Walks that are too far for a regular daily walk, or something that is worthwhile taking your time over.
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…
Texel – Forests
For a general overview of Texel and how to get there you can go here. This post is only covering the beach areas, if you want to know more about the beach areas, then check out the page on Texel – Beaches. Once you are in the forest, either follow any of the marked routes,…
Texel – Beaches
For a general overview of Texel and how to get there you can go here. This post is only covering the beach areas, if you want to know more about the forest and dune areas, then check out the page on Texel – Forests. There are a number of all year round dog beaches on…
Texel
Texel is the largest of the string of islands at the north of the Netherlands. Known for its brewery and beaches, it is a popular holiday resort for both dutch and visitors from over the border. It has to be one of the most dog friendly areas in a busy holiday location that you can…
Enkhuizen
Enkhuizen is a lovely little town and well worth the trip, and even if the off leash zones are limited there is simply something quaint and cosy about this town. Situated just at the end of the inner dyke that spans the IJsselmeer/Markenmeer, it’s a convenient place to make a break if you are travelling…
Scheveningen
This is a stretch of beach about half an hour from The Hague by car. Scheveningen is famous for its pier (De Pier) and promenade, which is wide and full of bars, restaurants and shops. If your goal is to spend a day browsing in the shops, lunching in any of the restaurants and cafes…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Nimmerdor/Zandbergen, Amersfoort
Nimmerdor is a decent sized off leash park just south of Amersfoort. While I would not really make this park the main theme of a day trip from Haarlem, it is a worthwhile stopping to let your pup stretch his legs if you are in or passing the area for any other reason. We have…
‘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…
Bussloo
Situated just outside Apeldoorn, Bussloo is definitely not something close by. Bussloo is only dog-friendly between September and May, after which it is a haven for kids and families. The whole area is a Leisurelands recreational area. There are about 4 car parks (fixed fee of €3 per day regardless of how long you stay),…
Schoorlse Duinen
Update: This year the park has imposed a new restriction on dogs. From 1 March to 1 September, dogs must be on leash in the entire park. Schoorl is a year-round popular and slightly touristy area, but the walks through the dunes there are lovely. To start with, there is a massive parking area, so…
Noordwijk Dunes and Beach
Update November 2022:The dog off-leash area has been drastically reduced, it is now only the southernmost part of the park, all other areas are leash-only areas. It’s still a nice spot to walk and there is a beach to play around on, but unfortunately the new limitation does rather reduce it’s attraction for dog walkers.…
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