FrançaisGuest, Sign inJoin
Le clos de Vauréal 1980 3Photo: Bruno Marand · CC BY-SA 4.0
19%woodland
Outdoors in Vauréal · protected areas, woods and footpaths

Vauréal has more footpaths per km² than 9 in 10 French towns

Footpaths add up to 46 km across Vauréal (12.3 km per km²). Vauréal has 2 km of waymarked hiking routes. No protected area reaches Vauréal; the nearest, Vexin Français Regional Nature Park, is 2.1 km from the town center. 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, 2.1 km
Woodland
19%
of the land, mapped on OpenStreetMap
Compared town: 13%
Footpaths
46 km
12.3 km per km²
Compared town: 1.7 km per km²
Hiking routes
2.4 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 l'Hautil

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.

What kind of place

What kind of outdoors place is Vauréal?

Read from the data: what stands out first, good and less good.

What sets Vauréal apart: its footpaths, then protected land close by.

Against French towns

How Vauréal 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
NoneMedian 0.1%100
22out of 100
Woodland19%Share of the land mapped as forest or woods on OpenStreetMap
Median 13%0100
60out of 100
Footpaths12.3 km per km²Km of mapped footpath and track open on foot, per km² of the commune
Median 1.7 km per km²08+
100out of 100
Hiking routes0.6 km per km²Km of waymarked hiking routes (GR and others), per km² of the commune
NoneMedian 0.3 km per km²3+
70out of 100

Percentiles among compared French towns; ties count half.

Towns its size

Vauréal has the most footpaths per km² of 41 towns its size

The 40 compared French towns nearest in population (15,604 to 16,545 residents), by km of footpath per km². Hover for each one’s protected land and woods; click for its page.

Vauréal 12.3
Gaillac
06.513 km per km²

From Vauréal (12.3 km per km²) to Gaillac (0.2 km per km²).

Every town in the comparison
TownPaths (km/km²)WoodlandProtectedCoast
1Vauréal Val-d'Oise12.319%0%121 km
2Noisiel Seine-et-Marne9.532%0.1%162 km
3Saint-Leu-la-Forêt Val-d'Oise8.536%0.5%131 km
4Montévrain Seine-et-Marne7.311%0%165 km
5Orsay Essonne7.327%0%157 km
6Le Pecq Yvelines7.12.7%0%136 km
7Verneuil-sur-Seine Yvelines5.424%0%123 km
8Longwy Meurthe-et-Moselle5.115%0%275 km
9Sainte-Luce-sur-Loire Loire-Atlantique4.712%11%45 km
10Francheville Rhône4.629%0%248 km
11Le Bourget Seine-Saint-Denis4.52.2%0%145 km
12Domont Val-d'Oise4.528%0%133 km
13Landerneau Finistère4.418%1.2%On it
14Hennebont Morbihan425%0%On it
15Trélazé Maine-et-Loire3.913%0%122 km
16Saint-Pierre-des-Corps Indre-et-Loire3.86.9%9.3%186 km
17Marseille 16e Bouches-du-Rhône3.48.2%0.2%On it
18Mennecy Essonne3.319%8.2%180 km
19Ambérieu-en-Bugey Ain3.349%0%281 km
20Saint-Julien-en-Genevois Haute-Savoie3.213%0%286 km
21Vendôme Loir-et-Cher3.132%0%187 km
22Lucé Eure-et-Loir32.6%0%137 km
23Sin-le-Noble Nord2.712%0.1%90 km
24Saint-Fargeau-Ponthierry Seine-et-Marne2.413%100%187 km
25Rumilly Haute-Savoie2.318%0.7%262 km
26Port-de-Bouc Bouches-du-Rhône2.114%28%On it
27Coulommiers Seine-et-Marne216%0%183 km
28Saint-Amand-les-Eaux Nord1.943%100%93 km
29Saint-Just-Saint-Rambert Loire1.723%13%216 km
30Toul Meurthe-et-Moselle1.420%0.5%348 km
31Montbrison Loire1.35.7%4.8%227 km
32Hayange Moselle1.335%0%305 km
33Les Herbiers Vendée1.16.5%0%62 km
34Biscarrosse Landes1.165%20%On it
35Châteaurenard Bouches-du-Rhône0.82.1%8.3%47 km
36Mauguio Hérault0.81.4%49%On it
37Beaucaire Gard0.74.5%8.8%40 km
38Pamiers Ariège0.616%1.1%118 km
39Fos-sur-Mer Bouches-du-Rhône0.50.6%15%On it
40Montrevault-sur-Èvre Maine-et-Loire0.37.3%0%75 km
41Gaillac Tarn0.24.9%0%132 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.

12345678
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 Vauréal

Named parks, gardens and woods in the commune or within 400 m, the biggest and best-pathed first: Forêt de l'Hautil leads, at 1,546 ha. Directions go to a point inside.

First pick

Forêt de l'Hautil

Wood or forest · 250 m outside the commune
1,546 ha105.6 km of path
23 h 30 minto walk all 105.6 km of path
3.3 km south-westfrom the center
Piste VTTChemin du Cordon de l'HautilChemin de Menucourt+5 paths
Directionsto a point inside

Île de Loisirs de Cergy-Pontoise

Park or garden · 40 m outside the commune
237 ha29.4 km of path
6 h 30 minto walk all 29.4 km of path
1.9 km eastfrom the center
Chemin de halage
Directionsto a point inside

Bois de la Vallée

Wood or forest
126 ha24.4 km of path
5 h 25 minto walk all 24.4 km of path
0.7 km eastfrom the center
Chemin de la Côte des PagnesChemin du Haut de la CôteSente des Voies Dieux+5 paths
Directionsto a point inside

Jardins des Droits de l'Homme

Park or garden · 200 m outside the commune
7.5 ha2.3 km of path
30 minto walk all 2.3 km of path
2 km north-eastfrom the center
Sente des Voies DieuxChemin de la Côte des Pagnes
Directionsto a point inside

Jardin du Belvédère

Park or garden
3.5 ha1.2 km of path
15 minto walk all 1.2 km of path
0.8 km south-eastfrom the center
Promenade des Loctaines
Directionsto a point inside

Bois du Hazay

Wood or forest · 230 m outside the commune
5.4 ha1.8 km of path
25 minto walk all 1.8 km of path
1.9 km northfrom the center
Promenade des Irlandais
Directionsto a point inside

Promenade du Val Maurois

Park or garden · 130 m outside the commune
2.2 ha1.2 km of path
15 minto walk all 1.2 km of path
1.6 km northfrom the center
Directionsto a point inside

Jardin des Ombrages

Park or garden
1.3 ha0.7 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.7 km of path
1.3 km northfrom the center
Directionsto a point inside
All 14 named parks, gardens and woods
Forêt de l'HautilWood or forest · 1,546 ha · 105.6 km of path · just outside
Directions
Île de Loisirs de Cergy-PontoisePark or garden · 237 ha · 29.4 km of path · just outside
Directions
Bois de la ValléeWood or forest · 126 ha · 24.4 km of path
Directions
Jardins des Droits de l'HommePark or garden · 7.5 ha · 2.3 km of path · just outside
Directions
Jardin du BelvédèrePark or garden · 3.5 ha · 1.2 km of path
Directions
Bois du HazayWood or forest · 5.4 ha · 1.8 km of path · just outside
Directions
Promenade du Val MauroisPark or garden · 2.2 ha · 1.2 km of path · just outside
Directions
Jardin des OmbragesPark or garden · 1.3 ha · 0.7 km of path
Directions
Jardin des MoissonsPark or garden · 1 ha · 0.6 km of path
Directions
Square de l'École BuisssonièrePark or garden · 0.8 ha · 0.5 km of path
Directions
Jardin des MerveillesPark or garden · 0.8 ha · 0.5 km of path
Directions
Jardin des TaillisPark or garden · 0.7 ha · 0.6 km of path
Directions
Jardin de la MarellePark or garden · 0.4 ha · 0.4 km of path
Directions
Jardin de la SiaulePark or garden · 0.4 ha · 0.3 km of path
Directions

Source: © 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, 2.1 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

2.1 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 Vauréal

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
46 km
12.3 km per km²
Hiking routes
2.4 km
waymarked: 0.6 km per km²
Woodland
19%
about 0.7 km² of mapped woods

Km per km² of the commune · mapped on OpenStreetMap

VauréalVal-d'Oise medianFrance median
Footpaths12.3
Hiking routes0.6
07.515 km per km²

Share of the land · mapped woods and forest

VauréalVal-d'Oise medianFrance median
Woodland19%
0%50%100%

That is more than in 99% of compared French towns for footpaths per km², and for woodland more than in 60% 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 Vauréal is within 800 m of a mapped park or wood, as in most French towns.

2 named hiking routes within 2 km

PR (local walk)Other named walk
PR B0212 km
Le Fil d'Ariane5.9 km

Source: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), extracts of October 25, 2026 (Geofabrik).

When to get out

The best walking months in Vauréal: April to September

Météo-France’s 1991–2020 normals at Pontoise - Aero, 7.1 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.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Daylight (h)8.710.111.713.615.316.215.814.412.510.79.18.2
High (°C)781216192225252116117
Rain (mm)544647446050525547585568

April is the driest month (44 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 25 °C). 68 mm of rain falls in December, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 48 nights a year. The climate in Vauréal →

Gardens

A garden to visit in Vauréal

Named gardens in the commune.

Jardin de la MarelleIn Vauréal
Directions

Source: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and Wikidata.

Neighbors

Next to Vauréal

The nearest towns of 2,500 or more, colored by the share of their land in protected areas.

Jouy-le-MoutierCourdimancheCergyMenucourtMaurecourtVaux-sur-SeineVauréal
Under 1%1–10 %10–25 %25–50 %50 %+
TownProtectedWoodlandPaths (km/km²)
Vauréal0%19%12.3
Jouy-le-Moutier
17,854 · 2.1 km
0%23%10.3
Courdimanche
7,311 · 2.3 km
0%17%3
Cergy
70,906 · 2.4 km
0%13%11.2
Menucourt
6,184 · 3 km
0.3%40%5.4
Maurecourt
4,454 · 4.4 km
0%15%3.2
Vaux-sur-Seine
5,202 · 4.6 km
63%57%5.2

Vaux-sur-Seine has at least twice as much protected land. Menucourt and Vaux-sur-Seine 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 Vauréal

Is Vauréal in a national or regional nature park?

No. The nearest protected area is Vexin Français Regional Nature Park, 2.1 km from the town center.

Are there good walks in Vauréal?

OpenStreetMap maps 46 km of footpaths and tracks open on foot in the commune, 12.3 km per km² (the median compared town: 1.7 km per km²); 2 km of waymarked hiking routes cross it.

How much of Vauréal is woodland?

19% of the commune is mapped woodland, private woods included; the median compared French town has 13%.

Is Vauréal near the sea?

No: the coast is 121 km from the town center, as the crow flies.

When is the best time for walking in Vauréal?

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.