First pick
Bois du Parc Barrachin (Bois de Beauchamp)
Wood or forest
54 ha1.4 km of path
20 minto walk all 1.4 km of path
1.9 km eastfrom the center
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Rémih · CC BY-SA 4.020%woodland
Outdoors in Pierrelaye · protected areas, woods and footpaths
Almost every home in Pierrelaye is within 800 m of a park or wood
No protected area reaches Pierrelaye; the nearest, Vexin Français Regional Nature Park, is 4.7 km from the town center. 21 km of footpaths cross Pierrelaye (2.4 km per km²). Mapped woodland covers 20% of Pierrelaye. 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: Vexin Français Regional Nature Park, 4.7 km
Woodland
20%
of the land, mapped on OpenStreetMap
Compared town: 13%
Footpaths
21 km
2.4 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
17
named, in or within 400 m of the commune
First: Bois du Parc Barrachin (Bois de Beauchamp)
Throughout this page, the Val-d'Oise 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 Pierrelaye 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
Woodland20%Share of the land mapped as forest or woods on OpenStreetMap
62out of 100
Footpaths2.4 km per km²Km of mapped footpath and track open on foot, per km² of the commune
64out 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
Pierrelaye has the 16th most footpaths per km² of 41 towns its size
The 40 compared French towns nearest in population (9,957 to 10,311 residents), by km of footpath per km². Hover for each one’s protected land and woods; click for its page.
From Maxéville (5.5 km per km²) to Saint-Loubès (0.2 km per km²).
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Paths (km/km²) | Woodland | Protected | Coast | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maxéville Meurthe-et-Moselle | 5.5 | 24% | 0% | 363 km |
| 2 | Villerupt Meurthe-et-Moselle | 4.2 | 30% | 0% | 288 km |
| 3 | Saint-Grégoire Ille-et-Vilaine | 4.2 | 5% | 0% | 44 km |
| 4 | Courrières Pas-de-Calais | 4.1 | 11% | 0% | 76 km |
| 5 | Villebon-sur-Yvette Essonne | 3.8 | 23% | 0% | 159 km |
| 6 | Cabriès Bouches-du-Rhône | 3.7 | 28% | 1.6% | 11 km |
| 7 | Méry-sur-Oise Val-d'Oise | 3.6 | 35% | 0% | 124 km |
| 8 | Grigny-sur-Rhône Rhône | 3.5 | 16% | 0% | 234 km |
| 9 | Feyzin Rhône | 3.4 | 12% | 0% | 242 km |
| 10 | Soyaux Charente | 3.3 | 35% | 9% | 78 km |
| 11 | Auchel Pas-de-Calais | 3.1 | 8.6% | 0% | 55 km |
| 12 | Marly Moselle | 3 | 4.4% | 0% | 332 km |
| 13 | Sainte-Savine Aube | 2.5 | 0.6% | 0% | 271 km |
| 14 | Neuville-en-Ferrain Nord | 2.4 | 5.6% | 0% | 54 km |
| 15 | Beaumont-sur-Oise Val-d'Oise | 2.4 | 26% | 35% | 121 km |
| 16 | Pierrelaye Val-d'Oise | 2.4 | 20% | 0% | 126 km |
| 17 | Buxerolles Vienne | 2.3 | 10% | 0% | 119 km |
| 18 | Fillière Haute-Savoie | 2.1 | 49% | 20% | 266 km |
| 19 | Parthenay Deux-Sèvres | 2 | 3.8% | 0.1% | 78 km |
| 20 | Avranches Manche | 1.9 | 1.5% | 0% | 2.5 km |
| 21 | La Ferté-sous-Jouarre Seine-et-Marne | 1.9 | 30% | 0% | 172 km |
| 22 | Pont-Audemer Eure | 1.8 | 20% | 65% | 15 km |
| 23 | Jeumont Nord | 1.8 | 25% | 0.1% | 133 km |
| 24 | Ingré Loiret | 1.8 | 11% | 0% | 200 km |
| 25 | Le Muy Var | 1.7 | 35% | 46% | 16 km |
| 26 | Saint-Pierre-du-Mont Landes | 1.5 | 58% | 3.4% | 69 km |
| 27 | Le Beausset Var | 1.5 | 18% | 69% | 7.1 km |
| 28 | Aniche Nord | 1.4 | 6.8% | 0.1% | 98 km |
| 29 | Lambesc Bouches-du-Rhône | 1.3 | 32% | 65% | 33 km |
| 30 | Apt Vaucluse | 1.2 | 29% | 100% | 58 km |
| 31 | Chambly Oise | 1.2 | 5.4% | 0.1% | 117 km |
| 32 | Mazamet Tarn | 1.2 | 77% | 0.1% | 74 km |
| 33 | Ploërmel Morbihan | 1.1 | 15% | 0% | 39 km |
| 34 | La Farlède Var | 1.1 | 8.7% | 15% | 7.4 km |
| 35 | Couzeix Haute-Vienne | 1.1 | 21% | 0% | 163 km |
| 36 | Douchy-les-Mines Nord | 1 | 11% | 0% | 106 km |
| 37 | Borgo Haute-Corse | 0.8 | 11% | 28% | On it |
| 38 | Loudéac Côtes-d'Armor | 0.7 | 14% | 0% | 35 km |
| 39 | Lillers Pas-de-Calais | 0.5 | 7.8% | 0% | 53 km |
| 40 | Carentan-les-Marais Manche | 0.3 | 0.2% | 100% | On it |
| 41 | Saint-Loubès Gironde | 0.2 | 4% | 28% | 16 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 Pierrelaye
Named parks, gardens and woods in the commune or within 400 m, the biggest and best-pathed first: Bois du Parc Barrachin (Bois de Beauchamp) leads, at 54 ha. Directions go to a point inside.
Bois de Beauchamp
Wood or forest · 150 m outside the commune
60 ha0.3 km of path
2.1 km north-eastfrom the center
Directionsto a point inside
Parc des Sports de Pierrelaye
Park or garden
12 ha3.2 km of path
45 minto walk all 3.2 km of path
1 km south-eastfrom the center
Directionsto a point inside
Les Sillières
Wood or forest
44 ha0.6 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.6 km of path
2 km south-eastfrom the center
Directionsto a point inside
Les Bruyères
Wood or forest
29 ha0.3 km of path
2.6 km south-eastfrom the center
Directionsto a point inside
La Butte Rouge
Wood or forest
18 ha0.6 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.6 km of path
1.1 km eastfrom the center
Directionsto a point inside
Les Buissons
Wood or forest
17 ha
2.8 km south-eastfrom the center
Chemin de Beauchamp
Directionsto a point inside
Bois du Tartre
Wood or forest · 40 m outside the commune
11 ha0.4 km of path
1.7 km southfrom the center
Directionsto a point inside
All 17 named parks, gardens and woods
Bois du Parc Barrachin (Bois de Beauchamp)Wood or forest · 54 ha · 1.4 km of path
DirectionsBois de BeauchampWood or forest · 60 ha · 0.3 km of path · just outside
DirectionsParc des Sports de PierrelayePark or garden · 12 ha · 3.2 km of path
DirectionsLes SillièresWood or forest · 44 ha · 0.6 km of path
DirectionsLes BruyèresWood or forest · 29 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsLa Butte RougeWood or forest · 18 ha · 0.6 km of path
DirectionsLes BuissonsWood or forest · 17 ha
DirectionsBois du TartreWood or forest · 11 ha · 0.4 km of path · just outside
DirectionsParc des 6 ArpentsPark or garden · 1.7 ha · 0.8 km of path
DirectionsBois des CopistesWood or forest · 2.8 ha · 0.9 km of path · just outside
DirectionsBois de la ChesnaieWood or forest · 4.6 ha · 0.3 km of path · just outside
DirectionsPlaine des CopistesPark or garden · 1.8 ha · just outside
DirectionsParc des Deux-OrmesPark or garden · 0.9 ha
DirectionsSquare Jean FerratPark or garden · 0.4 ha · 0.3 km of path · just outside
DirectionsParc de la MédiathèquePark or garden · 0.3 ha · 0.2 km of path · just outside
DirectionsEspace multisports des GrouettesPark or garden · 0.3 ha · 0.1 km of path
DirectionsParc du DrainPark or garden · 0.4 ha
DirectionsSource: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL): named parks, gardens and woods; sizes are the whole site.
Protected areas
Vexin Français Regional Nature Park is the nearest protected area, 4.7 km away
The protected areas reaching the commune, and the nearest: national parks, regional nature parks, nature reserves and Natura 2000 sites.
Regional nature park
Vexin Français Regional Nature Park
4.7 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
21 km of footpaths cross Pierrelaye
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
21 km
2.4 km per km²
Hiking routes
0 km
waymarked: 0 km per km²
Woodland
20%
about 1.8 km² of mapped woods
Km per km² of the commune · mapped on OpenStreetMap
PierrelayeVal-d'Oise medianFrance median
Footpaths2.4
Hiking routes0
02.55 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
PierrelayeVal-d'Oise medianFrance median
Woodland20%
0%50%100%
That is more than in 64% of compared French towns for footpaths per km², and for woodland more than in 62% 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 Pierrelaye is within 800 m of a mapped park or wood, as in most French towns.
3 named hiking routes within 2 km
GR (long-distance)Other named walk
GR 21.5 km
Un petit coin de campagne au milieu des villes2.8 km
Autour du Fort de Cormeilles0.4 km
GR 2 passes within 2 km of Pierrelaye.
Source: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), extracts of October 25, 2026 (Geofabrik).
When to get out
The best walking months in Pierrelaye: April to September
Météo-France’s 1991–2020 normals at Pontoise -Ville, 5.7 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) | 8.7 | 10.1 | 11.7 | 13.6 | 15.3 | 16.2 | 15.8 | 14.4 | 12.5 | 10.7 | 9.1 | 8.2 |
| High (°C) | 8 | 9 | 13 | 17 | 21 | 24 | 26 | 26 | 22 | 17 | 12 | 8 |
| Rain (mm) | 58 | 52 | 49 | 45 | 62 | 54 | 49 | 53 | 46 | 64 | 59 | 75 |
April is the driest month (45 mm) and August the warmest (highs of 26 °C). 75 mm of rain falls in December, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 35 nights a year. The climate in Pierrelaye →
Neighbors
Next to Pierrelaye
The nearest towns of 2,500 or more, colored by the share of their land in protected areas.
Herblay-sur-SeineBeauchampSaint-Ouen-l'AumôneÉragny-sur-OiseMontigny-lès-CormeillesBessancourtPierrelaye
Under 1%1–10 %10–25 %25–50 %50 %+
| Town | Protected | Woodland | Paths (km/km²) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pierrelaye | 0% | 20% | 2.4 |
| Herblay-sur-Seine 31,779 · 2.6 km | 0% | 10% | 2.7 |
| Beauchamp 9,849 · 3 km | 0% | 12% | 4.2 |
| Saint-Ouen-l'Aumône 25,578 · 3.7 km | 0% | 7.4% | 3.2 |
| Éragny-sur-Oise 18,436 · 4 km | 0% | 15% | 4.1 |
| Montigny-lès-Cormeilles 22,457 · 4.2 km | 0% | 17% | 7 |
| Bessancourt 8,869 · 4.4 km | 0% | 29% | 4.6 |
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 Pierrelaye
Is Pierrelaye in a national or regional nature park?
No. The nearest protected area is Vexin Français Regional Nature Park, 4.7 km from the town center.
Are there good walks in Pierrelaye?
OpenStreetMap maps 21 km of footpaths and tracks open on foot in the commune, 2.4 km per km² (the median compared town: 1.7 km per km²).
How much of Pierrelaye is woodland?
20% of the commune is mapped woodland, private woods included; the median compared French town has 13%.
Is Pierrelaye near the sea?
No: the coast is 126 km from the town center, as the crow flies.
When is the best time for walking in Pierrelaye?
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.