Mechelse Heide, de rode route

From the car park at the Mechelse Heide gateway, follow the park's red route. It runs through heath and forest, past a former sand and gravel quarry, and across the heath to the Ven onder de Berg, a pond at the foot of the Kempen plateau that is almost completely covered by peat moss. The moss soaks up water like a sponge and carries rare plants, and walking on it can leave marks for years, so do not step on it.

It is 7.3 km round with 120 m of ascent; allow about 2 hours; the grade is Easy: mostly unpaved, hilly ground on forest tracks and heath paths, with steep slopes and some flights of stairs. The ascent is the 120 m the Wandelen in Limburg page for this route gives, because our height data (74 m) probably miss the steps of the plateau edge.

The park is not fenced and may be visited between sunrise and sunset. Dogs must be on a short lead; the route passes a fenced meadow, one of the park's dog zones, where they may run free if they come when called and do not chase wildlife or bother walkers; dogs are not allowed at all, even on a lead, in the grazing zones. The paths, steep slopes and stairs can be muddy and slippery, so boots are advised after wet weather. The heath turns purple from mid-August to mid-September.

The car park at the gateway, Joseph Smeetslaan 280 in Maasmechelen, is marked free on OpenStreetMap. The nearest bus stops are Maasmechelen Mechelse Heide and Maasmechelen T. Boslaan. The park says to come by train to Genk station and take buses from there to its other gateways.

Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap paths (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with the distance and time worked out from it. The climb is the published figure: height data cannot be trusted on this ground. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.