Walks and Trails

Our growing series of walks and trails gives you a great introduction to the forest – they are the perfect way to begin to get to know this exciting place.

Developed to suit all interests and energy levels, all trails start at the Visitor Centre and follow the markers through the forest.

Take a photo of our map in the Welcome Area or download your own copy to print at home.

Click here to download the guide for free.

The Major Oak Trail

1.5 miles | Approximate time 45 mins

The essential Sherwood Forest experience, taking you to the iconic Major Oak, and winding back through the magical forest to the visitor centre. The route will take you past some of the Major Oak’s ancient neighbours, with Robin’s famous hiding place being a 15-20 minute walk from the centre.

From its huge girth, with a trunk measuring around 10m to the 28m canopy of leaves, this giant produces up to 150,000 acorns on a good year – and we hope there will be many more of these to come! Read more about the Major Oak before your visit here.

Giants Trail

0.75 miles | Approximate time 30 mins

Sherwood Forest is home to one of Europe’s largest collections of ancient oak trees, and you can walk amongst the giants of this forest on a trail that visits a number of them. They are not all as big or as famous as the Major Oak, but each is fantastically unique and offers a special home for hundreds of birds and insects.

They are truly stunning to look at – and important to the life of the forest throughout their long lives, providing special habitats for many species, more than any other native tree in the UK.

As well as the magical atmosphere of sharing some space with these trees, we hope you’ll begin to understand their importance as you wind your way through this wonderful landscape, and consider the changes these whispering giants have witnessed. Many already have names, but why not have some fun and make up some names of your own to remember these legendary oaks?

Greenwood trail

2 miles | Approximate time 1 hour 15 mins

This walk is designed to celebrate seasonal change, showing beautifully how this landscape adapts over the year. From the haunting outlines of the leafless oak and birch trees in winter, which throw fascinating shapes in the reduced light, to beautiful colours which erupt during the spring and summer, as the forest bursts into life.

It is a feast for all your senses, not just your eyes, as the smells and particularly the sounds differ throughout the year. Listen out for some of our wonderful bird population – the cuckoo is one of the most distinctive sounds, along with our woodpeckers, who use their drumming to mark their territories and attract mates.

Wildwood Trail

4 miles | Approximate time 2 hour 30 mins

Ideal for adventurers, experience the different habitats which the RSPB is looking after for future generations. This trail will show you that forests are not just about trees, but a rich collection of different landscapes such as heathland and wood pasture. This is what makes them so diverse – and such great fun to visit! Whether your aim is to spot some of our wonderful wildlife, seek out our ancient oaks, or maybe even go looking for Robin Hood himself, this is a trail which will really introduce you to the magic of this fantastic forest.