I stumbled upon this hidden gem when the road to another area was closed for repairs, I drove on to find a spot to stop and figure out a different route and spotted a car park where two dog walking vans were parked and I thought to myself, this needs to be investigated. I’m glad I did!
The car park looks like a small parking spot in the middle of a field, you would not know what lays behind if you didn’t know. There is no name board so I do not know what this parking spot is called, but it is just off Spieringweg and pretty easy to find. (Enter the co-ordinates 52.30688, 4.615900 into Google maps).
The route follows the main road a little way, so I would not call it the quietest of routes, but you are far enough away from the road, making it safe enough for off-leash walking.
Follow the paths south in the little forest next to the N205, you can zig-zag around if you want to, there seems to be a range of paths I have not tried out yet, and some are almost not recognisable as paths but the walking signposts tell me they are… Aim for the Leendert van der Meulenbrug, this bridge goes over the N205 and into Park 21. There is a spot here where it is a paved cycle path but there are no cars, however, unless you have a perfect heel I would leash your pup here if I were you, just for a few minutes until you get back onto the muddy pathways and out the way of high speed cyclists.
I did not find any real water spots, there are bits and pieces here and there where canals have been dug out for irrigation but not really anywhere for your pup to swim or drink. Bring drinking water with you if it is hot.
When you reach Park 21, there are signs that dogs are not allowed in the recreational play area, but I have to confess I didn’t even find this forbidden spot, I think it is actually on the other side of the IJtoch, a canal that you don’t even need to cross on this walk. There is a circular pathway around the area, and one more parking spot directly on this route. So if you want to cut the walk short, you can park right by Park 21 and just do a short round. This parking for the short park walk is just off the roundabout by Nieuwebennebroekerweg/Deltaweg.
Pros:
- Hardly any other dogs on the route from parking to Park 21
- Extendable walk, make it as long or as short as you like
- Lots of tree cover for sun shade or shelter from rain
Cons:
- No real water areas, bring drinking water if the weather is hot
- Park 21 can be busy with other dog walkers
- Nearby road noise gets in the way of a quiet meditative walk
Location:
(note, this map is slightly off – parking is at the little dead-end road just at the start of the walking paths, Spieringweg 1109 is actually right opposite the parking spot, but I cannot make WordPress Maps any more accurate than this!)
Loslopen.net 