Enjoy miles of on and off-road cycle routes

The National Forest Walking Festival 2024

18th - 30th May

Stretch your legs with walking trails suitable for every season

The National Forest Way – a 75 mile long distance footpath

The National Forest Walking Festival 2024
18th - 30th May

Explore rolling hills, young woodlands and bustling towpaths

Tracks & Trails

The best way to explore the area is on foot, by bike or even on the ‘hoof’ – you can bring your horse on holiday as we have some great equestrian centres! So, grab your walking boots, trainers or wellies and set off on an adventure – you can even try your hand at orienteering or geocaching.

Our tracks and trails will lead you up hill and down dale, through peaceful nature reserves, along bustling canal towpaths, by reservoirs and waterways and through settlements both large and small, allowing you to explore the story of our fascinating heritage first-hand.

Located at the heart of the 200 square mile National Forest, our landscape is one of transformation  and conservation, where people work in partnership with the environment to look after the 8.9 million trees planted to date. The aim is to create a huge green lung, a mixed habitat, where one third of the land is forest.

The National Forest Way, is a 75 mile linear path linking the ancient forests of Charnwood in the east and Needwood in the west. Along the way you’ll discover the area’s evolution from a rural landscape, through industrialisation, to the modern-day creation of a new forest.

And there are some great shorter walks for exploring the forest. Many of them are accessible to all and the details for each individual walk include the length, ease and number of stiles.

  • Have you heard of the ‘Walking Library‘?  The National Forest is in the process developing its own edition and you can find out more and explore past editions here.
  • Slow Ways is creating a national walking network, linking routes that connect all of Great Britain’s town and cities.  You can help by selecting one of over 7,000 routes, walking and reviewing it. Interested?  The find out more here.

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