Il National Park Trail is a long-distance hike of 110 km, showcasing the most beautiful spots in the Hoge Kempen National Park. The National Park trail holds many surprises: seven climbs, vast heaths, beautiful marshes, large open lakes, dunes, and fragrant forests. It is one of the few hikes in the Flanders (Flemish region of Belgium) where you won’t see buildings or traffic for more than 100 km.
The National Park Trail is freely accessible. You can walk the 110 km at your own pace; you decide the number of stages, the direction, the start point, and the number of kilometers. You can choose to complete the entire 110 km loop or shorter variants. The excellent trail conditions and the provision of infrastructure such as signage, rest points, and information panels are some of the reasons that earned the Flemish park its nomination, along with the ease of access (one hour from the capital Brussels) and the landscape variety of the area.
The Hoge Kempen National Park, in the Belgian province of Limburg, is a unique nature reserve of 12,000 hectares consisting of forests, pines, flowering heaths, sandy dunes, large bodies of water, and summits offering breathtaking views. The area extends through the municipalities of As, Bilzen, Dilsen-Stokkem, Genk, Lanaken, Maaseik, Maasmechelen, Oudsbergen, and Zutendaal, and is suited not only for hiking but also for biking, mountain biking, or horseback riding.
The National Park Trail can be done in 3 ways:
- On a map: an exclusive topographic map of the National Park will guide you along the National Park Trail.
- Signage: The entire route is marked in two directions. Just follow these signs to complete the 110 km loop.
- GPS/GPX: with the gpx file on your hiking GPS or smartphone.
If you don’t want to miss all the highlights of Hoge Kempen National Park, you should do the entire 110 km loop on foot. We recommend dividing this into 4 or 5 days. We have already prepared the ideal stages for you. Each stage starts and ends at a National Park Hoge Kempen entrance gate where all services are available: large parking lots, information panels, restrooms, and catering. Besides near the entrance gates and along the trail, accommodations for overnight stays are always nearby. There is something for everyone: hotels, campsites, B&Bs, holiday villages, pole camping, holiday homes, and more.
Starting route: GENK – KATTEVENNEN Station (3.8 km)
Through Molenvijver Park and the forest, you quickly reach Kattevennen, the official starting point of the National Park Trail.
The walk mainly goes through vast forests at the southernmost foot of the Kempen plateau. The Papendaalheide and lake offer variety.
You walk from south to north along the edge of the Kempen plateau and experience the heath landscape and the Ziepbeek valley. On Mechelse Heide, you enjoy panoramic views and the first hills.
Just like the previous stage, this runs from south to north along the edge of the Kempen plateau. It starts with three climbs and continues through the Dilser forest to Bergerven and Bosbeek.
It starts with a series of earth dunes and marshes. Then you cross heaths and forests to the mining hills of Thorpark to admire beautiful panoramas.
Through the Stiemerbeek valley and forest area you reach Kattevennen again.
How do you plan your route?
For route planning we cooperate with our partner Komoot, the largest outdoor platform in Belgium and the Netherlands. To use our route planner on Komoot, you just need to create a free account. Our route planner offers you a clear overview of the stages and corresponding highlights. With a simple click, you can see all the services available on the route: from drinking water facilities and shelters to toilets and bus stops, as well as all kinds of dining establishments.
Some variations
- You can reverse the route to walk in the opposite direction (reverse order).
- You can easily lengthen or shorten the route if you want to start/end in a different place.
- You can also cut out a part of the route. Make sure not to follow the marked trail anymore.
