State owned forests to discover
Public forests account for 25% of forest area in mainland France, including local authority forests and state-owned forests. These belong to the State and are managed by the Office National des Forêts (ONF).
In total, state-owned forests cover 9% of forest area, or 1.5 million hectares [1]. In most cases, they originate from royal forests, often located in the Ile-de-France or Val-de-Loire regions, or from former abbey forests.
We'd like to introduce you to 5 emblematic state-owned forests to discover, where remarkable biodiversity, historical heritage and the myths that have forged their renown come together :
- Fontainebleau Forest (Seine-et-Marne, Ile-de-France)
The Forest of Fontainebleau is a 24,000-hectare forest massif, an area twice the size of Paris, marked by centuries of history: rock shelters containing prehistoric engravings, Gallo-Roman remains and a star-shaped structure built for royal hunting. It's also a picturesque and diverse landscape, between fine sands, sandstone boulders and limestone plateaus, covered with stands of Oak, Scots Pine, Birch and Beech, with a total of 5,685 plant species.
The forest has been protected since the 19th century: in 1853, 600 ha were classified as "artistic reserves" at the request of the Barbizon painters, led by Théodore Rousseau, to preserve the forest's remarkable landscapes.
Already classified as a UNESCO biosphere reserve and Natura 2000 site, its history and remarkable landscapes have led to the creation of a new, innovative preservation framework: The Fontainebleau forest is the first forêt d'Exception, awarded the label in 2013 to distinguish optimal policies for managing and enhancing the public forest heritage.
- Broceliande Forest (Paimpont Forest, Ille-et-Vilaine, Bretagne)
At the heart of the 11,000-hectare Broceliande massif lies the 557-hectare Gaël-Paimpont state forest. The Arthurian myth is the forest's main tourist attraction, with emblematic sites to visit: the tomb of Merlin, the legendary 5th-century hero who was both seer and magician, and the Tombau des Anglais, en alignment of megaliths dating from 3,000 to 2,500 BC. Last but not least, don't miss the Chêne des Hindrés, a remarkable tree 20m high and 5m in circumference.
- Tronçais Forest (Allier, Auvergne Rhône-Alpes)
A majestic "cathedral grove", the Tronçais forest is one of Europe's most beautiful groves, with its giant 40m oaks, some of which are over 200 years old. The creation of this oak forest dates backs to Colbert, who organized the forest's development in 1670, planting over 1 million hectares to strengthen the French navy.
Today, with its 10,532 ha, the Tronçais forest is renowned for the quality of its wood, particularly for barrel-making, from its high-grade sessil oaks. This production-based management is in keeping with the forest's mission to welcom the public and preserve biodiversity. A Colbert II trail offers visitors the chance to wander through an old oak grove and discover the forest's historical and silvicultural milestones.
- Mercoire Forest (Gardille Forest, Lozère, Occitanie)
The Mercoire forest massif covers 11,000 ha at altitudes ranging from 970m to 1,503m. It is mainly planted with coniferous trees in regular high forest, but also includes ancient beech forests that help to diversify the landscape. The area is ideal for hiking, with many marked trails in addition to the existing forest tracks. In particular, this massif includes the Gardille state forest, which covers some 745 ha and is mainly composed of Pectinated Fir common Spruce and Beech.
This forest is famous for having sheltered the mystery of the Beast of Gevaudan, which claimed around a hundred victims between 1764 and 1767. The legend surrounding the Beast of Gevaudan has left a lasting imprint on the region's history and collective imagination, making this forest not only a place of natural beauty, but also a site steeped in mystery and history.
- Orléans Forest (Loiret, Centre-Val-de-Loire)
Last but not least, the Orléans Forest, with its 35,000 ha of state-owned forest, is the largest in France. Its origins lie in the Gallic forest of the Carnutes, named after a Celtic tribe who lived on the rich Beauce plateau.
Highly humid, it includes a multitude of pools and ponds, ideal for forest wildlife. In the Middle Ages, monks and successive owners drained the area by digging ponds, which were then used for fish farming. Today, they are very useful for forest management, creating water reservoirs to limit the overflow of rainfall or to cool off in hot weather. It is possible to observe the flight of the Osprey, one of France's rarest birds of prey, enjoying the ponds in this forest.
France's forest heritoage is tich in legends and stories. Beyond the natural beauty of these forests, they bear witness to tales that continu to fire the imagination.
[1] Memento IGN 2023, inventory campaigns 2018-2022
Sources for descriptions of state-owned forests : onf.fr