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Blinkertpad, Haarlem

This is not an official spot, but on the corner of the Houtmanpad and Westerlikje Randweg, is a field that is pretty much surrounded by canals, making it quite a safe spot to play in. The Blinkertpad is the pathway that runs from De Beartrixschool down the middle of the two parts of the field, and stops short by the canal. Literally a road to nowhere!

You can park in Abel Tasmankade and walk over the little bridge by the Kinderopvang onto the Houtmanpad. Follow this path underneath the Randweg to the field. It will take just 15 minutes or so to walk around the whole field, so this is not a long walk, but I often use it as part of a leash-walk day and plan this field in my walk for a little energy release.

You can stick to the path, or walk alongside the canal at the end near the main road, and then follow the field all the way round at the edge until you meet the path again. Its a little route that is full of sniffing opportunities and some clean-ish canal water access, but it can get boggy after rainfall.

If you want to extend your walk, at the other end of the field by De Beartrixschool is another exit, walk past the school and turn left to walk towards Duinvliet and make a big round trip, or turn right to Brouwerskolkpark to make an even bigger round trip!

The Houtmanpad is an official losloopgebied but is shared by cycles, and as it goes past a school and two kinderopvangs (kindergarden), so it is also populated by little people not noticing off leash pups until they trip over them, or worse – wanting to stroke them! Hold onto your pup as you walk past the Beatrixschool – either it gets busy outside the gates when kids are being picked up, or the gates are simply left open…

I understand this field is actually private land and the owner simply allows dog owners to use the space, so do be respectful and be sure to clean up after your pup, even if the grass is sometimes long. There are poop bins close to the school or along the Houtmanpad.

Pros:

Excellent if you are short on time but want your pup to burn some energy
Can easily hook up to other walking spots to extend your walk

Cons:

Houtmanpad can be busy with cycles
The field gets very, very wet and soggy if there has been enough rain

Where is it?

Houtmanpad

Krantje Lek & Dunes, Haarlem

Along the Duinlustweg towards Elswout, unless you knew it, you wouldn’t believe that there is an entrance to the dunes here. Directly behind the Krantje Lek restaurant is the start of the cycle path that goes all the way to Zandvoort!

If you go up the sandbank on the left, past the little kiddies play area, there is a pathway that runs next to the fence parallel to the cycle path that you can let your pup sniff and play without risk of running in front of a high speed cyclist. There are sections where the two paths cross and it is definitely best to hold onto your pup here, people with serious bikes tend to fly along this path, but if you keep going parallel to the pathway / railway track, eventually you can cross underneath the railwaytrack and get into wider dune space.

There is a watering hole but it is not after about 45 minutes walking into the dunes – bring water on a hot day!

Park either in the Krantje Lek car park or alongside the road nearby. However if you are going to use the restaurant car park, it’s only fair you stop there and have a really tasty lunch after your walk!

Pros:

Variable routes as long or short as you like
Great, dog-friendly restaurant for after walk snacks!
Plenty of areas here and there

Cons:

Fast cycle path which gets busy in summer/weekends
Limited water spots

Location:

Kraantje Lek

Molenplas, Meerwijkplas, Poelbroek

Situated between Schalkwijk and Vijvhuizen, the large Molenplas and Meerwijkplas lakes. This route winds around both lakes and takes you along a canal lined with some impressive houseboats. There are plenty of open spaces to run around in, and a range of pathways that give you some opportunity of random strolling.

Park at the car park by the De Molenplas restaurant, go over the white bridge and walk through the gate directly afterwards on your right. You can follow this path along the canal, after which it will take you to a series of pathways through semi covered tree spots or open fields, and winding round the water all the way. Note – this restaurant is popular in summer because of the outdoor area, which makes parking difficult at times. Try to aim for walks before lunchtime if it is sunny out there.

You can walk all the way up to Poelbroek where there are some nice little pathways to meander along and you can also find a large hedge-maze to play hide and seek in! You can walk in a full loop taking the path at the north of the lakes, but I usually do not usually do that since the north side of Meerwijkplas is a wide cycle path where you need to either leash your pup or be constantly on watch so he doesn’t get in the way of anyone. So I walk to Poelbroek and then loop back the way I came.

The best thing about this place is it is full of watering holes so perfect for hot days. It has lots of tall grass and reeds to hide in and there are obviously mice and little critters to sniff out – and a lot of pheasants! Resting spots are dotted along the way for us slow humans to sit and watch the ducks.

There are a few fishing spots here and there but really not that many and easy to avoid and on the whole, it is very clean here.

Pros:

Variable distance options depending on your mood/weather/etc
Lots of drinkable water
No horses!

Cons:

Parking can be very, very busy in summer
Some narrow paths
Mosquito haven

Location:

De Molenplas

Noordwijk Dunes and Beach

Noordwijk is a lovely mixture of dunes, forest walks and beach in the area. It is an extensive area but since 2022, dogs are only allowed off leash year round in the southernmost part of the park. There is also a section of the beach where you can walk with your dog off-leash all year round, and this spot is pretty much opposite the off leash zone of the forest/dune area, making it easy to combine both into one walk.

There is a parking spot near the beach at the northern part of the dog beach, (Google: Kon. Astrid Boulevard 51, 2202 BD Noordwijk), close to the 101 Beach club. You can walk along the beach here and also enter the dunes at the southernmost point of the parking area. Alternatively park at the Parking de Noordduinen (Noordduinseweg 3, 2221 BL Katwijk aan Zee) which is right at the bottom of the park.

Unfortunately apart from the beach itself, there are no watering holes for drinking or cooling down, so do remember to pack plenty of drinking water for both you and your pup on a hot day. Restaurants on the beach provide refilling opportunities.

You can still walk the entire park if you want to, albeit with your pup leashed.

Pros:

Varied landscapes/smells
Restaurants on the beach or near the end of the walk

Cons:

Difficult parking if you arrive lunchtime
No drinking water

Location:

Noordduinen

Venneperhout, Nieuw-Vennep

We found this place by accident. It doesn’t look like much from the outside and is pretty close to a busy road, but on further investigation it is actually a pleasant walk. It’s about a 20-25 minute drive from Haarlem centre.

The off-leash area is large enough for a decent stroll, the leashed-only area is mostly the open plain where the picnic tables are. The paths cross each other in several places and you can probably stretch a walk for maximum one hour, maybe a little longer if you take time to have a good sniff around. There are a lot of natural looking canals lined with long grasses and reeds, which make it a sniffing paradise for any pup. The water was clean in most places, there was a little litter in some of them but nothing you could not avoid.

The off-leash pathways are not 100% clearly marked, I found myself entering a losloopgebiet when I did not realise I had left one, however there was nobody else around to complain – I think we met about 3 other walkers the whole time we were there.

Parking can be found at the P+R Getsewoud Zuid, walk towards the Jeugland and cross the road at that point to find the entrance. Or you can park at the official parking place (Parkeerplaats Venneperhout) at the other end of the park.

Note: This walk is not on the same side as the Jeugland, it is on the opposite side of the road.

Pros

Very peaceful place, hardly any other people walking
Clean water and shade
Lots of sniffing fun

Cons

Close to a busy road with no fencing

Location:

Getsewoud P+R

Spaarnwoude/Houtrak

Houtrak is part of the vast Spaarnwoude network of recreational parks and is situated roughly halfway between Amsterdam and Haarlem. It is a popular place for picnickers, fishers, horse riders and, of course, dog walkers. That in mind, the park tries to provide a little for everyone.

A large part of the park is an off-leash area but some of the open fields are off limits to allow picnickers and BBQers to eat in peace. In summer, a lot of the waterways will be dotted with people settled for a days worth of fishing.

There are several paths to follow, some shared with cyclists but many that weave through forest growth. A large water area with a small beach is great for swimming and playing. It is one of those spots where you can weave around aimlessly for a good hour without noticing that you got lost 15 minutes ago…

Check summer events before setting off, sometimes there are music events which means half the park will be closed off.

The absence of public toilets does mean the fishers tend to use the bushes, if your pup finds human poop a delicacy then perhaps avoid this park in summer. Winter is lovely here when all areas are open to dogs and the number of unwanted distractions are much lower.

Parking can be found at the Park & Ride at the train station Halfweg-Zwanenburg, or one of the larger parking bays is near the Europarcs on Zuiderweg, just off the Wethouder van Essenweg. Follow the signs for the Coffee Jeep – a handy little mobile coffee wagon with very tasty coffee and cakes which can be found in the parking area until around 3pm.

Pros

Large area for off leash running
Close to train station
Water and shaded areas for hot days

Cons

Can be very busy in summer with people fishing and BBQing
Holds the current record for number of different types of poop found laying around in one day

Where is it?

Wethouder Van Essenweg

Parnassia Beach

You can’t live in North Holland and not love the beach! Parnassia is the closest spot to Haarlem where dogs are allowed all year round. The edge of the beach is lined with dunes which give your pup something different to sniff on your way back home.

Because it is a dog area there tends to be slightly less people on it, and of course the further away you are from the parking areas and restaurants, the less people you will encounter who are sunbathing or picnicking.

You can walk all the way from Parnassia to IJmuiden, where you will find a lovely dog-friendly cafe/restaurant Paviljoen Noordzee. Technically the nudist beaches are not off-leash areas but I have never had anyone stop me. Keep to the shore line and you won’t even notice the areas to avoid.

This is a very clean beach, with bins dotted along the way for you to deposit poop bags. Let’s keep it clean!

Watch out for a land surfing school close to the restaurants, they can be pretty fast and you really do not want to get in their way!

Horses tend to gallop along the beach now and then, of course leaving their horse-potatoes behind them, but as for things lying around that can find their way into your pups mouth, apart from horse poop and jellyfish I tend to let him have his pickings. Nothing wrong with a little (sort of) fresh crab now and then…

Pros:

Choose between playing in the sea or playing in the dunes
Lots of space to play with / avoid other dogs
Dog-friendly cafes

Cons:

People…

Location:

Parnassia Strandtent

Toolenburgergplas, Hoofddoorp

When we decided to check this place out, we originally thought it would be full of kids playing and screaming, and would find itself on our list of places to avoid. We were very pleasantly proven wrong! Toolenburgerplas is a large lake surrounded by park grounds. You can just walk around the lake which is around 3km or so. Or you can extend it a little and weave your way through the neighbouring walking paths, keeping out of the way of cyclists and giving your pup something more interesting to sniff.

The park is very well maintained, most paths are covered in gravel and the leash on/leash off areas are pretty well marked or even fenced off. Over half the lake edge is accessible for dogs.

Even in high summer on school holidays, the kids are only really playing in the enclosures where there are beaches and play areas that are off limits to dogs, but you can just walk past these on the pathways, leaving the dog walking paths surprisingly empty. I tend to walk first on the pathways nearest the road, these are all fenced off from the road and run between the trees, out of the way of kids play areas and the cycle path. In spring time there are some fabulous wild flowers and tall grasses on the banks next to the road. The leash free pathways end at a point near a basketball pitch and here is where I turn back and walk right alongside the water edge back to the parking, so it’s almost a circular route. Well, a banana shaped circular route… 🙂

For some reason there are probably more frogs per square meter than any other place in The Netherlands! They are the small black and green frogs and in the canals towards the road end of the park, they have such a chorus that you can’t hear yourself!

There is a large car park just off the Ijweg, close to the Long Island Restaurant. The leash free pathways can be accessed directly from this car park.

Pros:

Very clean area, clearly marked on or off leash areas
Clean lake water
Varied, fun to walk around

Cons:

Nothing I can think of…

Location:

Toolenburgerplas

Dunes – Bloemendaal/Zandvoort Circuit

The Bloemendaal dunes are part of the Zuid-Kennemerland Dunes and the dog section is a large area of rugged sand-scapes and beach grasses, with large water areas – depending on how much it has rained lately. If it is windy on the beach then the dunes offer more shelter and it is lovely to scale one of the peaks and look over the whole park.

Some sections of this area is covered with gorse or sanddoorn bushes which can give you a decent scratch if you are not careful, so either stick to the wider paths or wear long trousers!

Near the watering hole there are some open areas to have a good run around, and in some spots amongst the hills and dales there are open areas that look a little like abandoned agricultural spots. In fact I have seen some people doing some kind of allotment farming there. These are private areas so just walk around them.

At some point you will likely meet the cycle path that links Haarlem with Zandvoort and in summer this can be busy, but you can pretty much keep away from it, it just runs along one side of the dog area. There are a couple of horse paths in this area as well, I have never seen horses walking there but have seen their leftovers. You can also expect the occasional 10-dog-pack walker now and then but even if you do, it’s the dunes, just walk over a hill if you want to avoid them.

Depending on the time of year you can expect rabbits and an array of little critters that live in holes in the sand. I have seen foxes there too. These are mostly confined to the areas with dense shrubbery. Most of the area is fenced but in some areas that fencing is a bit leaky. I have personally never seen deer in this part of the dunes but I would not guarantee their absence.

This area borders the F1 circuit, in fact turn right after the entrance and keep close to the edge of the dunes and you can look down onto the racing track. When there are practices or test drives, it can be really noisy here. And of course if there is a real F1 event then you can forget any attempt to drive even close to this location, in fact avoid anything within a 15km radius of the circuit during race weekends and go somewhere quieter instead. We have a few alternatives in these pages for you 🙂

The easiest spot to park is on the Boulevard Barnaart, on the beach front and right next to Bernie’s Beach club – there is a sign for it in the parking area. The entrance to the dunes is directly opposite this spot. You can also take the 81 bus here, bus stop Zandvoort Riche.

Pros:

Huge area
Clean water
Amazing views
Low amount of people, even in summer or weekend

Cons:

The F1 circuit
No bins for used poop bags until back at the parking bays
In hot summers the water can dry out and you are limited to just one pool

Location:

Boulevard Barnaart 65, Zandvoort, Netherlands

Wethouder van Gelukpark (“Bokkedoorns”)

Everyone calls this walk the Bokkedoorns but that is actually the name of the restaurant on the edge of the park. This spot has the cleanest, freshest water and is perfect for hot summer days. The walk goes around the edge of two lakes that partially join in the middle. The path surrounding the water deviates a little in some areas, going off into a small forest area, and into a small dune section and can extend your walk and make it a little more interesting. It is a short walk and I usually go round twice, deviating once through the trees and the second time through the mini-dune section. It is fenced/walled off with an electric fence so you cannot get further into the dunes from here.

This water here is so fresh that you will often find people bathing in it! It is usually pretty quiet, you may meet 2 or 3 other dogs on your walk, maybe a couple more if it the weather is very warm. The forest spot is shaded and cool, with wide paths and is pretty quiet – most people stick to the main lakeside path so the forest paths are good if you want to avoid people.

Quite often you will find walkers from people who have just had dinner at the restaurant – they will be nicely dressed and not impressed if your wet dog gets anywhere near them. Please be courteous; don’t provide any ammunition to give dog owners a bad reputation!

Pros:

Quiet with only a few other dog walkers
Very clean water
Perfect for a quick walk

Cons:

You do need to be on your guard all the time and rein in your pup if he looks like he will behave inappropriately to after-dinner walkers
Leash-only walks since March 2020

Location:

Zeeweg

Schoteroog, Waarderpolder (Spaarnwoude Park)

Another one of those places that you can make your walk as long or as short as you like. Schoteroog used to be a landfill that got cleaned up and turned into a park and is popular with sunbathers and picnickers. Every now and then there are children events near the water but you can walk the upper path and avoid them if you want to. Right alongside the Mooie Nel lake which links up with the Spaarne, it is also a bit of a boating paradise.

The park has a range of paths that run through the open, rolling fields, and one bike path along the side of the lake. It also has a footpath connection with Verplas which also forms part of the Windmill Route. As you reach the end of the park furthest away from the Marina, you can turn left and simply follow the path past the horse stables, cross the road at the windmill and carry on along the canal to the Verplas carpark (only open to dogs October-April). I usually stop at the windmill and then turn back, which gives me a good hour walk in total. Schoteroog park can get a little busy with sunbathers – particularly at the weekend but the path between Schoteroog and Verplas is hardly ever frequented and is a real scent bonanza for pups!

The park is not fenced but there is only one side really that is not contained by water or some kind of physical barrier, and if you keep to the open fields it’s fairly safe if you have a young pup still learning to keep close.

Parking spots are at the side of the road near one of the stairways that bring you to the upper part of the park, or a large car park by the marina close to the (dog friendly) Proef restaurant.

Pros:

Wide open fields to run and keep watch on your pup
Some quiet spots where you can train
Not overly busy with dog walkers and easy to avoid others if you want to

Cons:

Horse paths can leave unexpected treats
Can get some ripe air near the water purification centre, or near the horse stables but it’s short lived
Can get pretty windy up there!

Location:

Schoteroog

Groene Weelde, Vijvhuizen

About a 20 minute drive away from Haarlem, the Groene Weelde park is probably one of my favourites. It is a large park, completely off leash, with a maze of pathways or off-beat paths, waterways and beaches, open spaces and curiosities to interest the two-legged walkers.

You can make this walk as long or short as you like. I have seen some people simply walk around the lake at the beginning, which takes about 20 minutes if you walk slowly. I think the longest I have managed to walk through the park is for 2 hours.

There is one small pathway (probably about 500m long) that runs alongside the golf course and near a waterway where birds settle and breed, and you are requested to put your dog on leash for this part, but that is the only spot that asks for a leash.

There are a couple of cycle paths that go through the park, one wide one where you can also expect scooters and the occasional car. Mostly the drivers are sensible but you will get the occasional idiot.

There are two parking areas, one is next to the Pannenkoeken Paviljoen, and the other is at the complete opposite end of the park near the golf course. Or you can take the bus 340 from Haarlem Station which stops pretty much on the corner by the Pannenkoeken Paviljoen. There is a big, beige, stone waterdrop artwork on the side of the road just in front of the park, you can’t miss it!

Look out for crayfish in the waterways and sometimes on the nearby banks…

Pros:

Huge off leash area
Range of area types
Enough space to avoid pack walkers

Cons:

Some large pack with varying degrees of control over their pack
Horse paths throughout the park leaving horse-potatoes
Prone to vivid green algae in summer

Location:

Groene Weelde

Brouwerskolkpark, Overveen

A wonderful little spot on the border of Haarlem and Overveen, I don’t know why you don’t see more people here. The park spans the Brouwerskolkweg and offers hills, trees, pathways, sandy spots and a perfectly swimmable lake. There is one cycle path through the area which you can easily avoid if you want to. You can make your walk more interesting by looping through the trees and shrubbery to the side of the paths.

There is a lookout area which is often used as a party spot, keep an eye out for broken glass there.

The Brouwerskolkje restaurant is a lovely spot for lunch and does allow dogs on the terrace, however it’s not your usual walkers cafe, it is actually quite a prestigious restaurant!

You can park at the Brouwerskolkje restaurant, or a little further up the road near the Terrerodeweg just before the railway line.

Pros:

Quiet, mostly no cyclists, very few walkers
Lots of walking options, can make it very short or long and varied
Clean water

Cons:

Trying to think of one…

Location:

Brouwerskolkpark

Haarlemmerhout, Haarlem

In the heart of the city this oasis is separated into a park for people and children, and a more natural dog walking area. There are entrances to the park from several sides which immediately take you into a safe, off-leash area. Plenty of paths crossing each other give you the chance of walking for about 45 minutes without having to use the same path twice! If you see a petting zoo, cut grass and a tea house, you are on the wrong side of the road.

The park is shared with cyclists and lunchtime workers. You can keep off the main cycle path fairly easily, just crossing it once or twice. If you have a very opportunistic dog (as we do!) then you may need to look out for people sitting on benches and eating sandwiches. There are some smaller tracks, some larger ones and a play area.

Note, there are absolutely no water-holes here, if it is hot then be sure to bring a bottle of water for your pup.

Pros:

In the middle of Haarlem, easy to get to by bus, bike or foot
Usually lots of other dogs to play with

Cons:

Busy cycle path through the middle of the park
Lunchtime temptations on benches at mouth level!
No water

Location:

The off leash area is between Wagenweg and Fonteinlaan only, the other side of the Fonteinlaan is a leash-only area.

Caprera, Bloemendaal

Landgoed Caprera is a privately owned foundation and the dog park is an area with lot of variety and some undulating landscape just for a change. Based on 2 levels, the upper level is mostly concrete/ prepared pathways weaving around areas dense with trees and shrubs. The lower area, connected by two wooden/earthy stairways, is a bit more open with a large open area to play in, water areas and a small beach, and lots to sniff. One part of the lower, marshy section is a quiet area for bird breeding so dogs need to be leashed if you walk past this (look out for the sign), but you can easily walk around this without needing to leash your pup. It’s easy to walk a good hour here, longer if you stop to play.

Update April 2021: Apart from the path from the steps down, through the flat green area and to the water, the whole lower level is now a leash only area for the breeding season, not just the marshy areas.

A couple of the pathways are a little narrow with little option to avoid oncoming people or pups, particularly a pathway alongside the cemetery on the lower level. But you can stick to the wider paths if you have a dog who prefers it that way.

This is a lovely shaded area so in high summer it is cool, and it is one of my go-to places if it is raining – the canopy gives you a little shelter from most downpours.

There is an entrance fee of EUR1 per person, and EUR1 per dog. An annual card (about EUR55 per year) gives you free access for 2 people and 1 dog for the whole year and also allows you to park in the small car park behind the entrance kiosk.

The park is well maintained, with poop sacks and water at the entrance, and plenty of poop bins along the way making it easy to keep it clean. The whole area is fenced up to the entrance area.

Keep in mind that Caprera also has an open air theatre, there may sometimes be summer programmes that mean the park needs to close, or access can be restricted around the theatre area. Check out their agenda for more information.

Pros

Quiet, no cycle paths
Fenced area
Very clean
Shaded pathways

Cons

Entrance fee
Can get pretty muddy to walk through lower levels after rain

Where is it?

Openluchttheater Caprera

Duinvliet, Haarlem

Duinvliet offers everything you want for a quick dog walk in a compact area: a couple of nice circular forest walks that you can stretch to 15-20 minutes each, a huge grassy field for playing and socialising, and it is surrounded by small, mostly clean canals for a quick drink or a refreshing swim.