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Loop Trails near Essen

We track 10 routes that match this search near Essen. They average 30.7 km and 675 m (2,215 ft) of ascent, with the longest running to 65.2 km.

That is 7 percent of the 151 routes we map near Essen. They are shorter than the local average, 30.7 km against 53.4 km, which is what makes this a practical shortlist for a half day. They also climb less than the area average, 675 m (2,215 ft) against 1,170 m (3,839 ft), so they suit a recovery day or a group with mixed fitness.

Circular routes: park once, finish where you started, and never walk the same section twice. The mix is broad: 5 are rated easy and 5 are hard or harder, so there is something here whether you have two hours or a full day. A good share of them are loops, so you can park once and finish where you started.

Trails

Easy

De Hamert - blauw

De Maasduinen · Limburg

Distance
4.0 km
/ 2.5 mi
Elevation gain
89 m
Typical duration
59 min
  • Waymarked route
Easy

De Hamert - groen

De Maasduinen · Limburg

Distance
1.8 km
/ 1.1 mi
Elevation gain
40 m
Typical duration
26 min
  • Waymarked route
Easy

De Hamert - rood

De Maasduinen · Limburg

Distance
5.2 km
/ 3.2 mi
Elevation gain
115 m
Typical duration
1 hr 15 min
  • Waymarked route
Easy

De Hamert - wit

De Maasduinen · Limburg

Distance
4.6 km
/ 2.8 mi
Elevation gain
101 m
Typical duration
1 hr 6 min
  • Waymarked route
Expert

(W) Rund um Witten

North Rhine-Westphalia · Germany

Distance
57.3 km
/ 35.6 mi
Elevation gain
1,260 m
Typical duration
15 hr
  • Lake
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Expert

(B) Rund um Bochum

North Rhine-Westphalia · Germany

Distance
65.2 km
/ 40.5 mi
Elevation gain
1,434 m
Typical duration
17 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

(H) Rund um Hattingen

North Rhine-Westphalia · Germany

Distance
62.2 km
/ 38.7 mi
Elevation gain
1,369 m
Typical duration
16 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

(H) Rundweg Halver

North Rhine-Westphalia · Germany

Distance
54.6 km
/ 33.9 mi
Elevation gain
1,201 m
Typical duration
14 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Expert

(S) Rund um Schalksmühle

North Rhine-Westphalia · Germany

Distance
46.6 km
/ 29.0 mi
Elevation gain
1,025 m
Typical duration
12 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Rundwanderweg Krägeloher Berg

North Rhine-Westphalia · Germany

Distance
5.4 km
/ 3.4 mi
Elevation gain
119 m
Typical duration
1 hr 19 min
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route

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
De Hamert - blauwDe Maasduinen4.0 km89 m59 minEasyApril to October
De Hamert - groenDe Maasduinen1.8 km40 m26 minEasyApril to October
De Hamert - roodDe Maasduinen5.2 km115 m1 hr 15 minEasyApril to October
De Hamert - witDe Maasduinen4.6 km101 m1 hr 6 minEasyApril to October
(W) Rund um WittenNorth Rhine-Westphalia57.3 km1,260 m15 hrExpertApril to October
(B) Rund um BochumNorth Rhine-Westphalia65.2 km1,434 m17 hrExpertApril to October
(H) Rund um HattingenNorth Rhine-Westphalia62.2 km1,369 m16 hrExpertApril to October
(H) Rundweg HalverNorth Rhine-Westphalia54.6 km1,201 m14 hrExpertApril to October
(S) Rund um SchalksmühleNorth Rhine-Westphalia46.6 km1,025 m12 hrExpertApril to October
Rundwanderweg Krägeloher BergNorth Rhine-Westphalia5.4 km119 m1 hr 19 minEasyApril to October

If you only have time for one, start with De Hamert - wit, De Hamert - rood, De Hamert - blauw. 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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