New Forest Walking Festival 2026. Tree ID walk with the NPA tree team

Join New Forest National Park Authority tree officers Nik and James for a fascinating insight into New Forest trees. Join New Forest National Park Tree Officers Nik and James on a fascinating walk looking at New Forest trees and how to identify them. On the walk you can learn more about trees native to the New Forest, as well as some non-native species which call the area their home. The walk starts at Blackwater car park and follows the Tall Trees Trail in Forestry England’s Blackwater Arboretum with its nationally important collection of trees from all over the world. This walk takes you past majestic conifers planted in the 1850s, some of the oldest Douglas fir trees in Britain and includes views of two enormous redwoods. Good to know: • Start/finish: Blackwater car park, Grid ref. SU 268 047 • Distance: approx. 1.5 miles (2.4 km) – allow two hours • Local facilities: Blackwater car park has space for 50 cars with two spaces reserved for disabled visitors. It has toilets and disabled access toilets, picnic tables, bike racks and an information point. Parking charges apply in Forestry England car parks. Find out more: https://www.newforestnpa.gov.uk/blog/car-park-charges/ • Accessibility: The path is a fairly level gravelled surface and is level with frequent resting places and no gates. The narrowest width along the route is 1.1m at the chicane barriers where the trail crosses the road. There is one bridge which is 1.5m wide with handrails and 1m wide anti-slip covering (grid reference: SU 267 047) • Please wear suitable outdoor clothing and sturdy footwear as it may be wet and muddy in places • Dogs welcome - please keep them on a fixed-length lead throughout the walk and bring poo bags • Cost: £5 (Under 16s free) • Max 20 places Part of the New Forest Walking Festival 2026. Click here to find a full list of events.