First pick
Parc du boulard
Wood or forest · 370 m outside the commune
48 ha5.4 km of path
1 h 10 minto walk all 5.4 km of path
3.1 km westfrom the center
Chemin de la Merdarie
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: CHABERT Louis · CC BY-SA 4.06%woodland
Outdoors in Saint-Genis-Laval · protected areas, woods and footpaths
Almost every home in Saint-Genis-Laval is within 800 m of a park or wood
33 km of footpaths cross Saint-Genis-Laval (2.6 km per km²). No protected area reaches Saint-Genis-Laval; the nearest, Pelouses, milieux alluviaux et aquatiques de l’île de Miribel-Jonage (Natura 2000), is 13 km from the town center. 6% of Saint-Genis-Laval is mapped woodland. 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: Pelouses, milieux alluviaux et aquatiques de l’île de Miribel-Jonage, 13 km
Woodland
6%
of the land, mapped on OpenStreetMap
Compared town: 13%
Footpaths
33 km
2.6 km per km²
Compared town: 1.7 km per km²
Hiking routes
7.2 km
waymarked, GR and others
Compared town: 0.3 km per km²
Parks & woods
11
named, in or within 400 m of the commune
First: Parc du boulard
Throughout this page, the Rhône 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 Saint-Genis-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
Woodland6%Share of the land mapped as forest or woods on OpenStreetMap
27out of 100
Footpaths2.6 km per km²Km of mapped footpath and track open on foot, per km² of the commune
68out of 100
Hiking routes0.6 km per km²Km of waymarked hiking routes (GR and others), per km² of the commune
65out of 100
Percentiles among compared French towns; ties count half.
Towns its size
Saint-Genis-Laval has the 6th fewest footpaths per km² of 41 towns its size
The 40 compared French towns nearest in population (20,566 to 21,907 residents), by km of footpath per km². Hover for each one’s protected land and woods; click for its page.
From Sceaux (11.7 km per km²) to Saint-Mandé (1 km per km²).
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Paths (km/km²) | Woodland | Protected | Coast | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sceaux Hauts-de-Seine | 11.7 | 17% | 0% | 154 km |
| 2 | La Madeleine Nord | 8.6 | 0.6% | 0% | 61 km |
| 3 | Chaville Hauts-de-Seine | 8.3 | 46% | 0% | 148 km |
| 4 | Mons-en-Barœul Nord | 7.5 | 2% | 0% | 63 km |
| 5 | Saint-Cyr-l'École Yvelines | 6.3 | 7.8% | 0% | 143 km |
| 6 | Saint-Gratien Val-d'Oise | 6 | 0.7% | 0% | 137 km |
| 7 | Maurepas Yvelines | 5.8 | 29% | 0.1% | 137 km |
| 8 | Carrières-sous-Poissy Yvelines | 5.3 | 5.6% | 0% | 129 km |
| 9 | Saint-Michel-sur-Orge Essonne | 5.3 | 6.7% | 0% | 168 km |
| 10 | Coudekerque-Branche Nord | 5.1 | 14% | 0% | 2.2 km |
| 11 | Fleury-les-Aubrais Loiret | 4.9 | 16% | 0% | 203 km |
| 12 | Montigny-lès-Metz Moselle | 4.9 | 3.4% | 0% | 329 km |
| 13 | Sainte-Foy-lès-Lyon Rhône | 4.8 | 10% | 0% | 249 km |
| 14 | Bruay-la-Buissière Pas-de-Calais | 4.5 | 22% | 0% | 61 km |
| 15 | Lagny-sur-Marne Seine-et-Marne | 4 | 5.7% | 0% | 163 km |
| 16 | Montmorency Val-d'Oise | 3.8 | 20% | 0% | 136 km |
| 17 | Morsang-sur-Orge Essonne | 3.8 | 3.4% | 0% | 168 km |
| 18 | La Chapelle-sur-Erdre Loire-Atlantique | 3.8 | 20% | 1.9% | 43 km |
| 19 | Gardanne Bouches-du-Rhône | 3.8 | 38% | 0% | 16 km |
| 20 | Lingolsheim Bas-Rhin | 3.7 | 4.5% | 0% | 450 km |
| 21 | Ozoir-la-Ferrière Seine-et-Marne | 3.6 | 44% | 0% | 172 km |
| 22 | Croix Nord | 3.4 | 4.6% | 0% | 61 km |
| 23 | Le Plessis-Trévise Val-de-Marne | 3.4 | 9.3% | 0% | 163 km |
| 24 | Allauch Bouches-du-Rhône | 3.4 | 28% | 65% | 9.7 km |
| 25 | Nogent-sur-Oise Oise | 3.3 | 19% | 0% | 115 km |
| 26 | Voiron Isère | 3.3 | 28% | 0% | 220 km |
| 27 | Denain Nord | 3.2 | 5.9% | 0.1% | 103 km |
| 28 | Cugnaux Haute-Garonne | 3.1 | 6.8% | 0% | 151 km |
| 29 | Wasquehal Nord | 3.1 | 4.7% | 0% | 60 km |
| 30 | Bourg-la-Reine Hauts-de-Seine | 3.1 | 0% | 0% | 155 km |
| 31 | Mandelieu-la-Napoule Alpes-Maritimes | 2.9 | 48% | 0.1% | On it |
| 32 | Concarneau Finistère | 2.8 | 13% | 0.3% | On it |
| 33 | Plaisance-du-Touch Haute-Garonne | 2.7 | 7.9% | 2.1% | 156 km |
| 34 | Chaumont Haute-Marne | 2.6 | 52% | 0.3% | 342 km |
| 35 | Villeneuve-le-Roi Val-de-Marne | 2.6 | 0.9% | 0% | 164 km |
| 36 | Saint-Genis-Laval Rhône | 2.6 | 6% | 0% | 244 km |
| 37 | Halluin Nord | 2.5 | 4.8% | 0% | 50 km |
| 38 | Carquefou Loire-Atlantique | 2.5 | 14% | 5% | 47 km |
| 39 | Givors Rhône | 1.7 | 27% | 0.2% | 232 km |
| 40 | Montaigu-Vendée Vendée | 1.2 | 7.4% | 0% | 51 km |
| 41 | Saint-Mandé Val-de-Marne | 1 | 0% | 0% | 154 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 Saint-Genis-Laval
Named parks, gardens and woods in the commune or within 400 m, the biggest and best-pathed first: Parc du boulard leads, at 48 ha. Directions go to a point inside.
Parc des Cartières
Park or garden · 370 m outside the commune
15 ha2 km of path
25 minto walk all 2 km of path
2.7 km westfrom the center
Directionsto a point inside
Parc Naturel de l'Yzeron
Park or garden · 270 m outside the commune
7.9 ha2.5 km of path
35 minto walk all 2.5 km of path
3.1 km northfrom the center
Directionsto a point inside
Bois de Sanzy
Wood or forest
17 ha1.3 km of path
15 minto walk all 1.3 km of path
2.2 km northfrom the center
Directionsto a point inside
Parc de Beauregard
Park or garden
3.9 ha1.1 km of path
15 minto walk all 1.1 km of path
Centralin the middle of Saint-Genis-Laval
Directionsto a point inside
Parc de Sanzy
Park or garden
3.2 ha1 km of path
15 minto walk all 1 km of path
2.4 km northfrom the center
Directionsto a point inside
Parc Jean de la Fontaine
Park or garden · 10 m outside the commune
2.6 ha0.8 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.8 km of path
1.6 km eastfrom the center
Directionsto a point inside
Parc de Rochilly
Park or garden · 160 m outside the commune
2.6 ha
2.5 km westfrom the center
Directionsto a point inside
All 11 named parks, gardens and woods
Parc du boulardWood or forest · 48 ha · 5.4 km of path · just outside
DirectionsParc des CartièresPark or garden · 15 ha · 2 km of path · just outside
DirectionsParc Naturel de l'YzeronPark or garden · 7.9 ha · 2.5 km of path · just outside
DirectionsBois de SanzyWood or forest · 17 ha · 1.3 km of path
DirectionsParc de BeauregardPark or garden · 3.9 ha · 1.1 km of path
DirectionsParc de SanzyPark or garden · 3.2 ha · 1 km of path
DirectionsParc Jean de la FontainePark or garden · 2.6 ha · 0.8 km of path · just outside
DirectionsParc de RochillyPark or garden · 2.6 ha · just outside
DirectionsPré des CastorsPark or garden · 0.9 ha · just outside
DirectionsPlace Georges SalendrePark or garden · 0.6 ha · 0.1 km of path · just outside
DirectionsParc de la Maison des ChampsPark or garden · 0.4 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsSource: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL): named parks, gardens and woods; sizes are the whole site.
Protected areas
Pelouses, milieux alluviaux et aquatiques de l’île de Miribel-Jonage is the nearest protected area, 13 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
Pelouses, milieux alluviaux et aquatiques de l’île de Miribel-Jonage
13 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
33 km of footpaths and 7 km of hiking routes cross Saint-Genis-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
33 km
2.6 km per km²
Hiking routes
7.2 km
waymarked: 0.6 km per km²
Woodland
6%
about 0.8 km² of mapped woods
Km per km² of the commune · mapped on OpenStreetMap
Saint-Genis-LavalRhône medianFrance median
Footpaths2.6
Hiking routes0.6
01.53 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
Saint-Genis-LavalRhône medianFrance median
Woodland6%
0%50%100%
That is more than in 68% of compared French towns for footpaths per km², and for woodland less than in 73% 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 Saint-Genis-Laval is within 800 m of a mapped park or wood, as in most French towns.
4 named hiking routes within 2 km
Other named walk
Tour de Lyon, d'Yvours au Fort de Bruissin26 km
Via Lugdunum, Lyon to Le Puy-en-Velay7.8 km
Chemin de Montaigne de Lyon à Brussieu5.7 km
De Champonost à Mornant0.6 km
Source: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), extracts of October 25, 2026 (Geofabrik).
When to get out
The best walking months in Saint-Genis-Laval: April to August
Météo-France’s 1991–2020 normals at St-Genis-Laval, 0.9 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) | 9.1 | 10.3 | 11.8 | 13.5 | 14.9 | 15.7 | 15.4 | 14.1 | 12.5 | 10.8 | 9.4 | 8.7 |
| High (°C) | 7 | 9 | 14 | 17 | 21 | 26 | 28 | 28 | 23 | 17 | 11 | 7 |
| Rain (mm) | 48 | 37 | 47 | 68 | 75 | 68 | 65 | 63 | 80 | 95 | 90 | 49 |
February is the driest month (37 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 28 °C). 95 mm of rain falls in October, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 44 nights a year. The climate in Saint-Genis-Laval →
Neighbors
Next to Saint-Genis-Laval
The nearest towns of 2,500 or more, colored by the share of their land in protected areas.
Oullins-Pierre-BéniteIrignyBrignaisVourlesChaponostLa MulatièreSaint-Genis-Laval
Under 1%1–10 %10–25 %25–50 %50 %+
| Town | Protected | Woodland | Paths (km/km²) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saint-Genis-Laval | 0% | 6% | 2.6 |
| Oullins-Pierre-Bénite 38,168 · 2.4 km | 0% | 2.3% | 4.2 |
| Irigny 9,034 · 2.8 km | 0% | 13% | 2.8 |
| Brignais 12,503 · 3.5 km | 0% | 14% | 2 |
| Vourles 3,332 · 4 km | 0% | 6.6% | 1.8 |
| Chaponost 9,382 · 4 km | 0% | 12% | 1.5 |
| La Mulatière 6,534 · 4.1 km | 0% | 9.1% | 4 |
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 Saint-Genis-Laval
Is Saint-Genis-Laval in a national or regional nature park?
No. The nearest protected area is Pelouses, milieux alluviaux et aquatiques de l’île de Miribel-Jonage, 13 km from the town center.
Are there good walks in Saint-Genis-Laval?
OpenStreetMap maps 33 km of footpaths and tracks open on foot in the commune, 2.6 km per km² (the median compared town: 1.7 km per km²); 7 km of waymarked hiking routes cross it.
How much of Saint-Genis-Laval is woodland?
6% of the commune is mapped woodland, private woods included; the median compared French town has 13%.
Is Saint-Genis-Laval near the sea?
No: the coast is 244 km from the town center, as the crow flies.
When is the best time for walking in Saint-Genis-Laval?
April to August: 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.