Top 5 picnic spots in the New Forest

A summer cycle is made all the better when can stop and enjoy an alfresco lunch along the way.

Bolderwood

An ancient forest where you can watch fallow deer roaming and see some of the tallest trees of the National Park. Stop here on the Burley and Bolderwood Loop, a 12.3 mile ride.

Blackwater Arboretum

Home to a sensory trail, a Tall Trees trail and some of the oldest Douglas First in Britain. Visit Blackwater on the Brockenhurst and Burley Loop, a 20.6 mile route where you can also picnic in the shade of the Knightwood Oak, perhaps the oldest oak tree in the New Forest.

The Frohawk Ride

A sweet enclosure where you might spot a silver-washed fritillary or the rarer-pearl-bordered fritillary in the summer months. This Ride forms part of the Standing Hat Loop, a 10.8-mile cycle route – but please do not take your bikes into the enclosure.

Hampton Ridge

If you prefer your picnic spots with sweeping views over heather-covered plains, grazing ponies and buzzards soaring overhead, Hampton Ridge is the place for you. The Hampton Ridge cycle route is just over seven miles long.

Lepe Country Park

Picnic on the shingle beach and spot Brent geese and wading birds among the mudflats. There’s also an adventure playground to keep the kids amused. You can stop by the park on the Lepe Coastal Loop, 5.9 miles.

Explore more of our recommended routes or plan your own cycling adventure.