One of the oldest GRs in France: from Porte Maillot, a great loop of forests, valleys and villages around Paris, to be walked from one station to the next.
588 km 365.4 mi25 stages4,950 m 16,240 ft ascentHigh point 210 m 689 ftParis (porte Maillot) · Loop
A 588 km loop starting from Paris (porte Maillot).
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Elevation profile: from 21 m to 205 m over 588.1 km.
The GR1 at a glance
The GR1, “Forêts et vallées autour de Paris” (forests and valleys around Paris), is one of the oldest long-distance footpaths in France. It starts from Porte Maillot, in Paris, reaches the west of the Paris area via Vaucresson and the park and forest of Marly, then traces a vast loop around the capital, which closes near Saint-Nom-la-Bretèche and Feucherolles, in the Yvelines. Designed and waymarked by volunteers from the FFRandonnée committees, it stays almost entirely within Île-de-France, with two incursions: Orry-la-Ville, in the Oise, and Malesherbes, in the Loiret.
The landscape changes from one stage to the next. To the north-west, the path meets the Seine at Triel, leaves the valley towards Meulan and climbs onto the plateaux of the Vexin before Pontoise. It then follows the Oise via Auvers-sur-Oise and L’Isle-Adam, reaches Viarmes and Orry-la-Ville, then Meaux and the Brie. To the south-east, Melun and Bois-le-Roi open the crossing of the Fontainebleau forest, between heathland and boulder fields, before the Gâtinais, the Essonne and Juine valleys, Dourdan, the Rambouillet forest and Montfort-l’Amaury.
The terrain stays gentle, but some station-to-station stages exceed thirty kilometers. The GR1’s great asset is its public transport: each stage links two stations on the Transilien, RER or TER network, and the FFRandonnée points out that it can be walked with a simple Navigo pass. You can walk it continuously over several days or split it into day walks, weekend after weekend, returning to Paris each time.
Highlights
A start in the heart of Paris, at Porte Maillot, served by the metro and the RER.
The great forests of Île-de-France, from Marly to Rambouillet via Fontainebleau.
The Oise valley and Auvers-sur-Oise, after the plateaux of the Vexin.
Towns with a rich heritage: Pontoise, Meaux, Melun, Dourdan, Montfort-l’Amaury.
Stages designed from station to station, accessible with a Navigo pass.
Practical information
Start and finish
Paris (porte Maillot)
Porte Maillot is served by metro line 1 and the RER C. The first stage ends at Vaucresson station, on the Paris-Saint-Lazare line.
When to go
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With no altitude, the GR1 can be walked in all seasons, but forest paths are often muddy in winter. From September to March, hunting days take place in the state forests; in summer, drought can lead to forest closures, as at Fontainebleau in 2026.
Difficulty
Moderate
Gentle terrain and no technical sections; the difficulty lies in the length of some station-to-station stages, over thirty kilometers, and in the rocky or sandy sections of the Fontainebleau forest.
Accommodation
9 B&Bs, 61 hotels, and 21 campgrounds
The GR1 is designed first and foremost for day walks. On a multi-day walk, the stage towns offer hotels and B&Bs; gîtes are few and far between, such as the Hauts-Besnières gîte at La Celle-les-Bordes, listed near the GR1 by the Yvelines committee. It is best to book in advance.
Rules to know
Camping is forbidden in all the state forests of Île-de-France, and the ONF also bans bivouacking in those to the west of Paris; in the Fontainebleau forest, it is only permitted on three designated areas. Fires and barbecues are forbidden in the forest and within 200 m of woodland all year round. Since the fires of July 2026, the burned areas of the Trois-Pignons and the Faisanderie have remained closed by prefectoral order.
Water and supplies
The towns and villages along the way let you stock up, but the crossings of the Fontainebleau and Rambouillet forests are long: set off with water and a picnic. After the 2026 fires, the GR1 was rerouted between Franchard and Le Vaudoué; check the map of open sectors published by the ONF before going through.
The GR1 on the map
The 25 stages
TrekGR stage plan: each stage ends where you can sleep. Actual walking time excluding breaks (DIN 33466 standard).
GR1 en forêt de Fontainebleau : zones brûlées des Trois-Pignons interdites par arrêté préfectoral depuis les incendies de l'été 2026. Contournez les secteurs fermés.
Before setting off, check the train times at the station where you finish, especially for stages that end at a small station.
From September to March, check the ONF hunting calendars and never enter an area signposted as having a hunt in progress.
Before crossing the Fontainebleau forest, look at the ONF map of closed sectors and follow the rerouted waymarks on the ground.
For stages of more than thirty kilometers, identify the intermediate stations that let you shorten the day.
The Île-de-France committee’s topoguide “Forêts et vallées autour de Paris” describes each stage with its places to stock up.
Frequently asked questions
Where does the GR1 start?
In Paris, at Porte Maillot (metro line 1, RER C). The path reaches the west of the Paris area via Vaucresson and the Marly forest; the loop itself begins around Saint-Nom-la-Bretèche and Feucherolles, in the Yvelines, according to the Yvelines FFRandonnée committee.
Can you walk the GR1 with a Navigo pass?
Yes. The FFRandonnée states that the stages are designed from station to station and that the route is accessible with a Navigo pass. The stations are served by Transilien trains from Paris-Saint-Lazare, Nord, Est, Lyon and Montparnasse and by RER C and D.
Does the GR1 still cross the Fontainebleau forest after the 2026 fires?
Yes, but its route has been changed between Franchard and Le Vaudoué, according to ONF information released in August 2026. The burned areas remain closed by prefectoral order: check the ONF map of open and closed sectors before setting off.
Can you bivouac on the GR1?
Camping is forbidden in all the state forests of Île-de-France, and the ONF also bans bivouacking in those in the west of the region. In the Fontainebleau forest, only three designated areas welcome campers, for one night and without fires; some may have been closed since the 2026 fire. Elsewhere, you need the landowner’s permission.
Which topoguide should you use for the GR1?
The Île-de-France FFRandonnée committee publishes “Forêts et vallées autour de Paris”, which describes and maps each stage from station to station. The route also appears in the FFRandonnée’s MaRando app.
Does the GR1 leave Île-de-France?
Briefly: it passes through Orry-la-Ville, in the Oise, to the north, and through Malesherbes, in the Loiret, to the south. The rest of the loop crosses Paris, the Hauts-de-Seine, the Yvelines, the Val-d’Oise, the Seine-et-Marne and the Essonne.
Route: OpenStreetMap contributors. Elevation: IGN’s RGE ALTI®, one point every 50 m. Text checked on November 12, 2026.
