[1] When you exit the car park, turn right and walk along Forest Drive. You will walk over a bridge and past houses on your right.
Take care when walking on Forest Drive due to cars.
[2] The road will fork out, bear left to walk uphill to the residential area.
[3] Ignore the path that forks out to the right. Keep on walking uphill.
[4] You will reach the end of the footpath. Turn left here and follow this path only for a short distance. The path will fork out soon, bear right to follow a wide path uphill. Walk along this path for a distance.
[5] You will reach a junction of paths. Keep on walking uphill, ignoring the mountain bike trails left and right. You will stay on this path for a distance and follow it when it goes round to the right.
[6] You will reach a wide path with a panoramic view of the forest on your right. There is also a small wooden post (cycle route, 100pts) on your left. Turn right downhill to follow the wide and obvious path. The path will lead you first right and then left around.
[7] Ignore the path on your right and follow the wide obvious path left around when it leads you downhill and back into wooded area.
[8] At the end of the footpath, you will reach a junction of paths. Turn left and follow the path until you reach again a smaller junction.
[9] Walk towards the gate and take a big step over a small beck. Go through the gate and follow the path until it ends.
Take care when crossing the beck and on the path as it might be muddy at times.
[10] Go through the gate at the end of the footpath and you will step on the main road through Hamsterley Forest with the toll booth. Turn right to walk towards the Visitor Centre.
[11] Walk past the Visitor Centre on your right (or step in for some refreshments!) and follow Forest Drive for a distance.
[12] Ignore the footpath that would lead you to a wooden play area and bridge and keep walking along Forest Drive until you see a grassy area in front of you. There is a footpath on your left in front of the grassy area that will lead you along the 'Bedburn Riverside Walk'. Turn left to follow the footpath.
Take care as this path might be muddy at times.
[13] Follow the path with the river on your left. At the end you will walk over a bridge and past a picnic area before returning to the starting point.
Hamsterley Forest offers a wide range of outdoor activity to locals as well as tourists. The Trailblazers aim to make the forest a paradise for mountain bikers and developed mountain bike routes with different grading ranging from Green (easy) to Black (expert). There is also Descend, a private mountain bike club with about 170 members who operates mountain bike and downhill courses in the forest.
The Durham Fell Runners are also active in the forest and organise regular events starting from the visitor centre.
Hamsterley Village Hall offers weekly activities such as indoor bowls, Keep Fit, Pilates and Karate.