Respect all (recreational) users, animals and forest workers. Keep forest roads accessible for emergency services and forest works at all times. Don't park in front of forest gates. Updates about forest works and forest closures can be found in the Melckone app.

It is not allowed to use the forest car parkings between 22:00 and 6:00.

From November 1st until March 15, the parking spaces of Franchard Isatis, Saint Germain, and L'Eléphant are partially closed. The purpose of this is to give the ground of the parking spaces a rest period and to prevent damage. If the parking is full, just go climb somewhere else, there are plenty other areas. Parking alongside the road (D409) towards the entrance of the Isatis parking is forbidden ('no parking' signs). 

Garbage bins are removed from the forest to protect animals from getting stuck or getting suffocated. Please take all your garbage with you, also if it's green and/or food waste. It's not good for the animals to eat this. Avoid all kinds of garbage dumping and report illegal dumping to the forest rangers by contacting the ONF.

Smoking in the forest is strictly forbidden between April 1st and October 31st and very much unadvised all year round. If your cigarette or any kind of fire you light causes a forest fire you can end up in prison. 

Avoid unmarked and improvised paths to prevent damaging vegetation, erosion and the disturbance of forest animals.

Respect the tranquility of animals. Don't disturb them. Don't feed them. Don't make contact with young animals otherwise their mothers might leave them. The voluntary disturbance of protected wildlife will be fined with €750,-. 

In a significant number of areas in Fontainebleau, you will find little green signs with 'Climbing area'. The areas that do not have these signs are unofficial climbing areas. In the official climbing areas, the ONF regularly checks whether there are no boulders or trees about to fall over. This is not the case in the unofficial climbing areas. The list of official climbing areas (Zones autorisées Convention ONF) can be found in ONF's bouldering flyer.

Some parts of the forest are marked as integral biological reserves. You can find these area's with the Melckone app. Some boulder area's are (partly) included in these reserves and are therefore no longer accessible. The area's where bouldering is no longer allowed are: Béorlots, Rocher de La Combe and La Mare aux Coreilles. On bleau.info you'll find an overview of all area's, those in integral biological reserves are marked with 'IBR'. Other closed areas with a 'X'.

Consult the hunting calendar (available at the bottom of this page) and respect signs that point out the hunting areas. Check the Melckone app for live updates on these hunting areas.

Wild camping with a tent or campervan is not allowed in the forest or on the forest parkings. Fines for wild camping can be up to €1500,-. You're allowed to camp for free, with tents only, on three dedicated bivouac sites (no facilities) around Fontainebleau, but only for one night and with a maximum of 20 tents per bivouac (info). Currently campervans are tolerated on the parkings of these bivouacs (info). Help keeping these bivouacs open by leaving no trace, this includes toiletpaper.

Keep your dog under direct control and within 100 meters of your location. Dogs should be leashed from April 15th until June 30th to protect newborn forest animals. Fines for unleashed dogs can be up to €750,-.

Thousands of prehistoric rock engravings (petroglyphs) are discovered among the sandstone boulders of Fontainebleau, making it one of Europe’s largest rock art complexes. Some engravings are 20.000 years old. Protect them, don't use these rock carvings during climbing. More info (ENG). GERSAR (FRA). 

Sometimes parking lots at popular areas can fill up, especially during holiday periods like Pentecost, Easter, and Ascension Day. In such cases, don't park along roads or in front of people's homes; instead, head to another area. There's plenty of other areas beside the popular ones.

The sandstone boulders of Fontainebleau are relatively soft and therefor vulnerable. Sand polishes the rock. Wipe your shoes with a cloth or (door)mat before you start your climb.

Sandstone is extra fragile when wet. Wet holds can break or crumble when climbed on. Unfortunately this happens regurlarly and damages boulders forever (or even makes them impossible). Don't be that person. How to tell if a hold is wet? Check this article. 

Good indicator: If you see wet (dark) patches on the roads after rain, the rock will not be dry.

Respect nature and others out there enjoying the forest. Not everybody likes your screams and music (including the animals). You're in nature. Enjoy the experience. Outside is not a gym.

Don't overuse magnesium. Don't use resin or products that contain resin as this will stick to the rock. Clean the boulder when you leave. Bring a (soft) brush, but don't overuse it (erosion).

Save your number two for the campsite toilet, visit a cafe or leave it at your AirBnB. In case of an emergency, bring your scoop, find a spot away from boulders and picnic areas, dig a hole and cover it properly. Or even better: Use a modern human poo bag and leave no trace at all.

Don't drag your crashpad over the ground, but carry it. Leaving pads of any kind behind in nature because it's easier then carrying them back with you should not be a thing.

Running around with a hammer to sculpt bigger holds sounds like something from the past. It still happens though. Needless to say, don't ever create your own boulder on natural rock. There will always be stronger climbers, don't destroy their projects.

Please avoid climbing at night, as this is the time when forest wildlife is most active. While nighttime climbing is not directly prohibited in Fontainebleau by official regulations, it does not complement the guidelines aimed at wildlife conservation. Additionally, it is important to be aware that parking in the forest's designated areas is not allowed between 22:00 and 6:00, according to official rules.