Tips to experiences with your horse
Here you can find a collection of practical information for navigating the landscape of North Zealand. You will find maps of some of horse-friendly forests as well as suggestions for what to do and see in each of them.
Parking
There are a variety of parking options in the North Zealand forests, most of which are trailer-friendly. These parking lots are regularly distributed throughout the areas, so it doesn't matter where you start your ride. You can find the parking areas on the maps or on the Ud i Naturen website in their map tool.
Rest and Food
If you need a break and a bite to eat, there are paddocks available for resting in several of the largest forests. In some areas, you'll find both a paddock and picnic tables, allowing you to enjoy your meal while your horse takes a break in the paddock. In several locations, you'll also find campfire areas where you can cook food, and in some places, you'll find a combination of a campfire site, shelter, and paddock in the same area. For example, this can be found in the southern part of Gribskov.
Map of the 4 Largest Forests
- Tisvilde Hegn
- Gribskov North and South
- Parforce Riding Routes
- Valby Hegn
You can find simple versions of maps for all of North Zealand's forests on the Ud i Naturen website using their map tool.
©VisitNordsjællandPhoto:Jesper Bækgaard
Tips for What You Can Experience
- Tisvilde Hegn
In Tisvilde Hegn, you'll find many different types of forest and nature. The majority consists of coniferous forest, but there is also a lot of deciduous forest. There are high viewpoints, numerous burial mounds, beach, and heathland.
From the Harehøj viewpoint, you can see the sea and all the way down to where the Troldeskoven begins. The Nordhuslinien passes by Harehøj, a riding trail stretching from about 1 km from Melby Overdrev to Nordhus in Tisvildeleje, a trail about 5 km long.
Not far from Harehøj, you’ll find Enebærdalen, a small valley consisting of deciduous trees and a meadow with a clearing. Here, you’ll also find one of the 59 burial mounds in the forest, Bangshøj.
Dip your toes in the sea at Stængehus Beach during the winter months (September 1st - May 31st) or year-round at Stængehage Beach a little further north.
- Gribskov
With its massive area of 5,500 hectares, you can experience a lot in Gribskov, even on a single ride. With its many riding trails, there are plenty of opportunities to move around from north to south.
In the north, you can follow the riding trail along Esrum Lake and take a well-deserved break while letting your horse rest in the paddock at Tumlingehus. Not far from there, to the north, you’ll find a small campfire site if you’re tempted to make a little lunch during your ride.
In the southern part of the forest, you can do more than just take a break—you can also stay overnight. Just south of Kagerup, near the Sankt Hans Vej forest road, you’ll find a small shelter area with a campfire site and a nearby paddock for resting your horse.
- Store Dyrehave
In Store Dyrehave, you can experience the 12 km long Parforce riding route, where you pass by Christian V’s royal stone and Fem Korset, one of the many crosses you’ll find in Store Dyrehave. This beautiful deer park is also part of longer Parforce riding routes that stretch up to 75 km. It's the perfect place to start your adventure.
- Valby Hegn
In this somewhat smaller forest, you can experience many historical elements. Along Tobro Å in the western part of the forest, you’ll find a series of long barrows and graves.
Both in the southwest and northeast, you can find traces of when the land was used for agriculture until the 1780s. You can read more about it on the Naturstyrelsen website.
Is it allowed to ride on the danish beaches?
According to the Nature Conservation Act, it is allowed to ride on the unvegetated beach from September 1st to May 31st, provided there is legal access via roads or paths. If cars are allowed on the beach, riding is also permitted there year-round. However, there are no beaches in North Zealand where cars are allowed!
During the summer period, it is generally not allowed to bring your horse to the beach. However, there are beaches where riding on the beach and bathing with your horse is permitted all year around. Read more and find additional information and guidelines for horseback riding on the Nature Agency's website.
Are you allowed to ride on open fields?
It is not allowed to ride on land and fields used for farming without the owner's permission. In open landscapes, riding is permitted on public paths and roads unless there is signage indicating that riding is prohibited.
Which side of the road should you ride on?
On public roads and in traffic, you should ride single file on the right side of the road. If you're riding a young and more nervous horse, you should ride alongside a rider on a more experienced and calm horse, with the experienced horse riding on the outside toward the traffic, and you riding closer to the road's edge. Always be aware of your surroundings, not only the traffic but also what is happening in gardens and driveways along the road.