Walking

Walking in the New Forest National Park

WalkerWalking is a wonderful way to see the New Forest National Park close up, with dozens of walk routes that take you into the woods, along the coast, over heathland or by rivers and streams.

Experience the colours of changing seasons and the diverse flora and fauna. One of the special qualities of the National Park is the freedom to ramble across unenclosed land.

Many walking routes are now available online and on your smartphone through the online route mapping software ViewRanger at www.newforestnpa.gov.uk/walking

From April to July there may be signs asking people to avoid certain areas to limit disturbance to rare breeding birds, such as snipe, curlew and redshank. These birds nest on the ground in wet areas.

View Ranger also tracks your progress during the walk, and allows you to upload pictures along the route and even see where your friends have been walking. There are also many waymarked trails on the Forestry Commission website at https://my.viewranger.com