Activities in Rold Skov

Mountain biking

The undulating terrain of Rold Skov forest is very popular for mountain biking. There are now three routes; “Den Store Blå” (the big blue), “24 timers ruten” (the 24 hour route) and Denmark’s largest downhill track. The 24-hour-route area it also possible good for orienteering by mountainbike. Denmark’s first mountain bike route especially for children has also been built near the Skørping Hallen sports centre.

More information about the routes, bike rental etc. (in Danish)

Running routes

Hiking routes are also good for running. For example, the path around the St. Økssø lake is popular. Furthermore, there is a total of five independent, sign-posted running routes of 2.1 kilometres, 5 kilometres, 7.1 kilometres, 10 kilometres as well as a half marathon route of 21.1 kilometres. Download the route maps here:

Half marathon route (in Danish)

5 and 10 kilometres, fitness trail (in Danish)

The Arden route (in Danish)

Exercise and countryside fitness

The fitness trail starting near the Skørping Hallen sports centre is a short route of 2.1 kilometres on which you can have your fitness rating measured. You can walk or run the route and by recording your time you can read off your fitness rating from the notice boards. Use the many natural elements of the forest as a “green” fitness room. On the fitness trail, close to the Skørping Hallen sports centre, there is a permanent natural fitness track.

See exercises here (in Danish)

See stretching exercises here (in Danish)

Swimming

Both the St. Økssø lake and the Madum Sø lake are popular places for swimming. There is a bathing jetty at the St. Økssø lake, and in the winter half-year a fire cabin is turned into a wood-fired sauna where year-round swimmers in the lake come to recuperate. In the summer half-year, a 1570-meter-long swimming lane is marked off in the St. Økssø lake. Together with the 2.6-km-long lake path, this provides good opportunities for training, e.g. for triathlon.

See swimming map (in Danish)

Skiing in the forest

When weather conditions so permit, and snow covers the forest, the Danish Nature Agency sets up a cross-country skiing track in the forest north and south of the Skørping school.

Hiking routes

Rold Skov forest has an abundance of forest tracks, all of which are all good for hiking. The hiking tour leaflets for Rold Skov forest and Rebild Bakker highlight some of the most accessible and spectacular hiking tours with yellow. The yellow colour is also found on the tracks themselves, where yellow spots are painted on tree trunks or large rocks. About 60 kilometres of hiking route are marked. Follow the yellow route and keep the leaflet in your back pocket - then you will never get lost in the vast forest. All the yellow routes are linked to the many car parks, from where shorter or longer paths are marked and their length is indicated on the map. Nearly all attractions in the forest can be reached by following the yellow routes.

Normally, the forest tracks are only for motor vehicles working in the forest, however, in the state-owned part of Rold Skov forest, many of the forest tracks are in such good condition that they can be used by disabled persons with e.g. an electric scooter or similar motorised wheelchair, though there is no guarantee. Around the St. Økssø lake a path has been established for wheelchair users.

The state-owned forest only makes up one-quarter of Denmark’s largest original forest, and other rules apply in the private areas of the forest. Nevertheless, there are adventures awaiting any person who ventures into the great forest. The Nature and Culture Centre of Rold Skov forest has published maps covering all of Rold Skov.

Read the hiking tour leaflet for Rold Skov forest (in Danish)

Read the hiking tour leaflet for Rebild Bakker (in Danish)

Read about the rules of the countryside (in Danish)

See the map by the Nature and Culture Centre of Rold Skov forest (in Danish)

Orienteering

Close to the Skørping Hallen sports centre in the forest area, two beginner’s tracks have been established with permanent orienteering posts. By selecting different posts to find each time, or by changing the sequence, there are endless orienteering routes in the forest. The posts can also be used for GPS running, treasure hunts or MTB orienteering.

Instructions and GPS coordinates (in Danish)

Short O track (in Danish)

Long O track (in Danish)

Organised nature trips

All-year-round, the Danish Nature Agency, the municipalities and various organisations arrange a number of public tours in Rold Skov forest. The tours are generally free unless otherwise stated in Rold Skov calendar, which is published once a year by the Nature and Culture Centre of Rold Skov forest.

See events under calendar (in Danish)

Horse-back riding in the forest

Horse-back riding is free all over the northern part of the state-owned Rold Skov, except for on grave mounds and other prehistoric monuments In the southern part of the forest, south of the line from the Mosskovgård manor house in the east to Mørkehus in the west (1.5 kilometres south of Rold Storkro), riding is only permitted on marked bridleways (marked with a yellow horseshoe). Horse-back riding is restricted in this part of the forest due to the animals (e.g. red deer) and riding is limited to the marked bridleways.

Taking your dog to the forest

In general dogs must be kept on a leash in the forest. The Danish Nature Agency will notify the police if you let your dog run loose where this is not permitted. This is because your dog may stress the wild animals and it may bother other forest visitors. The rules are laid down by the Nature Protection Act and the fines have recently been raised, so save yourself from a tiresome experience and keep your dog on a leash or visit one of the off-leash dog park. The Jutland forest garden is Denmark’s first off-leash dog park, and every year, it gets better and better for four-legged as well as two-legged forest visitors. In the Hesselholt Skov forest near Arden there is also a small off-leash dog park. These parks and other off-leash dog parks in the area, e.g. the Juelstrup Sø lake, can be found on the Into Nature Map.

See off-leash dog parks at Udinaturen.dk (in Danish)

Free fishing

There is free fishing in many state-owned fishing lakes, i.e. you do not need to pay for fishing but need only have a valid fishing licence. Some state-owned fishing lakes may, however, have fishing restrictions, for example out of concern for nature, so always check the fishing site on the Into Nature Map. In the Lindenborg Å stream, the Danish Nature Agency offers free fishing in two places. In Rold Skov forest there is free fishing in the St. Økssø lake and in the adjacent Mossø lake. At the St. Økssø lake there are fishing places for wheelchair users. The lakes have a large population of perch.

Purchase a fishing licence here (in Danish)

See fishing waters at udinaturen.dk (in Danish)

See map with two stretches of free fishing (in Danish)

Geocaching - exploring by GPS in Rold Skov forest and in Rebild Bakker

Geocaching is a type of orienteering at walking pace for the whole family. You find things hidden in nature or in an interesting spot. Geocaching is a chase where you can hunt for “treasure” in nature by means of a special GPS receiver or a mobile phone with GPS. This has become so popular that the Danish Nature Agency has had to make special rules for leaving “treasure” in the state-owned forests.

Mobile app for Rold Skov forest and Rebild Bakker

Now you can take a shortcut to experiences in Rold Forest with a new App containing maps with tour suggestions and lots of stories about exciting places, trees, springs, prehistoric monuments, interesting people and much more. Install the App from AppStore or GooglePlay. Type Rebildporten in the search field. The App has been created by the municipality of Rebild together with the Danish Nature Agency and the Nature and Culture Centre of Rold Skov forest. It is regularly updated and improved.

Camping overnight

Rold Skov forest offers a number of possibilities for primitive overnight camping. There is a shelter behind the Mosskov pavilion as well as a number of primitive camp sites. Large groups are referred to the two camp sites, Klodholm and Jamborettepladsen, which can be booked online. All the sites are marked on the Into Nature Map. Overnight camping, bed and breakfast, youth hostels or hotels can be found through the tourist agency in RebildPorten.

Find camp sites, youth hostels and similar (in Danish)

See possibilities for primitive overnight camping at udinaturen.dk (in Danish)

Camp fire sites and nature bases

Lighting a fire in the forest is nice, and so is making twistbread or roasting sausages, but open fires can only be lit at approved camp-fire sites or bonfire sites. All the sites are marked on the Into Nature Map. Please note that during dry spells, there may be a total ban on smoking and open fires in the entire forest.

The fire cabins also function as nature bases. There is a lockable storage facility here for field equipment used by schools, day-care centres etc.

See camp-fire sites at udinaturen.dk (in Danish)

Playgrounds

Near Rebild you will find the natural playground, Røverknolden, which is a paradise for active children and playful adults. The forest playgrounds have a slides, tables and benches, shelters etc. There are also different carved figures of robbers and play equipment. Outside the natural playground, there is a long path that stimulates the senses. The path connects the site with a musical area with instruments carved in wood.

More about Rold Skov forest:

Attractions Animals and plants The year around History Practical information