If you have a dog in Loughton, Epping or Waltham Abbey, Epping Forest is on your doorstep. There are firm paths for gentle days and open woodland for dogs who need to burn off energy.
At JJ's VIP Pets we have been caring for local dogs since 2005. Here are six spots in the forest we would suggest, plus one just beyond it, and what to know before you go.
High Beach
High Beach is a good place to start, particularly if you are new to the forest. The Epping Forest Visitor Centre is here, with maps and volunteers who can help you plan a route. It is about a 45 minute walk through the forest from Loughton station.
The centre's car park is small, with 18 spaces, but Pillow Mounds car park is about two minutes' walk away. The postcode is IG10 4AF. Please keep your dog on a lead around the centre itself.
Loughton Camp
Loughton Camp is one of two Iron Age earthworks in the forest, thought to date from around 500 BC, with ancient mounds and majestic beech trees. From here you can pick up the Beech Trail towards Pillow Mounds and High Beach.
The nearest car parks are Earls Path (IG10 1HP) and Bradleys (IG10 4HR). It is a protected monument, so please visit respectfully.
Connaught Water
Connaught Water is a lake towards the Chingford side of the forest, with a firm, level path of about 1km around it. That makes it a good choice for older dogs, puppies still building stamina, or wet days when the woods are muddy.
There are plenty of ducks, geese and swans, so this is one for a dog with good manners around wildlife, or for keeping on a lead. If you want to go further, the circular Willow Trail continues on towards Fairmead. The car park postcode is IG9 5UB.
It is also our pick for dogs who love a swim. It is a big lake with a nice gradual slope into the water, and dogs are allowed in. Check for any algae warning signs first, particularly in warm weather.
Chingford Plain
Just below Queen Elizabeth's Hunting Lodge, Chingford Plain is a mix of open grassland and shaded woodland, with plenty of room for a long walk. The Holly Trail heads on towards Bury Wood.
Longhorn cattle graze here from April to June and from September to November, so keep your distance and keep dogs on leads around them. You can park at Bury Road (E4 7AZ) or Barn Hoppitt (E4 6BD).
Ambresbury Banks and Long Running
Ambresbury Banks is the forest's other Iron Age earthwork, on one of its highest points. Nearby Long Running is an open area of former heathland, covered with heather, sedge and purple moor grass, and a pleasant walk on a sunny day.
Take care near Jacks Hill car park and Long Running, as the bog holes can be deeper than they look. You can park at Long Running or Jacks Hill (both IG10 2NY), or at Genesis Slade (CM16 7DR).
Bell Common and Epping Thicks
If you are in Epping, this is the closest stretch of forest, about 1.8km from Epping station. It is dense mixed woodland and grassland, and a good place to spot deer, so keep your dog close if recall is not reliable. You can park at Forest Side (CM16 4DU) or Piercing Hill (CM16 4EH).
River Lee Country Park
Just beyond the forest, River Lee Country Park is the closest of these walks to us in Waltham Abbey, and it is our go-to. If your dog loves a challenge, there is a dog agility course with hoops, a climbing frame and weaving logs.
Parking is pay to park, including at Fishers Green car park (EN9 2EF), unless you park at Lee Valley Animal Adventure Park and go for a coffee. Its car park is a great place to start your walk. Dogs should stay out of the water here, as the park asks people not to enter its waterbodies, and some areas require a lead at all times.
Before you go
Epping Forest has a Dog Walking Code of Conduct, and it is worth knowing:
Keep your dog under effective control, and on a lead if it does not come back when called.
Follow any seasonal signs asking for dogs on leads, which protect rare species.
Do not let your dog chase or disturb wildlife, cattle, deer or horses.
Clean up after your dog and take the waste home.
Watch out for ticks and harmful algae.
Car park opening times vary, so check them on the City of London website before you set off. If recall is a work in progress, our dog recall tips are a good place to start.
When you can't get out
Long days at work don't have to mean a bored dog. Our dog day care in Waltham Abbey gives small to medium dogs a day of supervised play in our secure field and walks in the countryside, with collection by arrangement from Loughton, Epping and nearby. Get in touch to see if our route passes you.
