A national forest is a forest owned by the French state. This status originates with the Edict of Moulins of 1566. French national forests are managed by the National Board of Forestry (NFB) under the national forestry law, the successor of ordinances and regulations that have taken place since the time of Charlemagne "at the discretion of political, economic and demographic context of France, making the first state-owned natural forest areas whose management is rigorously controlled".

Forest of Orléans is a French national forest for the most part and makes up 70% of a French natural region, located in the department of Loiret in the Centre-Val de Loire region.