Category: Medium walks

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:

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:

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:

Diepsmeerpark, Oudkarspel

Diepsmeerpark is a decent-sized, well maintained park just north of Heerhugowaard and Alkmaar. It is a little maze of canals and open areas and if you walk up and down all sides of these canal “islands” , you can stretch your walk up to an hour or so.

Technically the leash free zone is only at the north of the park, but I have to say it is not clearly marked, and most people just use the whole park to let their dogs run around. There is a kids play area and football field and I would definitely leash my dog in these areas, otherwise, just follow the locals.

At one point there is a cycle path which runs though the park north to south, but to the side of this, just by the Bee Valley hut, there is a small slope with a rarely used (and often overgrown) path that takes you behind the trees overlooking all the fields next to the park, and out of the way of everyone else. You can walk along this makeshift pathway right up to the road where the car park is, and then go back into the park for further exploring.

There are some fun elements in the park too, there is a little pyramid with steps to the top, where there is a circle of stone seating and a sandy play area, and you can get a lovely view of the whole park from up here. Also dotted around there are large concrete tunnels and doggy play areas which you can use to just have fun with.

The whole area is very watery, so after heavy rain then it is a bit squishy, but that is mostly only around the canals, if you stick to pathways you will have a firmer, dryer walk. Albeit rather short.

It can get a bit busy, especially during lunchtime – even during the week. If you wanted a solitary stroll then this is probably not the place for you, however there are plenty of turnarounds and wider areas to give oncoming walkers space.

There are two free parking areas, use the one to the north of the park just off of Hopmansweg, this takes you straight into the leash free zone.

Pros:

  • Lots of water to splash around in
  • Clean and tidy park
  • Play areas and bushes, great for fun and training

Cons:

  • Can get pretty busy
  • Wet and a little swampy after heavy rainfall

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:

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:

Obdammerweel, Obdam

Although this is not an extensive walk, it is highly rewarding for pups, particularly in summer. The park goes about 2 thirds around a lake so it is not circular, but you don’t necessarily have to come back completely on the same path.

This park is not maintained really, there is a pathway towards the seating area near the lake that does seem to have some grass cutting, but the rest of the area is left to grow and bloom however it wants to, which is what makes it so great for dogs to sniff around in, and there are so many spaces where you can throw training dummies in the long grass for your pup to search for.

It is rather popular, also with some dog walkers or groups meeting up for lunchtime walks, so there are occasionally packs coming your way, but in most parts it’s wide enough to avoid them.

De Weel is a fantastic cooling off spot for hot summers, the lake is pretty much clean enough for dogs all year round, with a couple of sludgy areas in the forest part but nothing you can’t avoid. Your hot dog will have dunked himself about 5 times to cool off before you reach those areas…

Walk around the lake until the park branches off, to the left you have a tree area with 3 paths, one at the side of the lake, one through the middle and one maintained path following the canal on the outside. Follow either one to the end and then just pick a different one to come back. When you get back to the original path, ignore it and go straight on to the path that runs on the other side of the wooded area closer to the road, and follow it round to the beginning again. All in all, it’s a cosy little area.

There can be quite a lot of foxtail grasses so be careful in hot, dry summers where these large seeds can get stuck in your dogs nose and give you a good excuse to visit your friendly vet again…

Free parking bays are in front of the allotments on Dobber, about 500m walk from the park entrance. It looks like a cycle path but yes, you can drive there! Just put Dobber into your Navi and continue walking the direction you drove. Note, the only poop bin in the entire area is in this parking bay.

Pros:

  • Excellent summer cooling off spot
  • Unmaintained areas make for great snuffling experiences
  • Free parking

Cons:

  • Can get busy
  • No poop bins
  • Foxtail grasses in summer

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 van Luna, Alkmaar

Ever been to Alkmaar with visitors to see the cheese markets, or just to see a different town for a change? If you have taken your four legged friend with you, then why not give him a treat after hours of sight seeing, and take him to stretch his legs before you head back home.

Park van Luna is a huge area, however only about a quarter of it is an off-leash dog park. But it is enough space for a good hour run-around. The dog area is shared with a few mountain bike trails and a “disc golf” course, which looks more like frisbee throwing rather than actual golf! So if you want to treat your visitors (and your dog) to something a bit more unique, then check it out here: https://discgolfnoordholland.nl/home

If you are not inclined to be so sporty, then take a slow amble around the park instead. There are a few pathways crossing over each other that take you through lovely muddy and smelly spots for your hound to roll in. Some of it is wide open, there are shaded areas, and long grassy spots for a good sniff. There are about 3 reasonably sized ponds there that tend to dry out into sludge in the summer, and the rest of the water areas are really irrigation canals and not a through flowing water. But the ponds are clean enough to house frogs…

The park can get a little busy at the weekends but it’s spacious enough not to really get under each others feet. Walk around the perimeter of the park instead of sticking to the open play areas if you want to have a more solitary stroll. The canals around the edge of the park are a little cleaner for swimming and duck chasing.

In winter, if you do not stick to the paved or prepared paths, then the off-path areas can turn into an enormous mud pool, and you can find yourself ambling down what seems to be an okay path and suddenly you are almost knee deep in general wetness. Walk with wellies!

Parking is free next to the sports centre, and the foot path into the park starts right from that parking spot.

Pros:

  • Very clean park, lots of bins and the dog walkers there seem to be pretty good at picking up
  • Wide areas for running and ball chasing
  • Can duck out of the open spaces and into forest like areas for more sniffing

Cons:

  • Can get really water logged in winter
  • Shared with mountain bikers and frisbee throwers
  • Water areas potentially not really drinkable

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!)

‘t Leesten, Ugchelen

‘t Leesten is a park and restaurant area in the vast Hooge Veluwe National Park, just outside of Apeldoorn. Although it is not a massive area, it is probably the most well thought out dog area within a national park that we have found so far.

All walks start from the car park next to the restaurant/Info Centre (Bospaviljoen ‘t Leesten). There are two off-leash walks you can do, the dog losloopgebeit, which is a fenced-off area with a range of little paths running through the park, and you can probably cover the whole area in about 30-45 minutes. At the far end of this section you can leave the fenced-off area and follow a route called the Natte Neuzenroute (wet-nose route) which – providing you stick directly to the pathways, adds around an extra 3km to the route, however it is very clearly stated that you must keep your dog under control and not let him wander off the pathways. If you want to extend your walk even further then you can do so, but you must put your pup on a leash. All pathways are very clearly marked, there is no way you lose the way.

There is no water area as such, just a few large puddles because of the recent rainfall, so take water if the weather is warm as these are likely to dry out.

The area is about a 20 minute drive to the centre of Apeldoorn where you will find a lovely pedestrian zone with a whole host of lovely restaurants. Check out the dog friendly beer garden “De Graaf van Vlaanderen” close to the cinema car park…

Pros:

  • Lovely forest paths to snuffle around in
  • Fenced-off leash free zone
  • Restaurant and info centre next to the car park

Cons:

  • No water areas
  • Not all off-leash if you want to do a longer walk
  • If you take your dog outside the fenced-off area you must have your pup well under control

Location:

Zandvoort Dunes

A lovely little all-round area with street parking directly next to the start of the dunes, a range of mini hills to climb, sand pits to fall into, mice to chase and a grassy, forest area at one end. If you feel so inclined you could even walk to the beach from here.

Park in one of the paid-parking bays on the Frans Zwaanstraat or the Cort van der Lindenstraat, or even in the De Zuid car park which is closer to the beach.

This is a fairly busy spot and also used by dog walkers with packs. Be prepared to meet at least 5 dogs close up and about twice that amount from a distance, if your dog is not social or is in a bad mood (it happens to the best of us…), then this is not the place to be. Having said that, there are so many pathways that you can easily change course and avoid oncoming traffic if your pup is in a huff.

I like the diversity of this place and my pup seems to really enjoy the things to sniff and the space to run, he really seems to skip around this park. There is a lovely little lake fairly close to the road which gets frequented by kids and bathers in summer but left to dogs and ducks once the weather cools down.

This is not a closed area, one complete side of this park is open to a road so if your pup tends to run far ahead, then don’t let him off until you are far back from the road. It’s basically a long, thin stretch of dunes running parallel to the road. If you zig-zag across the area you could stretch the duration of your walk to a good hour or so.

Pros:

  • Diverse scenery and smells
  • Multiple pathways to lengthen your walk
  • Not possible to get lost even if you have zero sense of direction!

Cons:

  • Busy area used for pack walkers
  • Open to a road

Location:

Wijk aan Zee / Velsen Noord

Just north of the canal and ferry port, Wijk aan Zee is quite a cute little town with a dunes area and dog beach. It’s skyline is dominated a little by Tata Steel’s smoking chimneys and in some spots you don’t really want to breath in deeply, however on the shoreline and looking in the right direction you could imagine it is not even there!

We parked at the Rijckert Aertszweg parking place and walked towards the Noord-Pier. Right next to this parking spot is an entrance to the dunes, and we took a long stroll through the dunes towards the canal, only to note on our way out that the gaps in the fence are probably not official… There are many signs all over saying no entry (Only visible from the outside and further down from our “entrance”!), however Google maps definitely shows this section as a dog area, and there are clear trodden pathways frequented by locals so we followed them, and it was lovely. We returned via the beach to make the most of the area.

Velsen Noord is the section adjacent to Wijk aan Zee, it runs right up to the canal. Walking along the beach through both sections takes about half an hour not including pooch playtimes. At Noord-Pier there are a few restaurants, and judging by the huge number of car parking spots on the road just behind, it is a popular place to be. Certainly it seemed busy enough even in these Corona times.

Hidden in the dunes are some bunkers, for those who follow the bunker trails. On the whole it is quite a bit busier than the beaches south of the canal, but if you feel like a change in direction for a day, it’s nice enough.

Pros:

  • Wide flat beach, lovely for running around
  • Interesting dunes nearby
  • Free parking

Cons:

  • Tata Steel’s proximity
  • Uncertainty over use of the dunes
  • Fairly busy beach even in winter

Location:

Bloemendaal aan Zee

Between 15th April and 1st October, dogs are only allowed on the beach between Bloemendaal aan Zee and Zandvoort before 9am and after 7pm. That means in summer, this is a lovely early morning walking spot, or a walk watching the sun go down, plus the photo opportunities are great! Coming by public transport is also a great option, take the bus into Bloemendaal, walk along the beach all the way to Zandvoort and then take the train home!

In winter of course the beach is lovely and deserted – when the temperature drops to below 10 degrees then it is mostly runners or people with dogs that frequent the sands.

Park on the Boulevard Barnaart, and in summer, parking is free before 8am and after 10pm. Click here for more parking information.

Pros:

  • It’s the beach!
  • Fantastic sunsets in the evening
  • Walk can be as long or short as you like

Cons:

  • Limited dog access in the summer

Location:

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:

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:

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:

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?