Category: Hour+ Walks

Amsterdamse Bos, Amstelveen

While the majority of people seem to walk their pups at the very convenient but leash-only Vondelpark near the centre of Amsterdam, just a bus ride away brings you to the Amsterdamse Bos, a huge area with massive off-leash pathways and wide open fields for running, playing or training in. Don’t forget, dogs travel for free on busses in the Netherlands!

Start at the bus stop “Amsterdamse Bos” and walk towards the Bosbaan, a wide canal famous for its rowing events. If you are coming by car then there is a large car park near the restaurant De Bosbaan (lovely lunches…) but of course you pay Amsterdam parking prices to park there.

There is a pleasant pathway to the side of the Bosbaan, but it is leash-only, and therefore not covered in these pages.

From the restaurant, we walked past the Bosbaan towards the Klimbos (children’s climbing area), and then veered south, following the main pathways. This point is still leash-only, until you come to a painted sign on the floor which marks the start of the loslopgebied. From here on, just follow the extensive labyrinth of pathways, walk around the Kleine Vijver lake and wind your way back, that alone will be around a 7-8 km walk. To the right of the main pathway is a dog free zone which allows dogs on-leash between October and March. It’s up to you if you want to explore them, we didn’t because we were having too much fun running free in the fields!

One thing you need to know, this is not a secret spot by any means. It can be busy. Even on cold winter days on a late lunchtime walk, expect a mixture of private dog walkers, large pack walkers (blatantly ignoring the signs of 3 dogs per person), office workers taking a lunchtime stroll and, surprisingly, horses crossing your path. Having said that, this area is so large and with so many wide open spots, you can find a way to avoid uninvited attention.

There are many cycle paths throughout the areas, but it has been nicely planned in such a way that these paths run parallel to walking areas, separated by grassy banks or trees so that walkers and cyclists rarely cross paths, even over the little bridges in the park.

The Amsterdamse Bos is also a location of several events throughout the year, some of which will close large areas of the park. If your plan was a long, calm walk in the woods, then check the calendar before setting out.

Pros:

  • Huge area with wide open spaces
  • Easily accessible from Amsterdam via public transport
  • Lots of watery areas for hot summer days

Cons:

  • High parking fees if public transport is not an easy option for you
  • Can be busy
  • Hosts a number of large events

Location:

Hondsbossche Zeewering, Camperduin – Petten.

There is a huge and very historical dyke running between the Camperduin parking place near Schoorl, which runs about 5.5km along the coastline to Petten. This version of the dyke has stood since about 1880 and has been widened and enhanced many times since then to protect the land from sea surges. Stand on the dyke and look at the level of the road and the land below, then compare to the sea level on the other side of the dyke, you can see how far below sea level the land is, and can really appreciate the need for coastal protection in the Netherlands. It’s quite an “oh” moment!

This whole dyke is almost like a double-dyke, with one side next to the road which is not paved, and the paved bike/foot path on the beach side and both are separated by an artificial valley. Pretty much the whole of the valley area is protected, or part of a construction to reinforce the dyke structure and it is fenced off.

History and engineering aside, this dyke is a little gem of a stroll and with the popular Schoorl dunes close by, this spot seems to be mostly overlooked. With over 5km with no traffic lights or crossings, it’s also an excellent place to go for a long and uninterrupted run if you are so inclined.

Running next to the footpath is a cycle path, which splits away now and then, but when it is next to the walking path then it is also separated by tufty grass which was enough to keep my off leash pup on the right side of things. There are two cycle paths and the one next to the foot path is more or less the scenic route, the high speed/high traffic path is well out of the way.

You don’t have to walk the entire dyke and back in one go! As you drive on the Hondebosseweg towards Camperduin there are several parking bays with steps up to the dyke. We parked at a parking spot called De Putten (Schoorl) and walked up to the dyke on entrance 21, then northwards towards Petten.

Along the way you will find a lovely little pier overlooking a wider, watery part of the valley, which is a detour of just a few metres and makes a lovely picture opportunity.

Continuing on northwards, starting at exit 17F you will start to have connections down to the beach, which is open to off leash dogs from 1 October to 1 April. You can come back up to the dyke at 5 or 6 other exits between here and Petten.

If you don’t fancy the beach then you can walk the whole way back on the non-paved dyke next to the road where you can really see the differences in ground levels between sea and land, and where you have a lovely view of the Harger and Pettemerpolders, which is off limits for dogs but still lovely to look at from high up.

Pros:

  • Very few people walking dogs
  • Choice of three paths to choose: beach, pathway or grass
  • Long enough walk to the next town to make it a day trip

Cons:

  • No water, take your own for your pup
  • No shelter at all
  • Can get pretty windy up there

Location:

Het Twiske, Oostzaan

Situated just north of Amsterdam, Het Twiske is an excellent spot to take a break from the city and give you and your pup some down time.

The park has a paid entrance fee of €3.50 for the first 3 hours, and if you stay longer than 3 hours then the parking fee jumps to €6.00, payable as you exit. But once you are inside the park, you can drive everywhere and park in any parking bay at no extra cost, which is useful if you want to explore all the walking areas and cafes without having to walk between them.

We parked at first near the Klimpark/Pannekoek De Appel, where there is a large parking area. Pretty much directly opposite the car park exit to De Zuiderlaaik is the start of a large loslopgebied which is clearly marked with a sign on a blue circle.

At the start of our walk we thought we might be disappointed because the route seemed to be concrete pathways set in a grid pattern, albeit nicely lined with high plants and grasses and some trees, but the dog seemed happy so we followed his nose. And I am glad we did because we ended up in a huge walking area that took us to the football club at the other side of the park, and back through some open fields and wonderful waterways.

There are a couple of signs warning about grazing cattle in one of the fields, but while we were there (in September) we didn’t see any. Even if there were a couple of cows in the field, it would not have been a major issue as we just needed a short hop across the corner of a field to get back to our pathway.

We pretty much walked a loop to the Ringvaart and back, then went over the bridge to the other side of the waterways, almost parallel to the Polderweg and back, and with a coffee and a quick snack in between we just about made it out of the park within the 3 hour price limit.

We encountered a range of park styles, from the concrete grids we mentioned earlier, to huge lakes, wonderful forest pathways, some wide open fields, there were even a few fields with open gates along the side which seem to be open to walkers, at least there was no sign on them to say otherwise, so we gave them a sniff too.

Not all areas are off leash areas, but there is plenty of space for you to let your pup run free, and any other area is simply a leashed zone, I don’t believe I found any area where dogs were completely forbidden. Of course the restaurants are dog friendly.

The entrance fee makes it a little unattractive if you just want to do a quick half hour walk, but if you have the time then it is definitely worth a visit.

Pros:

  • Extensive walking areas
  • Can drive between different walking areas or cafes and easily re-park
  • Variety of landscapes, lovely and watery for hot days

Cons:

  • Entrance fee regardless of how little time you spend there

Location:

Noorderneg/Het Maalwater, Heiloo

There are two parts to the walking areas in Heiloo that we tend to visit. Noorderneg is essentially a long pathway or two that runs parallel to the water ways and this is a lovely spot in summer to cool off, and the other area is Heilooërbos, which is more of a forest area.

Noorderneg is a section of the Heiloo park, close to the children’s play areas and in summer it is popular with children swimming and playing in the park. However on the south side of these water areas is a long pathway with where dogs are allowed to run off leash all year. These pathways are mostly a simple pathway through a park, but there are some open grassy areas and trees alongside the pathways which makes it pleasant to walk and sniff. The lack of shade in summer is compensated by the enormous number of swimming opportunities.

The off leash paths start at Het Maalwater and running pretty much parallel to De Omloop up to the Zeeweg. You can either walk back the way you came and stay off leash which makes the distance you walk more flexible – you can simply turn around and go back if you are short on time – or cross over to the north side of the water and walk your leashed pup back to wherever you started from, but do note, you may encounter the odd sheep in fields very close to the pathways.

You can park for free at the open air swimming pool Het Baafje, or if you want to make it a longer walk, then park at the Wandlestartpunt Nijenburg just off Stetlaan, then walk along Belieslaan until you reach Het Maalwater. If you feel so inclined, once you have done the water round then you can continue into Heilooërbos by walking on past the Stetlaan parking area and really tire your dog out!

The handy thing about this area is not just the fantastic water scenery but the pathways are mostly maintained or even paved, so in winter when everywhere else is too muddy to enjoy, then this is still a good option.

In contrast to the limits in dog numbers per person in Heilooërbos, you can walk here with more than 3 dogs and this is therefore also a choice for dog walkers, but the pathways mostly have grass areas to the side so it is easy enough to make a little deviation if necessary.

Pros:

  • Beautiful watery area, perfect for hot days
  • Firm, non-muddy pathways
  • Good spot also for a short walk if you don’t have time

Cons:

  • Not much shade for people

Location:

Heilooërbos, Heiloo

There are two parts to the walking areas in Heiloo that we tend to visit. Heilooërbos, which is a lovely forest north of the Belieslaan, and the other area is Noorderneg and this does have an off leash area but is more of a maintained park. They are connected by pathways and although it is not exactly a short hop from each other, you can walk easily between both areas if you want to.

Heilooërbos is a fairly large forest area just off the Alkmaar south ring road and has a decently sized, all year round off leash zone in the middle of the forest.

Park at the free parking area off Stetlaan which is just a few minutes of leashed walking before getting to the off leash area.

Right at the exit of the car park is a board showing you a map of some walking routes. On this board, you want to aim for the right hand side of the railway track, this is where the off leash area starts and is marked on this map in a green dotted line – which are actually cycle paths, so it’s easy to orientate yourself.

You will need to cross the railway which is an unmanned crossing. A bell rings if a train is coming so keep your dog on a short leash here just in case he is startled by sudden clangs!

You can go anywhere inside the leash free zone, zig-zag along all the pathways and you will easily walk for an hour in this area alone. If you want to extend your walk to include the surrounding areas then you can do that but it is a leash only area.

The forest itself is a little labyrinth of naturally trodden pathways – no paved areas or artificial surfaces and is a fantastic snuffle route. There is a decent forest canopy in summer to keep cool on a hot day or to give some shelter if it rains. If you decide to follow an official pathway then these are fairly clearly marked, but we generally just followed our nose because the official routes are for hikers and take you into the leash only areas.

The nice thing about this area is that dog walkers are limited to a maximum of 3 dogs, so large pack dog walkers are forbidden. Also a lot of the pathways are wide enough so that, even if you did meet a walker with 3 dogs, you have enough space to avoid them, but mostly during the day you will encounter people just walking their solo dog.

In this forest area there is no water at all. If it is so hot that you want to dunk your dog then either walk or drive to the watery areas in Noorderneg.

It is a popular place, a large dog park in a highly residential area means there is no chance you will have the park to yourself, so if you want to limit the amount of people you will meet, avoid the prime walking times – mornings, lunchtimes and weekends.

Pros:

  • Lovely natural pathways, great for sniffing
  • No large pack walkers
  • Free parking in a close-to-town area

Cons:

  • No easily reachable water

Location:

Oudorperhout, Alkmaar

Oudorperhout is a park in the north part of Alkmaar, inside the ring road, so very close by for anyone staying in or visiting Alkmaar. It is a well maintained and quite picturesque little haven within the city limits. It is quite a diverse park with a huge range of waterways, some forest areas and wide open fields, so there is something for everyone here.

Having said that, it does mean there is a large range of visitors sharing the park including dog walkers, hikers, people on lunch breaks, families with small kids and cyclists. It can get busy at times especially close to the road or college, but the further you go towards the forest areas, the less people you will encounter.

Also it is not a leash free zone for the whole of the park, just keep an eye out for the information signposts, they are not very clearly marked in all directions. If in doubt, follow the locals.

These vast waterways and natural surroundings are very much favoured not only by dog walkers but also for water birds. For that reason, there are areas that are protected during the breeding season between 1 March to 1 July, and dogs must be leashed at this time. I would even recommend leashing your dog on heavily populated bird areas even after this period if your dog is a proper little hunter because there are some less common birds breeding here – it is the only place I have ever seen a real live godwit (grutto in dutch).

Park at the Van der Meij College, then take the path away from the road to the Hoornsevaart river, turn right and then turn left over the wooden foot bridge. Alkmaar Noord train station is literally on the opposite side of the road to the college if you prefer to use public transport.

The windmills make the park very photographic but do note, there is a large Rottweiler living in the windmill closest to the bridge and he doesn’t like it when you walk too close! Don’t worry, he is fenced off but there is no need to antagonise the poor guy…

Once in the park, it doesn’t matter which way you go round, so just follow your dog and try to walk every pathway there is. The park is not so extensive that you can get truly lost in it.

The quieter small forest area is to the south east of the park near the skateboard park where you will find a small network of paths and bridges to explore in the shade of the trees. There is an official dog ‘beach” nearby at the south side of the Slotgracht for your pup to cool off in on a hot day, which is useful because most of the waterways have banks that are too high and too full of birds for dogs to get into the water.

Pros:

  • In town and easy to get to
  • Wide range of landscape
  • Clean water to cool off in

Cons:

  • Can get busy
  • Large number of water birds to watch out for
  • Shared pathways with cyclists

Location:

Groengebied Purmerland

This is a relatively large area of watery fields, combined with a kids play area. It is somehow not so busy for dog walkers and I don’t understand why because it is just a 20 minute drive from Amsterdam, but it just seems to be one of those places that only the locals know about. Until now…

Park at the Brasserie De Jutter (Weidelandpad 3, 1448 MB Purmerend), and walk over the little wooden footbridge to the back of the restaurant and into the fields. This short walk is a leash only area but as soon as you are into the fields then you can release your furry ball of energy.

From this point on, simply follow the pathways. Some are obvious and paved with gravel, and some are simply trodden. You will find yourself curving around fields, over little bridges and if it has been raining then you will walk past a lot of muddy pools! Essentially what you will be doing is walking parallel to a large and long water body in a route that can be as indirect as you like. Note, there are a lot of ducks and geese in some spots here but they can be avoided by crossing bridges or doing detours over the fields.

At some point you can go over a bridge where you will come across a children’s play area. Leash your pup to go past this area and you can re-release him when you are well out the way again. You can turn around here and follow the water back to the restaurant where I recommend you stop for a tasty lunch or at least a coffee as a thank you for them letting you use their car park for free.

Pros:

  • Very few other dog walkers
  • Large and mostly natural landscape, perfect for sniffing games
  • Tons of water

Cons:

  • A lot of ducks/duck poop
  • Can get really wet and muddy

Location:

Manteling van Walcheren and Berkenbosch Beach, Zeeland

De Manteling is a large expanse of forest area that stretches along the coastline of Veere, a province of the island that houses Zeelands capital, Middelburg. Although Zeeland is well known for its summer towns and beaches, there are also extensive walking and hiking areas on all of the islands. De Mantling is, as with most coastal landscapes in the Netherlands, a mixture of dunes and forest path but one of the best parts of this walk is a dip into the all year round, dog friendly Berkenbosch Beach! (leash free outside the summer months)

As with most of Zeeland, since it caters primarily for tourism, there is limited access to the beaches, and nearly everywhere dogs are banned from the beaches during the day and need to be leashed through pretty much all dune and forest areas. So although this is not really a “loslopen” area, just the fact that it has an all day beach for dogs makes it worthwhile adding.

We parked at Car park, Domburgseweg 59, 4356 NA Oostkapelle, right next to the Terra Maris museum. Walk towards the public toilet block and follow that pathway into the park. Here it is also signposted for the Strandpaviljoen Berkenbosh – your pups ultimate goal! Every now and then you will also see signs for shortcuts the beach (Strand), or of course you can ignore these signs and take the scenic route there.

You can of course just take a direct line towards the beach, which will take you perhaps 15 minutes or so, or you can make the most of being here and wind around the mixture of open dune pathways and lesser used but much more shaded forest pathways. All on leash but it’s still an interesting walk. Many areas and pathways are open and exposed to the elements but you will find parallel pathways hidden between the shady trees.

And because there are so many other holiday attractions nearby, there are not so many people just ambling through the forest, making the whole place quite relaxing to stroll through.

Very close to the car park is the Castle Westhove (how a hotel) which has some lovely waterways around it for a quick, freshwater plunge or two, but we did not come across any other water en route to the beach, so best to carry extra with you on a hot day.

Pros:

  • Not very busy on the forest walks
  • Interesting range of landscapes
  • The Dog Beach!

Cons:

  • It’s nearly all a leash only walk
  • Limited freshwater pools for drinking

Location:

Westenschouwen, Zeeland

On the island Schouwen-Duiveland, at the Kop van Schouwen (the outermost headland of the island) is a large hiking area that has a small off leash zone in the middle of the dunes.

As Zeeland caters mostly for tourists it is less open to free running dogs than other areas in the Netherlands. However although this whole dunes area may be mostly on leash walking, it is quite lovely so don’t skip it just because your pup prefers his freedom, the pathways and sniffing opportunities are so extensive that your pup will come out feeling very enriched even without running free, and you can always reward his patience with a little leg stretch at the off leash zone. It’s not a big off leash area but there is enough space to throw a frisbee around and have a little fun.

We parked in Westenschouwen, there is a large enough car park there right next to the Brasserie Zeelust (Steenweg 15, 4382 RL). Walk to the roundabout at the car park entrance and then along Kraaijensteinweg for about 10 minutes, and you will come across a kind of large rust coloured barrel with a pointy lid next to a sign saying “Duinen van Schouwen”. Walk up here, past the little cafe and keep going into the park.

The off leash area is north-west of where you start, and can be found in Google Maps, if you just search for “MPJ6+C7 Burgh-Haamstede”. It is clearly marked from all sides. We took a very indirect route there and just enjoyed the lovely shaded walk on a hot day.

Surprisingly, although Zeeland is a hugely touristy area, we met about 2 other people and only 1 other dog on the whole walk in the middle of July. It seems most people aim for the town, or the beaches and cafes which leaves this lovely walking area very peaceful.

There is no water here at all, so do bring a bottle or two with you for both you and your pup.

Pros:

  • Peaceful and extensive walking area
  • Shady on hot days
  • Labyrinth of paths, make it as long or as short as you like

Cons:

  • Mostly it’s a leashed walk
  • No water at all

Location:

Bergerbos, Bergen

Bergerbos is a lovely mixture of dunes and forest and is on the edge of the popular tourist town, Bergen. A huge part of the park allows your dog to roam off leash pretty much all year round, the only exception is during the bird breeding season which is 15 March to 15 June when you must leash your dog everywhere.

When you first walk into the park from the parking space, turn right and go a little way until you see a set of wooden stairs. You can walk around these to the right and meet up with the top of the stairs if you want to but you will come next to the road, but after just a few minutes the pathway kind of stops and suddenly opens up to a wonderful expanse of white dunes From this point onwards, you can simply follow the fence around the park. If you want to explore a little more then you can walk through the middle of the park along the labyrinth of little pathways, which seem to get narrower and more untended the further into the middle you go.

At one point, I believe along the Jan Willemlaan, you will come across a canal that runs through the park. There are several crossings over this canal and your dog can easily access the water here, and in some spots you can walk along the canal and breathe in some lovely cool damp air.

The dense forest in the middle provides plenty of shade on a hot day, but in winter when it has rained a lot then these can get pretty muddy and in some areas, large pools of water will collect.

The dog park is adjacent to another dune area where dogs must be leashed all year round and if, for some reason, your dog is not powered out in the extensive off leash area, then you can always hook him up and walk the leash-only areas. This leash only area is just after you walk into the sandy dune area, to the right. It is clearly marked with signposts and a kind of wooden barrier, there is no chance of you walking into it by mistake!

There are some frequently used horse paths along the side of this park and mostly they are well separated by shrubs or trees but in some cases the path you are following may cross over the horse path. If you find yourself somehow stuck on the wrong side of the horse path, don’t worry, there are several spots along the way where you can easily hop over.

This is quite a busy park, and very popular with tourists walking the dune trails. However as it is such an extensive area, you do not often meet other walkers on the same pathway. Even if you do, there are plenty of little side paths that you can slip into to make space for each other.

Parking is free at the restaurant Duinvermaak (Breelaan 132, 1861GH Bergen), and the entrance to the park is on the opposite end of the car park. Incidentally, the Duinvermaak has a decent sized, dog-friendly terrace should you fancy a snack or a drink after your walk.

Although the car park is pretty large, it can get very busy. You have people parking for the restaurant, for the park and also for the Skiclub all in this one car park. In summer it is particularly busy – it is not uncommon to have to wait for someone to leave and a couple of times I have been here, the car park was completely full and I had to drive elsewhere for my walk. Best to avoid lunchtimes in the high tourist season.

Pros:

  • Huge off leash area
  • Variety of landscape to suit any weather
  • Labyrinth of peaceful pathways to discover

Cons:

  • No off leash during bird breeding season
  • Car park can get full

Location:

Waarderhout, Heerhugowaard

Waarderhout is a secret little gem of a forest just outside Heerhugowaard, a little north of Alkmaar. On first glance it just looks like a small park on the edge of town, and when you read that off leash dogs are only allowed on half of this park then you would be forgiven for thinking it is not worth the visit. But your pup would certainly miss out on a cool walk if you did so.

The north half of the park is an off leash area. As soon as you leave the car park you can let your dog off straight away. I usually turn right at the first opportunity (about 5 metres after the car park) and this looks like an overgrown and lesser trodden pathway, and it probably is, but follow this path around and you will wind up in a lovely forest with a lot of winding paths leading you who knows where for at least an hour. Mix it up with the prepared pathways if you want to, go over the bridges into more forest and generally just follow your nose, looping around the park as you go.

The canopy is quite dense so on a hot day it provides a lovely shade, but you only need a little rain for some of the pathways to turn muddy, and because there is so much shelter these muddy pools do not dry out as quickly as other areas. In winter it is a bit squelchy to walk through and you may want to stick to the stony pathways instead after a wet period.

There are so many waterways for your pup to explore. It seems that every turn you take there is a canal running nearby or next to you, and the water seems to be clear all year round. There is also, interestingly, a low number of water birds here. Presumably that is because the grass and plants are so tall on the banks of the canals, but it means less distractions for a pup and therefore is an excellent spot to do some training if you want to.

On the west side of the park not far from the off-leash boundary, there is a dog agility area with ramps, tyres to jump through, hurdles to jump over and poles to weave around. Add this into your training walk or just for fun. Right next to this area is a kind of beach where pups can cool off after a tiring agility session! On Google Maps this area is marked as “Stormbaan voor honden”.

Some parts of the forest pathways are beautifully overgrown, but it does mean you need to be in intrepid explorer mode in a couple of spots! Be sure to wear clothes that protects your legs and perhaps even your arms when holding branches out of your face.

Free parking can be found just off Beukenlaan, opposite house number 17. Unfortunately there are only 8 parking spots here and if this is full, there is no nearby public parking on Beukenlaan. If you are really keen to try out this forest then perhaps you could come with public transport (Bus 160 from Alkmaar – dogs travel free on busses) or use a bakfiets. Otherwise try outside busy times (i.e. early mornings, lunchtime). If you don’t find a spot to park and need to replan your walk, then Park van Luna is about a 5 minute drive away.

Pros:

  • Variety of landscapes
  • Lots of water and shade
  • Not many water birds

Cons:

  • Limited parking spaces
  • Can get very muddy

Location:

Strabrechste Heide, Heeze

Just outside Eindhoven is a lovely large hiking area that is predominantly a leash walk area, but also has a 4km long leash-free zone. Combine the two and you can have a full day of hiking with your hound in this beautiful heathland area.

But since this website is all about leash-free areas we will focus on that. The path you want to take is the Heideroute, marked in yellow on the pathway signs. It is a long narrow circular route that runs almost parallel to the motorway.

After a short, leashed walk from the car park, the little orange sign for “honden loslopgebied” opens up the heathlands to your pup. We visited in March when the weather was sunny and warm but not too hot. Even so, the range of watering holes along the way were very much appreciated by our furry friend.

There is a large lake that you encounter on your way which, depending on the direction you take on the circular route, is the first large water area you come across, however this is fenced off to everyone. But no worries, there are many more smaller lakes, puddles, canals and watery swampy areas for your pup to cool off in if necessary.

The walk does take you through some woodland areas that would offer you shade when the trees have leaves but in March there was very little of that. The heathlands are of course open plains full of lovely long grasses and shrubs that my pup really enjoyed jumping through.

There are a few pathways that are shared with horses and mountain bikes, although I saw neither. There is however a rather busy cycle path near the large, fenced-off lake that you share or walk close to for just a short period, after which you are back to walking in soft pathways again for the rest of the way.

At some point there was a very marshy area with stepping stones to walk and keep your feet dry at the same time. I can only assume after a lot of rainfall, this would be difficult to get through. Also some paths in this area were pretty squelchy so I would recommend waterproof boots even though most of the pathways are pretty sandy and dry.

Parking is free of charge at the Strabrechste Heide Mierlo parking spot, just off the corner where Mierlose Dijk meets Heezerweg.

Pros:

  • Long off leash area for a national park
  • Varied landscape
  • Lots of water

Cons:

  • No poop bins at all, not even in the car park
  • Some paths shared with horses and mountain bikes
  • Potential to get very, very muddy

Location:

Dwingelderveld, Dwingeloo/Ruinen

Dwingelderveld National Park is a huge park situated in Drenthe, between Ruinen and Dwingeloo. It is so extensive that it is not possible to walk the whole area in one day, and for that reason we stayed for three nights in a holiday home site in Ruinen, in the Vacantiepark De Wiltzangh – an Ex-Europarcs location which is now privately owned. We hired a “Sterrenborg Lodge”, dog friendly and plenty of distance from other cabins. Highly recommended!

The reason we chose this place is because it is literally situated at the edge of the park and all the walks we did could be started straight out of the front door, but if you don’t want to make a mini-break then there are several parking areas dotted around the park, for example opposite the Theehuys Anserdennen is a fairly decent parking area.

We visited in late March which was warm and sunny enough to want some shade and water. In high summer the trees will provide even more shade than we had but a large part of the hiking area is open heathland, it’s one of the most impressive views of the park and for most walks, it is pretty much unavoidable to be walking along open heath at some point. I am sure you could adapt your walk to stick to the shade, but we all really enjoyed the novel scenery. We plan to revisit in September but my feeling is that this area is probably most enjoyable outside the summer season.

I am not going to list the exact walks we did because there are so many walks and variations of those walks that you can follow. We used a combination of Komoot and Outdoor Active to select our walks but there are also signs that can be followed, or simply follow your nose/dog.

Not all areas are off leash and these zones are clearly marked, the pink running-dog sign on posts is the off leash sign, and outside these signs your dog needs to be leashed. Some areas have grazing animals, we did not see any in March (just the warning signs) but these areas definitely require you to leash your dog whether the animals are there or not. But there are plenty of off leash areas for you to let your pup properly stretch his legs.

Some of the pathways are shared with cyclists or horses (or both). They are clearly marked with signs, and differences in the pathway make it obvious who belongs where. It’s quite well thought out. Just be sure to keep your pup on the right part of the path!

There are some raised walkways over some marshland. In March it was only wet in patches but I still did not want to let my dog squelch through at the side of the walkway. The raised walkway is covered with a heavy wire, presumably to make it less slippery when wet and my dog was fine walking over it. No snagged claws and he could not see enough through the planks to make him hesitant. And if you are walking with kids as well as dogs, then look out for some fantastic frogs in these areas!

We walked past at least two large lakes with beautiful clear water. There are plenty of other watery areas or smaller pools or mini canals along the way, even in some of the vast open plains there are water pools. Some are inaccessible and only there for the grazing animals, so bring some drinking water for your pup just in case the water you were aiming for on your map turns out to be on of these.

On one walk we came across an enormous radio telescope from Astron, and at the base there are boards with some interesting information about the telescope and its work.

We only saw two potential cafes on the whole weekend, and unfortunately in March, both of these were closed. So if you are walking off-season for the whole day then I suggest you bring your own coffee and lunch! There are plenty of open areas or picnic tables to stop at en route.

It is not easy to just select a few of the 100’s of photos we took, but these should whet your appetite:

Pros:

  • Seemingly endless choice of walks
  • Plenty of stops to rest up and have a cosy snack or picnic
  • Lots of varied landscape, including fresh water lakes

Cons:

  • Some areas have no shade at all
  • Chance of meeting grazing animals
  • Will be at least a full day trip for most people

Location:

Veerplas, Waarderpolder (October – April)

Veerplas is a relatively small beach area, popular in summer as a play and swimming area for children. For that reason it is only open to dogs between 1 October and 1 April. However, even in winter it is a lovely little piece of the Spaarnwoude Park and apart from the beach area, it’s pretty much empty to dog walkers after 1 October.

Park at the Veerplas parking area just off the A. Hofmanweg. When you enter the park, the beach is ahead of you. It is not a circular route, if you go to the right, you can run around some fun areas and follow the lake side until you eventually run out of land. Turn back the way you came, and then go in the opposite direction, along the beach and open area, and to the left of the beach (Veerplas Noordzijde) you will find a little pathway just behind a notice board that takes you further around. You eventually get to a road (Veerpolder) which is very quiet, if you are unlucky you might see a couple of cars driving past, but keep to the raised mini-dyke to the side of the road and walk as far as you like. If you feel adventurous, you can walk pretty much around this area, but you will end up by the side of a train line and then you will be walking a bike path. It’s also quite a hike, we’ve not done it completely, so if anyone has then let me know how it is!

One lovely thing about this walk is how easy it is to couple it up with Schoteroog. After you are done walking around Veerplas, from the car park take the pathway (Karperpad) alongside the canal towards the windmill (Molen de Meer). Cross over the road and then just follow that one path from the carpark to the Mooie Nel/Schoteroog.

Pros:

  • Can be extended to Schoteroog and make a very long walk
  • Clean water
  • Maintained pathways means it is not too muddy in winter

Cons:

  • Large part of the walk is on a dyke next to either cycle paths or a road
  • No off leash walks in summer

Location:

Geestmerambacht, Koedijk

North of Alkmaar, close to Heerhugowaard, is the Geestmerambacht park. This is a very popular summer area for children and is close to a Europarcs centre. For that reason, dogs are only allowed off leash in this part of the park from 1 October to 1 April. For the year-round off leash area in this park check out Vlasgat.

There are 2 main car parks/ entrances into the walking route

  • Wagenweg, at the north of the park, close to the Europarcs
  • Nauertogt, at the south of the park

The whole walking area is a set of pathways forming a circular route around the Zomerdel lake. You can simply stick to the maintained pathways around the lake, which is very much appreciated in wet, muddy winter months! This alone will take you roughly an hour to walk around. Alternatively, if you are feeling a little more adventurous, then pull on the waterproof boots and take on some of the muddy paths, walk along the numerous waterfronts, take some of the pathways behind the main pathway, climb up the viewing points, wander into the forest areas and generally just meander around. You can’t get lost, it’s basically a big circle.

And if you happen to get your dog super muddy in your trip, there is a “Sponge Dog” dog washing booth at the south end of the lake right next to the southern car park.

If for some reason you find your walk needs extending then you can walk over the bridge on the north-west side into Vlasgat and continue for about another hour.

There are horse stables nearby that give riding lessons, so be on the lookout for horse riding groups (and fresh horse deposits).

There are 2 restaurants on this route, both near the 2 car parks: Lovers and Hunters at the south which seems to be open all year round, and El Chiringuito at the north, which is closed during the high winter months.

This walk is pretty popular so if you stick to the paths, then be prepared to meet a lot of walkers and pups. If you prefer a more solitary walk then I’m afraid you will probably need to be trudging through the wet areas…

Pros:

  • Clean and tidy park, lots of seats and poop bins
  • A very welcome solid/hard path in winter!
  • Varied terrain: water, forest and some open spaces

Cons:

  • Very muddy if it has rained even just a little
  • Popular, can be busy on the paths
  • Some cycle paths, MTB paths and horse paths to watch out for

Location:

Vlasgat, Koedijk (Geestmerambacht)

Vlasgat is a part of the overall Geesmerambacht park where dogs are allowed off leash all year round. This area is only partially maintained on the walking paths but not in the dog sniffing areas and there is a lovely kind of wild feeling to the place, without it being too overgrown.

Park at the “Parkeerplaats: nabij Vlasgat (losloop gebied voor honden)”, as stated in Google Maps, which is on the crossing of Wagenweg and Groetpad. Walk away from the wooden bridge which crosses the canal and towards a large, yellow, concrete bridge, with the big mound to your left. To the left of this part is a big open play area, this is a leash free area and many people seem just stop at this. However, if you walk almost to the bridge and then turn left after the canal turns into a kind of small pond, you will find a pathway that leads you to the waterways and open areas that are a dog paradise. You can either walk directly after the canal turns to the left, and wind your way through the woody area and overgrown pathway until you get to the side of the canal, or you can walk just a little further to a paved path that runs along the back of the park, and take a left turn about 100m or so from here, this will meet the canal pathway but save you having to go through muddy woody areas if it has been raining a lot.

From there on, just follow your nose! It is an unmarked, circular route, walk as far as you can go and then go left, cross over the bike path, walk right up to the little white bridge at the end of the road, cross that bridge and then return to the car park at the top of the dyke. And if you feel adventurous, zig-zag around all the canals and waterways.

There are a couple of events here that you need to look out for, the Indian Summer Festival is held in the open area next to the dyke, and there is also a parcours event that takes place in the back of the park and although they don’t really interfere too much with the dog walking areas, you will find the parking full. Check the calendar for the events in this area.

There is one major bike path going through this area which can get pretty busy in summer, but you only need to cross over it, so not a big deal but do keep your dog close when you are walking near it, some of the cyclists here can be pretty speedy.

And of course there is so-oo much water, making this a haven for hot summers. The water seems to be clear all year, clear enough for people to fish in it. There is however, very little shade, so although your pup will be fabulously refreshed, you may need to take sunscreen and water for yourself!

The area is excellent if you want to avoid all other pups and just focus on training or solitary walks, and even if you do come across other dogs, the spaces are so wide you can easily avoid them, even up on the dyke.

In all you can walk about 45 minutes if you just go around the edge and of course you can shorten that if you need to, but you can also extend it by taking all the little extra paths, or walking over the wooden bridge and along the other side of the canal which can easily stretch it out to 1-1.5 hours.

When it is dog season, you can connect to the walk around the lake at Geestmerambacht (about 5km around) just by walking over the wooden bridge and then take one of the paths to the left, in total making this walk a good 2-2.5 hours.

Pros:

  • Lots of fresh water for hot days
  • Wide open areas
  • Not very busy, even at weekends

Cons:

  • No shade for people
  • No poop bins, even at the parking area
  • Busy bike path going through the park

Location:

Dunes, Egmond aan Zee

Egmond aan Zee is, like most of the beaches in the Netherlands, closed to dogs during the daytime in the summer months. However, you can still snap a little sea air in a section of the dunes adjacent to the beach.

The Dunes at Egmond aan Zee is surprisingly large, simply walking the perimeter will take you a good 45 minutes if you follow the fence line. Dogs are not allowed in the entire dunes area, the boundaries are marked with a regular wire fence, and where there are pathways that go outside this area, there are information boards showing you that’s as far as your dog goes. But this area is large enough for a decent stroll, if you zig-zag over the dunes in the middle you can easily add another half an hour to the perimeter tour. The parking nearby suggests this area is popular but I rarely see more than three or four other dogs being walked right into the dunes.

There are a number of garden allotments in the area, you can walk past them off leash but do keep your dog out of them, they are private grounds.

This is a true dune area, there are some plants and shrubs (including some heavenly scented rose shrubs) but only one small section with trees to speak of and very little shade. There is no really clean flowing water but a few large ditches fill up with water when it has rained enough and these can get a bit greasy looking after a while, so take some drinking water with you if it is hot.

The good thing about this area is, when it rains (and even if it rains for a whole month), because it’s predominantly a sandy ground it doesn’t get too boggy. Even if some of the allotments tend to get totally flooded, the surrounding ground drains pretty well.

The only poop bins are on the neighbouring streets rather than in the dunes directly. One is right on the corner of the dunes where the Boulevard meets Doctor Wiardi Beckmanlaan, the second is at the parking just off Doctor Wiardi Beckmanlaan close to Zwartendijk, and the third is at the end of a little pathway halfway around the dunes – there is a high open area with a seat on it, just to the side of this is a small pathway, and about 20m down is a poop bin/poop bag dispenser.

There are two parking areas, either directly on the Boulevard itself and walk into the dunes at the corner, or along the pathway at the side of the beach. I tend to park on the other side of the dunes in Doctor Wiardi Beckmanlaan, it often has spaces in summer even if the entire Boulevard is fully parked. There are parking fees in all areas in the summer months, but outside the summer period during the week, unless there is a special holiday or event, parking is usually free.

Pros:

  • Beach feeling in summer when the beach is closed to dogs
  • Not very busy, even in peak season
  • Wide open spaces to run or train in

Cons:

  • No clean water
  • Poop bins are few and far

Location:

De Hulk, Scharwoude

Who knew that the Hulk was Dutch! But joking aside, this is a lovely little park close to Hoorn, with waterways, sniffy grass routes, play areas and very few people, what more can you want?

Situated between a major road and the train line, De Hulk is a decent sized park with clearly marked pathways. There are two extra loops you can make to extend your walk and these are not paved or maintained in any way, so if you want to do this, then be prepared to fight space with brambles and nettles, and the occasional mud patch. Your dog however, will love you for making the effort.

There are two exits to walk in this car park. One is at the back on the left as you drive in, near the notice board and this just takes you to a camp site. The one you want is the long pathway on the right as you drive in. It’s a small parking space, probably maximum 20 cars so you can’t miss the path.

There is a right turn close after the first bridge, this takes you to a little dead end kind of picnic area that is just full of duck poop. I tend to ignore it but feel free to check it out.

To walk the perimeter, walk up to the bridge from the car park, then go to the open space on the right, follow the lake round until you meet a bike path. Go left along the bike path for a while until you get back into the footpath areas. After this it’s difficult to loose your way. If you want to avoid a bike path then just continue on the path from the car park.

Further along you will see an unpaved pathway to the right which does have grass mown (not the little one with the gate near the path, but just after that), it does not look like much but this is a nice little extension – you can weave in and out of these little parallel paths and then come back on yourself to carry on. It will add a good 15 minutes to your walk, more if you stop and sniff everything :). But it is not maintained, there are nettles and brambles to get caught up on.

Cross the larger bridge over the river/canal to the other side of the park, and walk all around it up to the main road, zig-zag a bit through the pathways in a big loop and when you come back to the bridge, instead of following the same paved pathway that you came on, go to the right and walk right next to the railway line. It’s a bit wild there but in summer they do cut the grass about twice in the year. I only ever met one other person on this side of the walk in the last year!

Before you go over the last bridge back to the car park, on your right is another little bridge taking you to a small island, it’s another little loop you can do to extend your walk. I usually take it, my dog seems to find it interesting enough.

If you add both loops you can extend the whole walk to a little over an hour before you run out of new paths to take. But the good thing is, if the weather is terrible you can cut this short easily and run back. Alternatively there are plenty of trees to shelter under…

Note there is only one bin for poop bags and that is right by the car park.

Free parking is at the Parkeerplaats aan de Zesstedenweg (1634) De Hulk, Zesstedenweg, Scharwoude.

Pros:

  • Free parking
  • Varied terrein, lots of interesting things to sniff and places to swim
  • Lots of space or detours to keep out of each others way

Cons:

  • No poop bins except at the car park
  • Can get pretty muddy on the unmaintained pathways
  • Water is prone to green algae in summer

Location:

Park 21 – Extended version, Zwaanshoek

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!)

De Boseilanden, Zwaanshoek

De Boseilanden is about a 3km long and narrow stretch of land alongside the N205. It’s a deceptively large area and, judging by the lack of dogs everywhere, it’s also not that well known. Keep this to yourselves…

There are several entrances to the area, driving up pathways and parking in private housing areas, but I prefer to use the larger, common parking area just off the Bennebroekerweg. The last few times I have been there at weekends, there has been a couple of trucks selling flowers and kibbling, but the parking area is big enough not to be blocked by these vans, and in fact the kibbling was a welcome end to our little trek 🙂

The walk is not really circular, but because it is essentially a large dyke, the “there-and-back” can be on both sides and gives you a feeling of a circular route.

The whole area is shared with horse paths and it is also a large mountain bike course, so you need to be on the lookout to make sure you don’t get in anyone’s way, especially if you wander across a bike path. They are easy to spot, the light gravel narrow paths are for bikes. Having said that, I think I saw 4 mountain bikers in total on my walk in springtime, so they should be pretty easy to avoid. If it looks busy then just stay off their path, there’s enough space for everyone.

I think in all there is pretty much all you would want for a walk here. Open spaces, clean enough water, hidden small animals to sniff out, there is even a spot with a tunnel and poles to play-train a little. Although the park is next to a busy road, there is a canal separating the two, so unless your pup is a serious swimmer and climber with zero recall, then there is no chance of him wandering into the busy traffic.

Pros:

  • Free parking
  • Pretty much everything catered for in one area
  • Not very busy

Cons:

  • Shared with mountain bikers, need to be vigilant
  • Nothing else that I can think of…

Location: