> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://abroad-with-madi.ghost.io/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Paris Is for Nature Lovers Too: My 8 Favorite Escapes - URL: https://abroad-with-madi.ghost.io/paris-is-for-nature-lovers-too-my-8-favorite-escapes/ - Published: 2026-08-25T17:36:35.000Z - Updated: 2026-09-02T06:41:11.000Z - Author: Madison Paris is the perfect getaway for historians, artists, and romantics alike — but it's not usually thought of as a hot spot for nature seekers. Fair enough: most of my top recommendations here are theaters and museums. Plenty of French families take their holidays down in southern France or Switzerland for that mountain-lake, movie-set backdrop. Then there are people like me: nature-lovers who are heart-bound to Paris. I was drawn here for countless reasons, but I knew it would be a change from the rolling fields and endless vineyards of my home in California. A month after moving, I felt the urge — I needed to be engulfed in green. Four years later, I've compiled my list of the 8 best nature escapes in and around Paris, for the green junkies like me. --- ## **1\. Jardin du Luxembourg — Paris** ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/82/c9/82c9bf72-dc05-4757-9a1d-c2efed498651/content/images/2026/08/IMG_5003-1.jpeg) If you want a Paris-style picnic spot without the Tuileries crowds, Luxembourg is the place to go. There are plenty of chairs, benches, and a few open lawns where picnicking's allowed, so you can settle in with a new book, catch up with a colleague, or grab an after-work drink at La Terrasse de Madame. The gardens surround the Luxembourg Palace and, like most French palace gardens, come with a lovely array of fountains, sculpted bushes, and footpaths. What stands out here is the colorful spread of wildflowers in the north gardens, and the wooded tree canopy as you drift south. Thanks to its central location, it's easy to reach by metro and RER — though it does catch some traffic noise. It's medium-sized with even terrain: not worth strapping your boots on for. **Entry:** - Place Edmond-Rostand - Rue de Médicis - Rue de Vaugirard - Rue Guynemer - Rue d'Assas - Place André-Honnorat **Metro** – Odéon (Lines 4 & 10) / Saint-Sulpice (Line 4) / Mabillon (Line 10) / Rennes (Line 12). RER B at Luxembourg station. **Free WiFi** – available in the park. **Hours** – Varies by month, roughly 7:30–8:15 AM to somewhere between 4:45 PM (deep winter) and 9:30 PM (summer). Exact daily closing time is posted at each gate. --- ## **2\. Parc Monceau — Paris** ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/82/c9/82c9bf72-dc05-4757-9a1d-c2efed498651/content/images/2026/08/IMG_1138-1.jpeg) Also close to the city center, Parc Monceau is easy to reach by several metro lines and ringed by the classic Haussmann blue-roofed apartment buildings that define the Paris landscape. Step inside and you'll find locals and internationals alike sprawled across the lawns, working out, swinging at the playground, and wandering a genuinely eclectic mix of landmarks: statues of famous French writers and composers, an Egyptian pyramid, a Chinese fort, a Dutch windmill, and Corinthian pillars. Quite the array to admire. I wouldn't call Monceau an escape from the city with trails to conquer — it's better as an afternoon break from your screens and the city sights, somewhere to relax among fellow park-goers. **Entry:** - 35 Boulevard de Courcelles, 8th Arrondissement (main gate) - Avenue Van Dyck - Avenue Vélasquez - Avenue Ruysdael **Metro** – Monceau (Line 2). **Hours** – Roughly 7 AM to 8 PM (extended to 10 PM in summer); check the posted gate hours. --- ## **3\. Buttes-Chaumont — Paris** ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/82/c9/82c9bf72-dc05-4757-9a1d-c2efed498651/content/images/2026/08/eliott-goutard-MbM9HH3a93E-unsplash-1.jpg) Photo by [Eliott Goutard](https://unsplash.com/@eliott%5Fgoutard?utm%5Fsource=unsplash&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcontent=creditCopyText) on [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/photos/a-tower-on-top-of-a-mountain-with-a-sky-background-MbM9HH3a93E?utm%5Fsource=unsplash&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcontent=creditCopyText) If Luxembourg is a manicured picnic, Buttes-Chaumont is the wild cousin. Built on a former quarry in the 19th arrondissement, it's all steep slopes, craggy cliffs, and winding paths that actually climb — a rarity in famously flat Paris. At its heart is a lake with a rocky island, crowned by the little Temple de la Sibylle perched high on a peak and reached by a suspension bridge that's worth the walk for the view alone. It's a local's park more than a tourist's, so you'll share it with joggers, sunbathers sprawled on the grass, and families, rather than selfie sticks. Between the hills, the grotto, and the man-made waterfall, there's genuinely more to explore here than a lap around the lawn. This is the closest thing to a real workout you'll get inside the city limits — so yes, on this one, lace up some shoes with grip. **Entry:** - Place Armand-Carrel, 19th arrondissement - 1 Rue Botzaris - 2 Rue Manin - 55 Rue de Crimée - 42 Avenue Simon-Bolivar **Metro** – Buttes Chaumont or Botzaris (Line 7B). **Free WiFi** – available in four areas of the park. **Hours** – 7 AM to 9 PM, 24/7 in summer. --- ## **4\. Bois de Vincennes — Paris** ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/82/c9/82c9bf72-dc05-4757-9a1d-c2efed498651/content/images/2026/08/jean-b-ipbSfV-0ahc-unsplash-1.jpg) Photo by [Jean B](https://unsplash.com/@jean%5Fb?utm%5Fsource=unsplash&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcontent=creditCopyText) on [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/photos/a-dirt-road-in-a-forest-ipbSfV-0ahc?utm%5Fsource=unsplash&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcontent=creditCopyText) For a real escape without leaving the city, head east to Vincennes, the largest green space in Paris, and big enough that you can actually lose the sound of traffic. This is a whole-day kind of place, not an afternoon break. There's a lot packed in: Lac Daumesnil with rowboats you can rent and a little temple on an island, the Parc Zoologique for the animal-lovers, the Parc Floral bursting with color in spring, and an honest-to-goodness medieval castle in the Château de Vincennes. Runners and cyclists have room to really stretch their legs here. Verdict: bring a bike or good walking shoes and make a day of it — this one earns the "escape" label. **Entry:** - Route de la Pyramide, 75012 Paris - Esplanade du Château de Vincennes - 53 Avenue de Saint-Maurice (Zoo entrance) - 45 bis Avenue de la Belle-Gabrielle (Parc Floral) **Metro** – Château de Vincennes (Line 1) / Porte Dorée (Line 8) / Saint-Mandé (Line 1). RER A at Vincennes or Nogent-sur-Marne. **Hours** – Park open 24/7\. Individual attractions (Zoo, Parc Floral, Château) keep their own seasonal hours, generally 9:30 AM–5/8 PM. --- ## **5\. Bois de Boulogne — Paris** ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/82/c9/82c9bf72-dc05-4757-9a1d-c2efed498651/content/images/2026/08/IMG_1497-1.jpeg) Vincennes's western twin, the Bois de Boulogne is the other lung of the city — a sprawling stretch of forest, lakes, and gardens on the edge of the 16th. It's the kind of place where you can wander for hours and stumble onto something new: rowboats on the Lac Inférieur, the rose gardens at Bagatelle in full summer show, and shady trails that make you forget how close you are to the Périphérique. One honest, practical note, especially if you're solo: this one's best enjoyed in daylight. It's lovely and lively by day, but parts of it get very quiet and less welcoming after dark, so plan your visit for daytime hours and/or with fellow adventurers. Verdict: green, huge, and easy to roam — go by day, take your time. **Entry:** - Allée de la Reine Marguerite, 75016 Paris - Porte Dauphine - Porte Maillot - Porte d'Auteuil - Porte de Neuilly **Metro** – Porte Dauphine (Line 2) / Porte Maillot (Line 1) / Porte d'Auteuil (Line 10). RER C stops at Avenue Foch and Neuilly–Porte Maillot. **Hours** – Open 24/7, year-round. --- ## **6\. Fontainebleau Forêt — Fontainebleau** ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/82/c9/82c9bf72-dc05-4757-9a1d-c2efed498651/content/images/2026/08/Dolomites-74-2-1.jpg) Now we're leaving the city entirely — and honestly, this is the one I'd tell a fellow nature-lover to prioritize; my personal favorite. About 40 minutes by train from Gare de Lyon, the Forêt de Fontainebleau is a vast, wild sweep of sand, pine, and sandstone that feels a world away from Paris. It's world-famous for bouldering: climbers fly in from across the globe for these rocks, but you don't need chalk on your hands to love it. There are miles of marked trails winding through boulder fields and quiet woods, the kind of place where you can walk for an hour without seeing a soul. If you've been craving actual wilderness, this is your fix. Verdict: no question, strap your boots on. This is the real hike on the list. **Entry:** - Main access via Fontainebleau-Avon (RER D) - Weekend-only "Fontainebleau-Forêt" halt (deep in the forest, between Bois-le-Roi and Fontainebleau-Avon) — Transilien R line, Saturdays/Sundays/holidays only, trains leaving Gare de Lyon at 8:16 AM and 9:16 AM; alighting only, no return service from here **Train** – RER D or Transilien R to Fontainebleau-Avon, then bus lines 1/2 or a walk. **Hours** – The forest has no gates and is freely accessible at all times. (The nearby Château gardens are open daily except Tuesdays, roughly 9:30 AM–5 PM in winter and 9:30 AM–6 PM in summer.) --- ## **7\. Base de Loisirs Bois-le-Roi — Bois-le-Roi** *(Seine-et-Marne, edge of the Fontainebleau forest)* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/82/c9/82c9bf72-dc05-4757-9a1d-c2efed498651/content/images/2026/08/Base-Loisirs-Bois-le-Roi-02.jpg) Right on the edge of the Fontainebleau forest sits this lakeside leisure base — the spot to head for when the city's too hot and you want to actually get in the water. There's a swimming area with a beach, plenty of grass to spread a towel on, and water activities if you want to do more than float. Best part: entry, parking, and the swimming area are all free, which makes it an easy day trip that doesn't dent the budget. Just note the swimming is only lifeguard-supervised in July and August, so time it accordingly. Verdict: this one's less hiking boots, more swimsuit. Pack a towel, not a trail map. **Entry:** - Rue de Tournezy, 77590 Bois-le-Roi **Train** – Transilien Line R to Bois-le-Roi station (\~8-minute walk, or a free weekend/summer shuttle between the station and the base). **Hours** – Daily, 9 AM to 9 PM. Entry, parking, and swimming area free; lifeguard-supervised swimming only in July–August. --- ## **8\. Parc Forestier Accrocamp — Chaville** *(Forêt de Meudon)* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/82/c9/82c9bf72-dc05-4757-9a1d-c2efed498651/content/images/2026/08/IMG_1742-1.jpeg) Last one's a bit of a different animal — instead of walking *through* the forest, you climb up *into* it. Accrocamp is a treetop adventure park in the Forêt de Meudon: ziplines and rope courses strung between the trees, graded by difficulty so both nervous first-timers and confident thrill-seekers have a route. It's the pick for a day when you want your nature with a side of adrenaline — great with kids, or with friends who'll happily heckle you across a wobbling rope bridge. Verdict: this one calls for a harness, not hiking boots. Book ahead and check the seasonal hours, because it's closed in the dead of winter. **Entry:** - Parc Forestier de la Mare Adam, Route des Huit Bouteilles, 92370 Chaville **Train** – Line N to Chaville-Rive-Gauche (\~6-minute walk) / RER C to Chaville-Vélizy. Bus lines 171, 32, 34, stop Chaville Rive-Gauche. **Hours:** - June–August: daily, 10 AM–7 PM - March, April, May, September, October, November: Wednesdays, weekends, public and school holidays, 10 AM–7 PM (last departure 5 PM) - Closed December–February **Website** – [https://accrocamp.com/](https://accrocamp.com/?ref=abroad-with-madi.ghost.io) --- ## **The takeaway** ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/82/c9/82c9bf72-dc05-4757-9a1d-c2efed498651/content/images/2026/08/Dolomites-69-3-1.jpg) Paris will always be a city of museums and monuments — but if you know where to look, it's got more green than it gets credit for. Whether you're after a real hike, a lakeside swim, or just a bench under a tree to breathe for a minute, there's an escape on this list for you. These eight are the ones that have kept me sane and rooted over four years here. But I'm always hunting for more — so if you have a favorite green corner of Paris I've missed, tell me in the comments. I'll go check it out myself!