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Best Wildlife Hikes in Hesse

We track 11 routes that match this search in Hesse. They average 6.2 km and 137 m (449 ft) of ascent, with the longest running to 13.9 km.

That is 1 percent of the 1,972 routes we map in Hesse. They are shorter than the local average, 6.2 km against 16.5 km, which is what makes this a practical shortlist for a half day. They also climb less than the area average, 137 m (449 ft) against 367 m (1,204 ft), so they suit a recovery day or a group with mixed fitness.

These routes cross habitat where sightings are genuinely likely. Walk quietly, go early, and give animals room. Most of these are on the gentler end, which makes the list a good starting point if you are new to the area. A good share of them are loops, so you can park once and finish where you started.

Trails

Hard

BUND-Schlüchtern-Rundweg 1

Hesse · Germany

Distance
21.3 km
/ 13.2 mi
Elevation gain
468 m
Typical duration
5 hr 19 min
  • Wildlife watching
  • Waymarked route
Hard

BUND-Schlüchtern-Rundweg 2

Hesse · Germany

Distance
24.8 km
/ 15.4 mi
Elevation gain
546 m
Typical duration
6 hr 17 min
  • Wildlife watching
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

BUND-Schlüchtern-Rundweg 3

Hesse · Germany

Distance
15.1 km
/ 9.4 mi
Elevation gain
332 m
Typical duration
3 hr 39 min
  • Wildlife watching
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

BUND-Schlüchtern-Rundweg 4

Hesse · Germany

Distance
14.1 km
/ 8.7 mi
Elevation gain
310 m
Typical duration
3 hr 24 min
  • Wildlife watching
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

BUND-Schlüchtern-Rundweg 5

Hesse · Germany

Distance
11.8 km
/ 7.4 mi
Elevation gain
260 m
Typical duration
2 hr 51 min
  • Wildlife watching
  • Waymarked route
Hard

BUND-Schlüchtern-Rundweg 6

Hesse · Germany

Distance
17.0 km
/ 10.6 mi
Elevation gain
374 m
Typical duration
4 hr 10 min
  • Wildlife watching
  • Waymarked route
Hard

BUND-Schlüchtern-Rundweg 7

Hesse · Germany

Distance
17.5 km
/ 10.9 mi
Elevation gain
386 m
Typical duration
4 hr 19 min
  • Wildlife watching
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Naturlehrpfad Orbtal

Hesse · Germany

Distance
7.5 km
/ 4.7 mi
Elevation gain
165 m
Typical duration
1 hr 49 min
  • Wildlife watching
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Rundwanderweg Vogel

Hesse · Germany

Distance
1.3 km
/ 0.8 mi
Elevation gain
29 m
Typical duration
19 min
  • Wildlife watching
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Rundwanderweg Vogel

Hesse · Germany

Distance
2.6 km
/ 1.6 mi
Elevation gain
58 m
Typical duration
38 min
  • Wildlife watching
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Theißtal: Keiler

Hesse · Germany

Distance
10.7 km
/ 6.7 mi
Elevation gain
236 m
Typical duration
2 hr 35 min
  • Wildlife watching
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Wildpark: Ahornblatt

Hesse · Germany

Distance
2.3 km
/ 1.4 mi
Elevation gain
50 m
Typical duration
33 min
  • Wildlife watching
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Wildpark: Lindenblatt

Hesse · Germany

Distance
4.4 km
/ 2.7 mi
Elevation gain
97 m
Typical duration
1 hr 4 min
  • Wildlife watching
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Naturlehrpfad

Hesse · Germany

Distance
0.5 km
/ 0.3 mi
Elevation gain
10 m
Typical duration
7 min
  • Wildlife watching
Easy

Naturlehrpfad Goßfelden

Hesse · Germany

Distance
3.5 km
/ 2.2 mi
Elevation gain
78 m
Typical duration
51 min
  • Wildlife watching

The shortlist, side by side

The ten highest scoring routes on this page, so you can compare effort before opening any of them.

Distance, ascent, walking time and difficulty for the top routes
RouteDistanceAscentTimeDifficultyBest season
BUND-Schlüchtern-Rundweg - HauptrouteHesse47.7 km1,049 m12 hrExpertApril to October
Bad Soden-Salmünster Münsterberg-RundtourHesse5.6 km123 m1 hr 21 minEasyApril to October
Bad Soden-Salmünster Vom Wildpark zum TannenkopfHesse4.2 km92 m1 hrEasyApril to October
Bad Orb Terainkurweg 33 (Zum Wildpark)Hesse4.5 km100 m1 hr 6 minEasyApril to October
BUND-Schlüchtern-Rundweg 1Hesse21.3 km468 m5 hr 19 minHardApril to October
BUND-Schlüchtern-Rundweg 2Hesse24.8 km546 m6 hr 17 minHardApril to October
BUND-Schlüchtern-Rundweg 3Hesse15.1 km332 m3 hr 39 minModerateApril to October
BUND-Schlüchtern-Rundweg 4Hesse14.1 km310 m3 hr 24 minModerateApril to October
BUND-Schlüchtern-Rundweg 5Hesse11.8 km260 m2 hr 51 minModerateApril to October
BUND-Schlüchtern-Rundweg 6Hesse17.0 km374 m4 hr 10 minHardApril to October

If you only have time for one, start with Bad Soden-Salmünster Wanderweg "Blaues Kreuz", Bad Soden-Salmünster Vom Wildpark zum Tannenkopf, Bad Soden-Salmünster Münsterberg-Rundtour. Those are the routes people come back to. Every route on this page links through to a full guide with the map, elevation profile, seasonal advice and what to bring.

Frequently asked questions

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