National Park Guide
Nationaal Park Drentsche Aa is a national park in the Netherlands, characterized by its unique "esdorp" landscape, which is considered the best-preserved in Western Europe. The area features the naturally meandering Drentsche Aa river system, extensive heathlands like Balloërveld, ancient woodlands, and remnants of peat bogs. This diverse terrain provides varied environments suitable for several sports like mountain biking, hiking, gravel biking, touring cycling, and more.
Nationaal Park Drentsche Aa offers more…
201
Routes
4.5
(7210)
Average rating
54240
People visited

4.7
(386)
3,148
riders
34.5km
02:46
60m
60m
Moderate mountain bike ride. Good fitness required. Advanced riding skills necessary.

4.3
(47)
617
riders
38.7km
02:46
60m
60m
Moderate mountain bike ride. Good fitness required. Advanced riding skills necessary.

4.7
(279)
2,446
riders
36.1km
02:44
80m
80m
Moderate mountain bike ride. Good fitness required. Advanced riding skills necessary.

4.8
(174)
2,395
riders
58.9km
04:24
110m
110m
Moderate mountain bike ride. Good fitness required. Advanced riding skills necessary.
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4.6
(171)
548
hikers
9.18km
02:19
20m
20m
Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

4.6
(142)
528
hikers
11.4km
02:53
20m
20m
Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

4.4
(136)
348
hikers
7.38km
01:52
20m
10m
Easy hike. Great for any fitness level. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

4.7
(86)
298
hikers
20.4km
05:09
40m
30m
Hard hike. Very good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.
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4.5
(11)
58
riders
40.2km
02:18
50m
50m
Hard gravel ride. Good fitness required. You may need to push your bike for some segments of this route.

4.0
(2)
90
riders
67.2km
03:51
110m
110m
Hard gravel ride. Good fitness required. You may need to push your bike for some segments of this route.

4.2
(17)
110
riders
54.6km
03:06
100m
100m
Moderate gravel ride. Good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.

5.0
(10)
66
riders
59.7km
03:38
110m
110m
Hard gravel ride. Good fitness required. You may need to push your bike for some segments of this route.
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4.7
(27)
107
riders
55.7km
03:20
90m
90m
Moderate bike ride. Good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.

4.8
(9)
1,984
riders
Hard bike ride. Good fitness required. You may need to push your bike for some segments of this route.

4.5
(12)
41
riders
27.2km
01:38
50m
50m
Easy bike ride. Great for any fitness level. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.

5.0
(8)
1,548
riders
Hard bike ride. Good fitness required. You may need to push your bike for some segments of this route.
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4.5
(2)
33
riders
82.6km
03:47
110m
110m
Moderate road ride. Good fitness required. Mostly well-paved surfaces and easy to ride.

4.6
(26)
429
riders
Easy road ride. Great for any fitness level. Mostly well-paved surfaces and easy to ride.

4.6
(12)
168
riders
62.3km
02:41
110m
110m
Moderate road ride. Good fitness required. Mostly well-paved surfaces and easy to ride.

3.8
(10)
156
riders
Moderate road ride. Good fitness required. Some segments of this route may be unpaved and difficult to ride.
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207
runners
24.0km
02:50
40m
40m
Hard run. Very good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.

5.0
(6)
144
runners
Hard run. Very good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.

168
runners
21.2km
02:24
40m
40m
Hard run. Very good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.

5.0
(6)
139
runners
Hard run. Very good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.
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Nationaal Park Drentsche Aa offers a variety of outdoor activities including Mountain biking, Hiking, Gravel biking, Touring cycling, Road cycling, and Jogging. The park features more than 100 routes across these sports. It is known for its unique "esdorp" landscape and the naturally meandering Drentsche Aa river system.
Nationaal Park Drentsche Aa is a popular destination on komoot, with over 44,000 visitors sharing their experiences. The routes in the park have an average rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars. There are 129 total routes available for various sports.
Popular mountain biking routes include the Gieten-Gasselte in Drenthe - Red route, which is 21.4 miles (34.5 km) long. Another option is the Gasselterveld Lake loop, covering 22.5 miles (36.3 km). These routes are generally rated as moderate difficulty. More information can be found in the MTB Trails in Nationaal Park Drentsche Aa guide.
Yes, Nationaal Park Drentsche Aa offers numerous hiking trails. Examples include the Gasterse Duinen and Oudemolensche Diep Trail, which is 5.7 miles (9.2 km) long, and the Walking route Anlooërdiep, at 7.1 miles (11.4 km). For more options, consult the Hiking in Nationaal Park Drentsche Aa guide.
The park's centerpiece is the Drentsche Aa river system, one of the last naturally meandering and unregulated rivers in the Netherlands. It also features extensive heathlands like Balloërveld and Gasterse Duinen, ancient woodlands, and remnants of peat bogs. These diverse habitats support various wildlife and rare plants.
Yes, the park offers routes suitable for various skill levels, including easy options. For hiking, the Gasterse Dunes trail is an easy 4.6-mile (7.4 km) option. For touring cycling, the Cycling tour Drouwenerzand is an easy 16.9-mile (27.2 km) route. The Easy hikes in Nationaal Park Drentsche Aa guide provides further details.
The park is home to well-preserved "esdorp" villages such as Anloo, Taarlo, and Grolloo, featuring traditional layouts and Saxon farmsteads. It also contains prehistoric monuments, including numerous hunebedden (dolmens) and burial mounds, along with ancient cart tracks. The landscape reflects centuries of human habitation.
Komoot offers several guides for Nationaal Park Drentsche Aa, including Hiking in Nationaal Park Drentsche Aa, MTB Trails in Nationaal Park Drentsche Aa, and Cycling in Nationaal Park Drentsche Aa. There are also guides for Gravel biking and Attractions.
Gravel bikers can explore routes on "klinkerwegen" (brick roads) and "zandpaden" (sand paths). A notable route is Evergreens – flint and gravel in Drenthe, which is 25.0 miles (40.2 km) long. The Gravel biking in Nationaal Park Drentsche Aa guide provides more details on suitable routes.
The official website for Nationaal Park Drentsche Aa is nationaalparkdrentscheaa.nl. For inquiries, the Visitors' Centre can be reached at +31 (0)592201452.
Nationaal Park Drentsche Aa also offers routes for touring cycling and road cycling. Touring cyclists can enjoy routes like Waterbeheer Drentsche Aa, which is 34.6 miles (55.7 km). Road cyclists can explore routes such as Assen - VAM-berg Loop, covering 51.3 miles (82.6 km). The Cycling in Nationaal Park Drentsche Aa guide details these options.
Yes, Nationaal Park Drentsche Aa has dedicated routes for jogging. An example is the Balloërveld Heath – Dolmen D10, Gasteren loop, which is 14.9 miles (24.0 km) long. Another option is the Forest path in Drentsche Aa loop, at 11.0 miles (17.8 km). More routes are available in the Running Trails in Nationaal Park Drentsche Aa guide.
The diverse habitats within Nationaal Park Drentsche Aa support a variety of wildlife. Species that can be observed include European badgers, roe deer, red foxes, kingfishers, and common buzzards. Rare black woodpeckers are also present in the park.

