What does white and red waymarking mean?

It marks a GR, a long-distance route approved by FFRandonnée, designed for a walk of several days to several weeks, linear or circular.

What is the difference between a GR and a GR de Pays?

A GR de Pays, waymarked in yellow and red, stays within a single geographical area and has a name rather than a number. A GR, waymarked in white and red, can cross several regions.

What does a cross painted on a trail mean?

A cross in the route's colours means wrong way: this path is not part of the route. Go back to the last mark you saw and look for the right branch.

Do red and white marks on trees always indicate a GR?

No. In forests, municipal boundaries are also painted red and white, with a wider mark made up of a red stripe between two white stripes. They do not follow any path.

Who maintains GR waymarking?

Volunteer waymarkers from FFRandonnée, nearly 9,500 of them according to the federation, who put up and maintain the marks following an official charter.

GR waymarking: understanding the trail markings

One code for the whole of France

On French hiking trails, painted marks are not put up at random. The French Hiking Federation (FFRandonnée) has standardised waymarking according to the category of route, and an official waymarking and signage charter sets the colours, shapes and methods. The aim: consistent signage from one region to the next, which makes walking simpler and safer.

Waymarking complements the map; it does not replace it. It confirms that you are on the right path, but it tells you nothing about the terrain, the water points or the length of the stage. The guidebook or the map remain essential for preparing and following a multi-day hike.

Three colours, three families of routes

Route	Waymarking	Use
GR (Grande Randonnée)	White and red	A route of several days to several weeks, linear or circular
GR de Pays	Yellow and red	A route of several days that stays within a single geographical area (a massif, a homogeneous territory)
PR (Promenade et Randonnée)	Yellow	A day route, either on its own or part of a network of loops

A GR waymark consists of two stripes, one above the other, one white and one red. A GR de Pays waymark follows the same principle in yellow and red, while a PR makes do with a single yellow stripe. According to FFRandonnée, these waymarks are standard rectangles measuring 10 cm by 2 cm, a format that keeps them from being confused with certain forestry marks. The federation points out that the colours are in principle the same everywhere, but that some PRs still keep different shades depending on the region.

A GR is usually identified by a number and a name (GR10, GR34, GR65…), whereas a GR de Pays only has a name. The names GR and GR de Pays are trademarks registered by FFRandonnée, which approves these routes.

Reading the signs on the ground

Each colour comes in three main signs, shared by all types of route:

Continuity: horizontal stripes show that the route carries on. You are on the right path.
Change of direction: a bent stripe, shaped like an angle, announces a turn. The bend shows which side to turn towards.
Wrong way: stripes arranged in a cross mark a path not to take. Turn back or take the other branch.

The marks are painted on or fixed to whatever is available: rocks, trees, walls, posts. FFRandonnée also mentions stickers, PVC or aluminium plates fixed to a marker post, and signposts. Waymarks do not follow a fixed interval: their frequency depends on the terrain.

Signposts and direction signs

At major junctions, posts often carry signs announcing the next destinations. Their layout varies from one department and area to another. In the Queyras, for example, a cap on top of the post gives the name of the place, its altitude and its GPS coordinates, while yellow blades show the direction, the next places, the distance and the walking time, with a pictogram for each type of route.

Pitfalls to avoid

Not every paint mark you come across is a hiking waymark.

Municipal boundaries in forests are also painted red and white on trees. According to FFRandonnée, this mark is wider and consists of a red stripe between two white stripes. It follows an administrative boundary, not a path.
Local waymarking sometimes has its own code: the blue waymarks of the Amis de la forêt de Fontainebleau, three red dots in the Calanques of Marseille…
Other activities use other signs: FFRandonnée mentions circles and triangles for mountain biking and cycling, and an orange stripe for horse-riding routes.
European long-distance paths can be recognised by a mark based on the European flag, with the letter E and a number.

What to do if you lose the waymarks

If you have not seen a mark for a good while, the safest option is to retrace your steps to the last waymark you identified, rather than cutting across fields or straight across the slope. Then check your position on the map or on a mapping app. A mark may have disappeared with a felled tree or faded paint, and a route may have been diverted since your guidebook was published.

Even on a well-maintained trail, keep a map and a compass in your pack. Fog, late-lying snow or a poorly signed junction are enough to make the waymarks hard to follow, especially in the mountains.

Thousands of volunteers behind every mark

Waymarks do not maintain themselves. According to FFRandonnée, its routes are surveyed and maintained by nearly 9,500 volunteer waymarkers. The federation claims around 115,000 km of GR and GR de Pays trails, plus some 112,000 km of PR trails. These volunteers put up and maintain the signage in line with the official charter, which requires durable, environmentally friendly materials and colours that last.

FFRandonnée asks for donations to fund this work. On the ground, the best way to respect it is simple: do not tear off the plates, do not add your own marks, and stay on the waymarked route, which often crosses fragile habitats or private property.