Epping Forest Walks: Best Trails & My 25km Circular Hike
Looking for the best walks in Epping Forest? You’re spoilt for choice.
I grew up close to Epping Forest, and it’s been one of my favourite places to walk for as long as I can remember. Covering thousands of acres of ancient woodland, open grassland and forest trails on the edge of London, it’s an incredible place to escape the city without actually travelling very far.
There are walks here for just about everyone — from short waymarked trails around Connaught Water and High Beech to longer routes starting from Theydon Bois.
And if you fancy something more challenging, I’ve also included my own 25km circular Epping Forest hike, starting and finishing at High Beech. It’s one of my favourite long-distance training walks and takes you through some of the quieter parts of the forest that many visitors never see.
In this guide, I’ll cover the best Epping Forest walks, the official waymarked trails, where to start, what to expect — and my full 25km route.
WALKING IN EPPING FOREST: AT A GLANCE
Best for: Woodland walks, easy trails & long-distance training
Location: North-east London / Essex
Walk distances: Around 2km to 25km+
Difficulty: Easy to moderate
Public transport: Excellent — Tube and rail access
Best time to walk: Year-round
Good to know: It can get very muddy after prolonged rain
There are a wide range of trails to suit everyone. All of them are well signposted, so you can find your way even if you’ve not walked it before. Most are circular, so you can start and end them anywhere along the trail, and start and end conveniently close to public transport, where possible. Here is a list of all trails in Epping Forest.
WHICH EPPING FOREST WALK SHOULD YOU CHOOSE?
BEST SHORT WALK
Willow Trail — 4km around Connaught Water and Chingford Plain.
BEST FOR FIRST-TIME VISITORS
Beech Trail — 4km from High Beech through classic Epping Forest woodland.
BEST FROM THE TUBE
Oak Trail — 10.6km from Theydon Bois Underground station.
BEST FOR A FULL-DAY CHALLENGE
Marc’s 25km Circular Hike — a much bigger loop through the heart of the forest.
EPPING FOREST WAYMARKED TRAILS
CHESTNUT TRAIL — 5.2KM
An easy-going circular walk combining woodland paths and open grassland, with mostly flat terrain and a few gentle inclines.
GIFFORD TRAIL — 2KM
A short woodland loop through Gifford Wood, Oxleys and Potkiln Woods, with a few uneven sections underfoot.
GOLDEN HILL TRAIL — 2.6KM
A short but slightly more undulating woodland walk, passing ancient trees and the atmospheric Lost Pond.
HOLLY TRAIL — 4KM
An accessible circular route from Chingford Plain, following surfaced forest paths with sections across open grassland.
HORNBEAM TRAIL — 5.75KM
A varied route through woodland and open grassland, mostly flat apart from a steeper climb between Canada Plain and Waterworks Wood.
LIME TRAIL — 2.5KM
A gentle, mostly flat route combining open grassland with peaceful woodland paths.
ROWAN TRAIL — 2.4KM
A short and mostly flat woodland walk, with just a gentle slope along the way.
WANT SOMETHING MORE CHALLENGING?
MY 25KM EPPING FOREST CIRCULAR WALK
If the waymarked trails aren't quite enough, this is where things get interesting.
I created this 25km circular route to explore much more of Epping Forest in a single walk. Starting and finishing at High Beech, it combines well-known parts of the forest with quieter woodland trails and makes a great full-day hike or training walk for a longer challenge.
The terrain isn't particularly difficult, but the distance — and Epping Forest's ability to produce industrial quantities of mud after rain — makes it a proper day out. 😁
DISTANCE: 25 km / 15.5 miles
TIME: Around 5–6 hours, depending on pace and stops
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
START/FINISH: High Beech / Kings Oak area
TERRAIN: Woodland trails, forest tracks and some open ground
FOOTWEAR: Walking boots or trail shoes recommended
BEST FOR: Full-day hiking and long-distance challenge training
NAVIGATION: OS Maps route available below
Marc’s OS Maps link https://explore.osmaps.com/route/16143746/epping-forest-25km-loop
Parking - There’s plenty of on-site parking around the forest. For this route it’s best to park in High Beech, as it’s the start and end point. There are a couple of car parks costing around £6 for up to 6 hours (that just about should be enough time to complete this hike). For Pillow Mounds car park, use What3Words shins.dock.tight. Or for General Rides car park, use pints.healers.with
Facilities - On-Site cafe/restaurant - There are some excellent refreshment facilities in and around the High Beech area of Epping Forest, including Carl’s Tea Hut, which is located on the Pillow Mounds car park and is open from 10am to 4pm in the winter and from 10am to 5pm in the Summer. Min's Tea Hut, sometimes referred to as The Biker's Tea Hut', due to its popularity with motorcyclists, is located on the road to High Beach, just off of the Robin Hood Roundabout. The Tea Hut is open from 9am to dusk every day of the year.
There are public toilets, which are located within the General Rides carpark, adjacent to the Kings Oak Pub.
The Visitor Centre, which is located in High Beech, is managed by the Epping Forest Heritage Trust
WALKING MY 25KM EPPING FOREST ROUTE
Starting outside the King’s Oak at High Beech — yes, there may have been some thought behind choosing a pub as the start and finish — the route heads through the forest towards Connaught Water.
The first few kilometres are easy-going, following woodland tracks through Hill Wood and across some of Epping Forest’s open plains. It’s a lovely introduction to the walk and gives you an immediate sense of just how big the forest really is.
CONNAUGHT WATER
One of the first highlights is Connaught Water, where the route makes a circuit of the lake.
It’s one of my favourite spots in Epping Forest and worth taking your time over. The lake and surrounding woodland are home to swans, geese, mandarin ducks and a huge variety of birdlife, and it's particularly beautiful early in the morning.
From here, the route begins heading back towards High Beech along the forest tracks beside Fairmead.
HIGH BEECH — AND A PERFECT HALF-WAY STOP
Back near High Beech, you've got the ideal opportunity for a drink or snack before tackling the second half.
This also gives you an escape route if you've decided 25km was a terrible idea after all. 😁 Because you're passing reasonably close to the start, you can call it a day here and return another time.
But if the legs are still behaving, the best part of the walk is still to come.
English Longhorn - Some of the Forest’s herd of conservation grazing cattle may often be seen at FairmeadINTO THE QUIETER SIDE OF EPPING FOREST
The second half feels noticeably wilder.
After crossing Epping New Road, the route winds through woodland towards Little Monk Wood, Golding's Hill and Bell Common. There are a few gentle climbs and descents, but nothing particularly demanding.
From Bell Common, the route turns back towards the forest rather than continuing into Epping.
You'll eventually cross the busy High Road and enter Warren Wood, one of my favourite sections of the entire hike.
It's noticeably quieter here, with dense woodland and far fewer walkers. I've often had this part of the forest almost entirely to myself. Keep your eyes open too — fallow deer and muntjac can sometimes be spotted among the trees.
WARREN WOOD & THE REDWOODS
One of the surprises along this section is the stand of tall redwoods around Warren Wood.
From here the route continues towards Crown Hill before picking up another tree-lined bridleway back towards High Beech.
And depending on the weather, this is where Epping Forest may remind you who's boss.
Expect mud. Lots of it.
Some of these bridleways can become very sticky after prolonged rain, so decent walking footwear makes a big difference.
WOODRIDDEN HILL & THE FINAL PUSH
Eventually the trees open up around Woodridden Hill, with views stretching towards Waltham Abbey and the Lea Valley.
It's a cracking reward late in the walk — although there's still one final sting in the tail.
After descending towards Honey Lane, the route climbs again towards Claypit Hill and High Beech Golf Club before the final uphill stretch back towards the King’s Oak.
And suddenly you're back where you started.
25km of Epping Forest done.
And, conveniently, standing outside a pub.
Funny how that worked out. 🍺
BEFORE YOU SET OFF
Epping Forest contains an enormous network of intersecting tracks and paths, so I wouldn't recommend relying on this description for navigation. Download my OS Maps route before you leave and use it alongside your usual navigation method.
There are also several road crossings on this route, including some busy roads, so take particular care when crossing.
Otherwise, pack some water and snacks, wear footwear you don't mind getting muddy and give yourself plenty of daylight.
It's a fantastic full-day walk — and still one of my favourite ways to explore the forest I grew up around.
Happy Hiking!
Marc
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