Explore the forest, and beyond at Thorpe Forest
Forest Rangers
An entire forest at your feet. Let us show you around...
Our Forest Rangers are experts in helping you have fun in the great outdoors. They know the forests like the back of their hand and will help you to understand and connect with the forest. With experiences that are designed to show you the very best of our location, whichever activity you choose, you'll have an unforgettable experience.
Make sure you book in advance as our experiences are popular! Just choose your activity in my account.
Guided Woodland Walk
Suitable for families, groups and couples
With an entire forest waiting to be explored, it’s hard knowing where to start! Join our Forest Rangers for a guided tour, taking in some unforgettable views whilst learning a thing or two about the wildlife who call our forests home.
Mini Forest Rangers
Suitable for families and 5-11 year olds
Become a mini bird detective! Spread your wings and get ready to discover the world of bird spotting and migration. Through exciting games, crafts and immersive activities – put our feathered friends into the spotlight with help from your Forest Ranger.
Little Wild Ones
Suitable for families and pre-schoolers
When imaginations run wild, a love for nature begins to grow. And there’s no better playground than the forest! Your Forest Ranger will guide your tiny explorers through woodland activities and imaginative play – bringing stories to life as they find their first Forest Feeling.
Forest Survival
Suitable for families, groups and couples
It’s the simple things in life — like how to light a fire and build a woodland shelter. Learn it all with your Forest Ranger, then it’s time to relax around the campfire, toast some marshmallows and enjoy a well-deserved cuppa from freshly foraged herbs.
Nature by Night
Available September to March, suitable for all
Evenings in the forest just got even more extraordinary. Join a guided walk as you uncover the world of biofluorescence, using UV light to unveil a whole new world of wonders.
Outdoor adventures
Throw yourself into adventure and enjoy the very best of the outdoors on these incredible local experiences...
Forest Spa
Unwind with a spa experience like no other, surrounded by the forest and a natural soundtrack outside. Switch off with soothing treatments designed for couples' time, group relaxation, or simply some time just for you.
You'll need to pre-book our in-cabin spa treatments to make sure we can get everything in place for your stay.
Book your spa experience
You'll need to pre-book our in-cabin spa treatments to make sure we can get everything in place for your stay.
Book your spa experience
Bike hire
Looking to explore more of the forest? Venture out for the day on our bikes and discover acres of woodland, or go at your own pace with full break bike hire. There’ll be a helmet and bike lock for you too, so you can keep your bike just outside your cabin door:
Our cycling options:
- Adult bike hire | £18 per day or from £32 per break
- Child bike hire | £15 per day or from £28 per break
- Child seat | from £10
- Tag along | from £20
- Trailer | from £30
Just pre-book in my account, or ask at the Forest Retreat while you're here.
Elvis Owl Nature Trail
Get hands-on in the forest with this brand-new, self-led Forest Nature Trail.
Explore the incredible wildlife around you, get stuck into activities and learn amazing things about nature.
Use your discovery pack and follow our five stepping stones to nature while you get to know your forest friends. See, hear and touch nature all around you... and have an incredible adventure in the forest.
Quiz nights
Come along to our Forest Quiz every Wednesday and Saturday! Grab a drink, choose your team name and put your knowledge to the test for a chance to win. It’s free and everyone’s welcome - with special rounds for kids! Join us in the Forest Retreat from 5.30pm.
Good to know...
You can reserve a table for the quiz by booking in for dinner at the Forest Retreat. Pre-order our Quiz Night specials in my account, or speak to our team while you're here.
Pottery painting
Head to the Forest Retreat and discover your creative side. Choose from a selection of our favourite woodland animals and experiment with spongy foam clay or paint a masterpiece to take away the same day.
Small Bisque - foam or paint | £6.95
Medium Bisque - foam or paint | £10.95
Large Bisque - foam or paint | £13.95
Rainy days
On rainy days, look out for TV messages for any indoor activities we're running. We also have plenty of board games in the Forest Retreat so why not pop in, pick up a game and grab a drink.
Build a Forest Friend
Looking for something to keep little hands busy indoors?
Head to the Forest Retreat, where mini explorers can build their own Forest Friend to join them on their adventures when they’re back outside. You can pre-book yours so they’re ready and waiting for when you arrive.
Local recommendations Thorpe Forest
Pubs and restaurants
Dog-friendly dining, proper pubs and one-of-a-kind spots. Take your pick from our top pubs and restaurants close to the forest to get a taste of the local.
Harriet's Cafe Tearooms
Take a 33-minute drive to visit Harriet’s Café Tearooms for some family-friendly light bites and gluten free options.
The Golden Fleece
A little further afield on the coast, try the dog-friendly The Golden Fleece. It’s an hour, 15-minute drive but well worth it for the views and space for paws to explore.
The Mulberry
Just a 10-minute drive away, try The Mulberry for locally-sourced fine dining.
The Nutshell
Drive 33 minutes to grab drinks at The Nutshell – Britain's smallest pub!
Places to visit
There's lots to do in the forest, but take a trip out and discover what the area also has to offer.
Banham Zoo
Visit Banham Zoo for a day out close to the forest – it's just a 14-minute drive.
Gravity
A little further away, try Gravity, an indoor trampoline park 40 minutes away.
The English Whiskey Company
Enjoy distillery tours with The English Whiskey Company, a 10-minute drive away.
The Light Cinema
Great for rainy days, visit The Light Cinema, Thetford (12-minute drive).
Walking trails
Bury St Edmunds
In Bury St. Edmunds, there’s a lovely two-hour walk that takes in a 12th Century bridge, an aviary, the smallest pub in England and the site where barons plotted to get St. John to sign the Magna Carta.
Norfolk Coast Path | 134km
It’s an hour or so drive to the coast but worth it for a complete change of scenery and fresh sea air. The Norfolk Coast Path runs for 134km from Hunstanton to Hopton-on-Sea. Much of the walk is within the Norfolk Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Choose a section and start sightseeing! From seaside towns to wildlife-rich tidal marshes, from open sandy beaches to statuesque pine woodlands, it offers some of the most satisfying walks in Great Britain.
Peddars Way | 74km
Got your walking boots? Peddars Way is a National Trail walk, wending its way through 74km, from just outside Thetford at Knettishall Heath to the beach at Holme-next-the-Sea on the North Norfolk Coast. It takes in some of the Pingo trail before heading across the Brecks, following the straight lines of an old Roman route. The landscape is ever-changing and you can pick sections of it and circular routes for a day’s walking.
The Great Eastern Pingo Trail | 8km
The Great Eastern Pingo Trail is a gentle 8km walk along the route of the old Crab and Winkle Railway line. The pingos of the title are shallow pools, teeming with wildlife, that were formed over 20,000 years ago in the last ice-age. This walk also takes you past a nature reserve, a meadow which is kept in check by Shetland ponies, and an MOD firing range, which is also a Site of Special Scientific Interest.
Thetford Forest | various
For walks in Thetford Forest, start from High Lodge Visitor Centre on one of the themed trails. The Pine Trail and the Nature Trail are just 1.6km long and the Beech Trail and the Fir Trail are 4.8km. There's also an orienteering course and the Sculpture Trail, a short, wheelchair accessible, 1.6km walk with five play sculptures along the way.
Thetford to Brandon | 9km
This pleasant 9km riverside walk starts in Thetford town and follows the Little Ouse Path to Brandon. The walk takes you along peaceful stretches of river, into the heart of Thetford Forest and through the pretty forest village of Santon Downham. The area around you is the Brecks, a unique heathland landscape created by the practices of Stone Age farmers.
Cycling trails
National Cycle Network Route 13 | 60km
The National Cycle Network (sustrans) Route 13 also runs through Thetford, close to your cabin. Here you can cycle 60km on-road through Watton and East Dereham to Gateley, where it meets National Route 1 to Fakenham. Ideal for a spot of long distance cycling.
The Green Shepherd Trail | 8km
The Green Shepherd Trail runs through the nearby Thetford Forest. A safe, off-road trail with plenty of room to learn, it’s 8km of mostly good surfaces. Perfect for families (including little ones who need a little more practice).
Thetford mountain biking
The 18km red Beater Trail at Forestry England's High Lodge, Thetford, combines open routes with fast-flowing single-track. It’s a reasonably challenging ride through beech woods and pine plantations, suited to experienced bikers. The red Lime Burner Trail at Forestry England's High Lodge features crests and dips, bomb holes and single-track. Near the end, 'The Beast' takes you on a roller coaster of a ride. Hardest of all are the Black 'Mountain Bike Pits'.
Cycle the Norfolk coast
Drive to the Norfolk coast where routes 1 and 30 take you the entire length, from Kings Lynn to Great Yarmouth, via a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Dog-walking trails
Bring your furry friend on an adventure and explore one of the many forest trails, where acres of woodland and country roads make a great spot for a scamper.
Horsey Beach and village circular walk | 5.8km
Head to the Norfolk Broads to enjoy the Horsey Beach and village circular walk, an easy dog-friendly trail, which spans 5.8km. Take in spectacular coastline views paired with iconic broadland as you explore Horsey Beach, famous for its seals, before walking around Horsey village.
Or you could try the Horsey Windpump and beach walk, a moderate trail of 4.8km that will take up to two hours to complete. You might even get a glimpse of Grey Seals along this trail!
The Great Hockham walking trail | 3.5km
Take an easy amble through Great Hockham on the Great Hockham walking trail and join the Peddars Way Roman Road, if you and the tails are feeling more adventurous!
Go Ape
Take a trip through the trees, full of adventure! Save 10% on your Go Ape experience when you stay with us, including on Saturdays.
Look out for our emails with offers and activities to book before your stay – they'll include your unique discount code. Go Ape Thetford is just a short, 10-minute drive away, and as the very first Go Ape, you can experience lots of different adventures:
- Go Ape forest segway | from £38
- Go Ape tree top adventure | from £21
- Go Ape tree top challenge | from £36
Activities nearby
Discover local activities and adventures further from the forest.
- Weapons through the ages | from £135
- Quad trek | from £50
Wildlife and trees
Wildlife at Thorpe Forest
What can you spot?
Barn Owl
Search the skies for barn owls at night when they hunt for field voles. Notice their distinctive heart shaped face as they glide silently through the trees.
Fallow Deer
These woodland natives have chestnut coats with white spots. The males shed their antlers by June and in the autumn the male and female herds meet for the rutting season.
Roe Deer
Stay quiet and you may just stumble across a roe deer in a forest glade. See its reddish grey-brown coat and short antlers. The roe deer is the most common type of deer found in the UK.
Buzzard
Listen out for the buzzard, a powerful bird whose call sounds like a meowing cat. The buzzard is the UK’s most common bird of prey and is known for its broad, rounded wings.
Want to learn more about the wildlife here? Book onto a Forest Ranger experience and discover all the secrets of the forest!
Trees at Thorpe Forest
Trees you'll find in the forest
Corsican Pine
Also known as Black Pine, Corsican pine plantations offer shelter to birds, deer and small mammals. A variety of birds are attracted to the black pine to this tree to feed on the seeds. Spot the colourful cones on these large trees in May, with red female and yellow male cones.
Rowan
With bark that’s smooth and silvery grey, rowan is also known as the mountain ash. It was widely planted years ago as a protection against witches! Flowers provide pollen and nectar for bees and other pollinating insects, while the berries are a rich source of autumn food for many bird species.
Oak
Oak supports more life than any other native tree in the UK – and they're found throughout the country. They're home to hundreds of insect species, supplying many birds and bats with an important food source, as well as creating shelter. Oaks actually shorten with age to help extend their lifespan!
Goat willow and Grey willow
Soft, silvery and found in damp woodland, the grey willow is where you'll find lots of caterpillars. They feed on its leaves and its fuzzy catkins feed pollinators early in the season.
The goat willow is very similar to the goat willow, but its catkins look more like cat's paws, which is why it's also known as the 'pussy willow'.
Supporting the forest
We’re more than just a holiday
Nestled within inspiring natural spaces, we offer a unique way to experience and enjoy the UK’s forests, helping you experience and reconnect with nature.
We look after the land we love for us all, protecting wildlife and helping to preserve the forest for the future. By putting nature centre-stage, we give you the best of the outdoors. A sense of freedom and a unique experience, where you feel connected to the forest and to each other. Because you don’t just visit the forest, you really feel it.
And once you’ve found that Forest Feeling, you’ll never let it go.
Let's look after what we love
Help to care for the wildlife around you in small, but important ways. You'll find it's as good for you as it is for nature!
Give nature a helping hand by....
- Creating habitat piles using old logs and branches
- Picking up any litter you see – the forest and wildlife will thank you for it
- Turning off the lights when they’re not in use to reduce energy use
- Using the bins provided to separate your waste and recycle properly
