Finding a forest for sale in Loire means choosing between the upland massifs that frame the Forez and Roanne plains: the Monts du Forez to the west and, further north, the Monts de la Madeleine and the Bois Noirs; the Pilat to the south, above Saint-Étienne; the Monts du Lyonnais to the east. Beech and silver fir dominate at altitude, Douglas fir has taken over the plantations, and sessile oak, chestnut and Scots pine occupy the lower slopes. The proximity of Saint-Étienne and Lyon keeps demand steady for a small leisure or firewood woodland plot, alongside a market in softwood timber.
The listings on this page, from private sellers, agents and notaires, cover woods in each of these massifs. Most sales involve very small areas: before comparing the prices shown below, be clear about what you are buying, whether a conifer stand ready to harvest, a broadleaved coppice or a mere strip of trees. For the basics of buying and managing woodland, our complete forest guide answers the most common questions.
According to the ma-propriete.fr forest price observatory, built from sales recorded in the French DVF land registry database, the median price of a hectare of forest in Loire was €5,064/ha in 2025, across 108 sales, with an average of €5,426/ha. That puts the department above the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes median (€4,057/ha) and above the national median (€4,936/ha). Compared with 2024, the median changed by +5.3%. Over the more robust 2020-2025 period, 527 sales give a median of €4,810/ha for a median plot size of 2.4 ha.
| Indicator | Loire (42) | Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes | France |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median price 2025 | €5,064/ha | €4,057/ha | €4,936/ha |
| Average price 2025 | €5,426/ha | €4,843/ha | €6,214/ha |
| Number of sales 2025 | 108 | 964 | 6,329 |
| Change in median 2024 → 2025 | +5.3% | +1.3% | +1.9% |
| Median price 2020-2025 | €4,810/ha | €4,000/ha | €4,778/ha |
| Number of sales 2020-2025 | 527 | 5,257 | 35,100 |
Prices vary widely: in 2025, one forest in ten sold for less than €2,598/ha in Loire and one in ten for more than €9,458/ha. The bottom of the range is usually small coppice woods or plots with poor access; the top is valuable stands or properties whose price includes hunting rights, a pond or good access.
On the listings side, 59 forests and wooded properties are offered on ma-propriete.fr across France as of 2 October 2026, 3 of them in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. Their median asking price is €145,750 for a median size of about 17 ha. These asking prices apply to complete properties, often with buildings, a pond or hunting rights: they cannot be compared directly with DVF medians per hectare. Conveyancing fees come on top of the price: our notary fee calculator lets you estimate them before making an offer.
Source: DVF (French tax authority), processed by ma-propriete.fr; forests of 1 ha or more, cadastral type woodland; July 2020 to December 2025; Moselle, Bas-Rhin and Haut-Rhin are not covered by DVF. Listings recorded on ma-propriete.fr on 2 October 2026.
In the Pilat, mixed beech and silver fir forest is the emblematic woodland of the montane belt. Forest there is overwhelmingly private and divided into small holdings; it has been spreading since the mid-20th century over abandoned farmland and is widely seen as under-harvested, which leaves buyers mature stands, sometimes over-mature ones. Public forests account for only a small share, so almost everything that comes up for sale in the massif is private woodland.
On the Forez side, fir woods cover the slopes between the plain and the Hautes Chaumes, the upland heaths and summer pastures that cap the massif around Chalmazel and Sauvain. Further north, the Monts de la Madeleine and the Bois Noirs carry fir woods and Douglas fir plantations. Planted on a large scale in the second half of the 20th century, Douglas fir is now sought after by sawmills for construction; a well-thinned, accessible, mature plantation is a true production forest.
The strongest demand comes from people living around Saint-Étienne, in the Roanne area and in greater Lyon, looking for a few hectares of woodland to heat their homes, to walk in or simply to own a piece of nature. In this segment competition is real and the price per hectare climbs quickly for well-placed plots. Mountain lots in the Forez and the Madeleine, often steeper and more remote, tend to attract timber operators and established owners rounding off their holdings. Units of several dozen hectares are rare and often change hands off-market.
Between the massifs, the Forez plain is pond country, many of its ponds dug in the Middle Ages, and woods, wet meadows and water are sometimes sold together: those properties are presented among the lakes and ponds for sale in Loire. Roe deer and wild boar are found in every massif, and ground organised for shooting has its own page of hunting properties for sale in Loire. To the south, the wooded plateaus continue into Haute-Loire, where forests for sale in Haute-Loire usefully complement local supply.
Tree health comes first. The department’s low-altitude fir woods have been hit by drought and bark beetles, and spruce planted outside its comfort zone is declining too: a conifer wood on the edge of the plain should be inspected tree by tree, ideally with a forestry expert or a cooperative technician. The second issue is fragmentation: boundaries, rights of way and real access for lorries are rarely settled on the small upland plots, some of which are reached only by private tracks.
For a woodland plot under 4 ha, neighbouring woodland owners must be informed of the sale and may buy at the same price; overlooking them weakens the deed. From 20 ha, a management plan (plan simple de gestion) is required. In the Pilat, also ask about drinking-water catchment areas and protected natural sites, which can restrict some fellings or new tracks, and about the upkeep of shared tracks, a frequent arrangement in mountain hamlets.
ma-propriete.fr publishes woods and forests in Loire offered by private owners, property professionals and notaires. Sort the listings by size or budget, switch on an alert to receive new offers from the Pilat or the Forez, or advertise your own wood. If you broaden your search, look at the forests offered throughout Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.
