Nature Trails are a great way to enjoy the outdoors. If the kids need some encouragement to get outside, try a Gruffalo Trail. Here are the best Gruffalo Trails in the UK and all you need to know about Gruffalo woods and walks!
You know you’re a parent when you can recite the words to The Gruffalo by heart! It’s certainly a firm favourite and a great way to incorporate reading/stories into a physical adventure. We’ve got all the information you need to know regarding the original Forestry England Gruffalo Trails and we’ve even included a few top tips when attending Gruffalo Trails that you might not have thought of.
If you can’t get to one of the Gruffalo trails or your kids are animal mad and love the outdoors, we have created a Woodland Creature Hunt you can print out and complete at a woodland/forest local to you! Download our printable cards here.
What is a Gruffalo Trail?
The Gruffalo books are by Julia Donaldson and set in a deep, dark wood! So what better way than to a set Gruffalo trails out in real woodland and forests?
Buy The Gruffalo and other stories by Julia Donaldson here;
A Gruffalo Trail is a mapped out trail with characters from the book to spot along the way, through a woodland or forest setting. Not all of the trails have wooden sculptures of all of the Gruffalo characters. In place of wooden sculptures, there are large pictures of the Gruffalo characters.
So you might want to check before you go to save any disappointment as this is not highlighted on the Forestry England website, to help we have highlighted which ones have wooden sculptures in this article for you as well.
You can find a Gruffalo Trail local to you here!
Gruffalo Trails
There are lots of trails that you can find Gruffalo sculptures and we have listed some of our favourites here for you. The trails vary in length but we find they are an easy distance for kids to wander and enjoy comfortably. Some even have places to rest and stop for picnics along the way. Not all of the routes are pram friendly, however.
Cannock Chase Gruffalo Trail 1.5km
This trail has a large wooden Gruffalo sculpture and character pictures.
Location: Cannock Chase Forest, Birches Valley, Rugeley, WS15 2UQ Staffordshire
Opening times: From 7.30 am daily (except Christmas Day)
Parking: Up to 1 hour £2.00, up to 2 hours £4.00, All Day £6.00.
Facilities: Play areas, bike shop, bike hire, café, and toilets.
Alice Holt Gruffalo Trail 2.7km
This trail has large wooden sculptures of the characters.
Location: Alice Holt Forest, Bucks Horn Oak, Farnham, GU10 4LS Hampshire
Opening times: From 8 am daily.
Parking: 1 hour £3.00, 2 hours £5.00, 3 hours £7.00, 4 hours £9.00, all day £12.00.
Facilities: Play areas, timberline play trail, café, and toilets.
Fineshade Wood Gruffalo Trail 1.5km
This trail has a large wooden Gruffalo sculpture and character pictures.
Location: Fineshade Wood, Top Lodge, Fineshade, Near Corby, NN17 3BB Northhamptonshire
Opening times: From 9 am daily (except Christmas Day)
Parking: Up to 1 hour £2.00, 2 hours £3.50, 3 hours £4.50, all day £5.50.
Facilities: Play areas, bike shop and bike hire, café, and toilets.
Gruffalo Trail Delamere Forest 3km
This trail has a large wooden Gruffalo sculpture and character pictures.
Location: Delamere Forest, Linmere, Delamere, Northwich, SW8 2HZ Cheshire
Opening times: From 8 am daily.
Parking: Up to 1 hour £2.00, up to 3 hours £4.00, all day £6.00.
Facilities: Bike shop and bike hire, segway’s, café, and toilets.
Whinlatter Gruffalo Trail 1.5km
This trail has a large wooden Gruffalo sculpture and character pictures.
Location: Whinlatter Forest, Whinlatter Pass, Keswick, CA12 5TW Cumbria
Opening times: From 8.30 am
Parking: Up to 20 minutes for free, up to 1 hour £2.20, all day £8.00.
Facilities: Play areas, wild play trail, café, and toilets.
Dalby Forest Gruffalo Trail 3km
This trail has a large wooden Gruffalo sculpture and character pictures.
Location: Dalby forest, Dalby Visitor Centre, Low Dalby, Thornton-Le-Dale Yorkshire
Opening times: From 8 am daily (except Christmas Day and Boxing Day)
Parking: All day £9.00 (Peak), all day £5.00 (Off Peak)
Facilities: Play areas, bike shop and bike hire, café, and toilets.
Wendover Woods Gruffalo Trail 2km
This trail has a large wooden Gruffalo sculpture and character pictures.
Location: Wendover Woods, Wendover, Aylesbury, HP22 5NQ Buckinghamshire
Opening times: Every day from 8 am (except Christmas Day)
Parking: Up to 2 hours £2.50, £4.80 up to 4 hours, and £9 over 4 hours.
Facilities: Play area, a 1 mile all ability play trail loop, café, and toilets.
Bedgebury National Pinetum and Forest Gruffalo Trail 3.5km
Bedgebury has 6 large wooden sculptures.
Location: Bedgebury National Pinetum and Forest, Lady Oak Lane, Goudhurst, TN17 2SJ Kent
Opening times: Every day from 8 am (except Christmas Day)
Parking: £13.00 all day (peak) and £10.00 all day (off-peak)
Facilities: Play areas, bike shop and bike hire, café, and toilets.
Wyre Forest Gruffalo Trail 2km
This trail has a large wooden Gruffalo sculpture and character pictures.
Location: Wyre Forest, Callow Hill, Bewdley, DY14 9XQ Worcestershire
Opening times: From 8 am daily (except Christmas Day)
Parking: Peak up to 2 hours £3.00, up to 4 hours £4.00, all day £5. Peak up to 2 hours £2.00, up to 4 hours £3.00, all day – £4.00.
Facilities: Play areas, bike hire, café, and toilets.
Sherwood Pines Gruffalo Trail 3km
This trail has a large wooden Gruffalo sculpture and character pictures.
Location: Sherwood Pines, Kings Clipstone, Nottingham, NG21 9JL Nottinghamshire
Opening times: From 8 am daily (except Christmas Day)
Parking: Up to 1 hour £2.00, up to 2 hours £4.00, all day £6.00.
Facilities: Play areas, bike shop and bike hire, café, and toilets.
Kielder Castle Gruffalo Trail 2km
This trail has a large wooden Gruffalo sculpture and character pictures.
Location: Kielder Castle, Kielder, NE48 1ER Northumberland
Opening times: From 9 am daily.
Parking: Up to 1 hour £1.50, all day £5.00.
Facilities: Play areas, café, and toilets.
Hamsterley Forest Gruffalo Trail 2km
This trail has a large wooden Gruffalo sculpture and character pictures.
Location: Hamsterley Forest, Bedburn, Hamsterley, DL13 3NL County Durham
Opening times: From 9 am daily.
Parking: Off Peak: Up to 1 hour £2.00, all day £6.00. Peak: £10.00 all day.
Facilities: Play areas, Café, and toilets.
Westonbirt Arboretum Gruffalo Trail 2km
This trail has a large wooden Gruffalo sculpture and character pictures.
Location: Westonbirt, The Arboretum, Tetbury, GL8 8QS Gloucestershire
Opening times: From 9 am daily.
Parking: There are no parking charges but there are entry fees to this one.
Facilities: Play areas, a treetop walkway, Café, and toilets.
Moors Valley Gruffalo Trail 2km
There is a wooden carved Gruffalo and Gruffalo’s Child.
Location: Horton Road, Ashley Heath, Nr Ringwood, BH24 2ET Dorset
Opening times: From 8 am daily (except Christmas Day)
Parking: Up to 1 hour £4.00, 2 hours £8.00, 4 hours £11.00, all day £15.00.
Facilities: Play areas, segway’s, steam train, cafe, and toilets.
The best thing about the trails is that most of them are free! There is usually a small cost for the trail map, parking, and that’s it.
What to wear on a Gruffalo Trail?
You are certain to get mucky or muddy even on dryer days! So make sure you prepare for this, wellies are always a good idea. If you’re visiting during Autumn/Winter all in one suits are a great idea for kids who love to get stuck in. Learn more about appropriate outdoor clothing for kids here.
Download our Woodland Creature Hunt
If you can’t get to one of the Gruffalo trails or your kids are animal mad and love the outdoors, we have created a Woodland Creature Hunt you can print out and complete at a woodland/forest local to you! Download it here.
Don’t forget to take lots of photos and share them with us on Facebook and Instagram!
