open on foot, per km² of the commune
88out of 100
Hiking routes0.2 km per km²Km of waymarked hiking routes (GR and others), per km² of the commune
36out of 100
Percentiles among compared French towns; ties count half.
Towns its size
Laval has the 21st fewest footpaths per km² of 41 towns its size
The 40 compared French towns nearest in population (45,912 to 53,354 residents), by km of footpath per km². Hover for each one’s protected land and woods; click for its page.
From Lyon 6e (12.3 km per km²) to Arles (0.4 km per km²).
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Paths (km/km²) | Woodland | Protected | Coast | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lyon 6e Rhône | 12.3 | 7% | 0% | 253 km |
| 2 | Massy Essonne | 9.4 | 5.3% | 0% | 158 km |
| 3 | Meudon Hauts-de-Seine | 9.3 | 44% | 0% | 150 km |
| 4 | Suresnes Hauts-de-Seine | 9.2 | 5.9% | 0% | 143 km |
| 5 | Sevran Seine-Saint-Denis | 9.1 | 10% | 7.9% | 150 km |
| 6 | Talence Gironde | 7.8 | 5.2% | 0% | 22 km |
| 7 | Belfort Territoire de Belfort | 7.5 | 34% | 0.4% | 431 km |
| 8 | Paris 7e Paris | 6.9 | 0.4% | 0% | 148 km |
| 9 | Saint-Germain-en-Laye Yvelines | 6.8 | 68% | 0% | 135 km |
| 10 | Saint-Herblain Loire-Atlantique | 6.6 | 12% | 1.9% | 34 km |
| 11 | Choisy-le-Roi Val-de-Marne | 6.4 | 2.7% | 0% | 161 km |
| 12 | Marseille 4e Bouches-du-Rhône | 6.4 | 0.8% | 0% | 2.5 km |
| 13 | Épinay-sur-Seine Seine-Saint-Denis | 6.3 | 0.8% | 0% | 139 km |
| 14 | Lyon 5e Rhône | 5.9 | 8.8% | 0% | 251 km |
| 15 | La Courneuve Seine-Saint-Denis | 5.8 | 15% | 23% | 145 km |
| 16 | Montrouge Hauts-de-Seine | 5.5 | 0.1% | 0% | 152 km |
| 17 | Vincennes Val-de-Marne | 5.5 | 0.1% | 0% | 154 km |
| 18 | Bondy Seine-Saint-Denis | 5.1 | 1.6% | 0% | 151 km |
| 19 | Rosny-sous-Bois Seine-Saint-Denis | 5.1 | 3.2% | 2.7% | 154 km |
| 20 | Melun Seine-et-Marne | 4.6 | 6.4% | 0% | 191 km |
| 21 | Laval Mayenne | 4.5 | 8.6% | 0% | 76 km |
| 22 | Saint-Priest Rhône | 4.4 | 4.1% | 0% | 247 km |
| 23 | Blois Loir-et-Cher | 4.3 | 30% | 5.8% | 216 km |
| 24 | Vaulx-en-Velin Rhône | 3.9 | 16% | 35% | 255 km |
| 25 | Évreux Eure | 3.6 | 26% | 12% | 74 km |
| 26 | Saint-Malo Ille-et-Vilaine | 3.5 | 3.8% | 33% | On it |
| 27 | Gennevilliers Hauts-de-Seine | 3.4 | 2.1% | 0% | 141 km |
| 28 | Saint-Quentin Aisne | 3.2 | 7.4% | 1.2% | 121 km |
| 29 | Livry-Gargan Seine-Saint-Denis | 3.1 | 10% | 0.7% | 152 km |
| 30 | Sartrouville Yvelines | 3 | 0.9% | 0% | 135 km |
| 31 | Martigues Bouches-du-Rhône | 3 | 13% | 0.2% | On it |
| 32 | Les Sables-d'Olonne Vendée | 2.8 | 16% | 26% | On it |
| 33 | Bastia Haute-Corse | 2.8 | 0.3% | 0% | On it |
| 34 | Alès Gard | 2.2 | 8% | 0% | 63 km |
| 35 | Grasse Alpes-Maritimes | 1.8 | 23% | 32% | 12 km |
| 36 | Aubagne Bouches-du-Rhône | 1.8 | 30% | 13% | 8.9 km |
| 37 | Albi Tarn | 1.7 | 2.6% | 0% | 118 km |
| 38 | Cagnes-sur-Mer Alpes-Maritimes | 1.6 | 20% | 2.1% | On it |
| 39 | Carcassonne Aude | 1.4 | 8.4% | 0% | 62 km |
| 40 | Brive-la-Gaillarde Corrèze | 1.2 | 27% | 0% | 167 km |
| 41 | Arles Bouches-du-Rhône | 0.4 | 3.1% | 90% | On it |
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 Laval
Named parks, gardens and woods in the commune or within 400 m, the biggest and best-pathed first: Bois de L'Huisserie leads, at 172 ha. Directions go to a point inside.
Bois Gamats
Wood or forest
29 ha2.9 km of path
40 minto walk all 2.9 km of path
2.6 km southfrom the center
Directionsto a point inside
La Perrine
Park or garden
4.2 ha2.8 km of path
35 minto walk all 2.8 km of path
Centralin the middle of Laval
Allée des Tilleuls
Directionsto a point inside
Parc Jean Cornevin
Park or garden
1 ha0.5 km of path
1.5 km north-eastfrom the center
Directionsto a point inside
Parc Saint-Julien
Park or garden
1 ha0.2 km of path
Centralin the middle of Laval
Directionsto a point inside
Jardins de Beauregard
Park or garden
1.4 ha
0.9 km north-westfrom the center
Directionsto a point inside
Parc des Grenouilles
Park or garden
0.8 ha0.2 km of path
3.1 km north-westfrom the center
Directionsto a point inside
All 16 named parks, gardens and woods
Bois de L'HuisserieWood or forest · 172 ha · 17.5 km of path
DirectionsBois GamatsWood or forest · 29 ha · 2.9 km of path
DirectionsLa PerrinePark or garden · 4.2 ha · 2.8 km of path
DirectionsParc Jean CornevinPark or garden · 1 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsParc Saint-JulienPark or garden · 1 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsJardins de BeauregardPark or garden · 1.4 ha
DirectionsParc de la MallePark or garden · 1 ha
DirectionsParc des GrenouillesPark or garden · 0.8 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsPlace du GastPark or garden · 0.7 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsSquare d'AvesnièresPark or garden · 0.5 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsSquare de BostonPark or garden · 0.7 ha · 0.1 km of path
DirectionsSquare des Droits de l'EnfantPark or garden · 0.2 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsPromenade Anne d'AlègrePark or garden · 0.4 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsParc du Vieux ChâteauPark or garden · 0.2 ha · 0.1 km of path
DirectionsParc de la préfecturePark or garden · 0.5 ha
DirectionsJardin de la Banque de FrancePark or garden · 0.3 ha · 0.1 km of path
DirectionsSource: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL): named parks, gardens and woods; sizes are the whole site.
Protected areas
Bocage de Montsûrs à la forêt de Sillé-le-Guillaume is the nearest protected area, 14 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
Bocage de Montsûrs à la forêt de Sillé-le-Guillaume
14 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
Footpaths and woods in Laval
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
153 km
4.5 km per km²
Hiking routes
6.2 km
waymarked: 0.2 km per km²
Woodland
8.6%
about 2.9 km² of mapped woods
Km per km² of the commune · mapped on OpenStreetMap
LavalMayenne medianFrance median
Footpaths4.5
Hiking routes0.2
036 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
LavalMayenne medianFrance median
Woodland8.6%
0%50%100%
That is more than in 88% of compared French towns for footpaths per km², and for woodland less than in 64% 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 Laval is within 800 m of a mapped park or wood, as in most French towns.
4 named hiking routes within 2 km
GR de PaysOther named walk
GRP MdB8.3 km
Sentier de randonnée pédestre #108.7 km
Ligne Bleue - Rive gauche1.3 km
Ligne Verte - La Jaffetière1.1 km
Source: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), extracts of October 25, 2026 (Geofabrik).
When to get out
The best walking months in Laval: April to September
Météo-France’s 1991–2020 normals at Laval-Etronnier, 4.7 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) | 8.8 | 10.1 | 11.7 | 13.6 | 15.2 | 16.0 | 15.7 | 14.3 | 12.5 | 10.7 | 9.2 | 8.4 |
| High (°C) | 8 | 9 | 13 | 16 | 19 | 22 | 25 | 25 | 22 | 17 | 12 | 9 |
| Rain (mm) | 74 | 55 | 54 | 55 | 64 | 53 | 48 | 51 | 60 | 79 | 76 | 87 |
July is the driest month (48 mm) and August the warmest (highs of 25 °C). 87 mm of rain falls in December, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 34 nights a year. The climate in Laval →
Gardens
2 gardens to visit in Laval
Named gardens in the commune.
Jardin de la PerrineIn Laval
DirectionsSquare de BostonIn Laval
DirectionsSource: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and Wikidata.
Neighbors
Next to Laval
The nearest towns of 2,500 or more, colored by the share of their land in protected areas.
ChangéSaint-BerthevinL'HuisserieBonchamp-lès-LavalLouvernéArgentréLaval
Under 1%1–10 %10–25 %25–50 %50 %+
| Town | Protected | Woodland | Paths (km/km²) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laval | 0% | 8.6% | 4.5 |
| Changé 6,502 · 3.6 km | 0% | 2.7% | 2.3 |
| Saint-Berthevin 7,479 · 4.3 km | 0% | 17% | 1.5 |
| L'Huisserie 4,672 · 5 km | 0% | 16% | 3.8 |
| Bonchamp-lès-Laval 6,302 · 5.2 km | 0% | 1.2% | 1.7 |
| Louverné 4,344 · 7.1 km | 0% | 3.9% | 1.5 |
| Argentré 2,906 · 9.8 km | 0% | 3.1% | 0.5 |
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 Laval
Is Laval in a national or regional nature park?
No. The nearest protected area is Bocage de Montsûrs à la forêt de Sillé-le-Guillaume, 14 km from the town center.
Are there good walks in Laval?
OpenStreetMap maps 153 km of footpaths and tracks open on foot in the commune, 4.5 km per km² (the median compared town: 1.7 km per km²); 6 km of waymarked hiking routes cross it.
How much of Laval is woodland?
8.6% of the commune is mapped woodland, private woods included; the median compared French town has 13%.
Is Laval near the sea?
No: the coast is 76 km from the town center, as the crow flies.
When is the best time for walking in Laval?
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.