Salcey Forest
Enjoy peaceful cycling and walking trails in this popular forest in Northamptonshire. For cyclists there is a lovely, family cycle trail starting at the car park. It's a gentle circuit of the forest on surfaced paths but with a couple of road crossings to look out for.
Walkers can enjoy three waymarked routes of varying lengths. The easy Elephant walk takes you past Elephant pond. For a longer walk you could try the 10km (6 mile) Woodpecker trail where you can look out for all three British species of woodpecker - the lesser spotted, greater spotted, and green.
The forest has good facilities with parking spaces and a very good cafe. It is located about 7 miles south of Northampton.
Several long distance cycling and walking trails run through or past the forest so it's easy to continue your exercise in the area. You could pick up the Hanslope Circular Ride, The Swan's Way or the Midshires Way to extend your outing.
Postcode
NN7 2HX - Please note: Postcode may be approximate for some rural locationsSalcey Forest Ordnance Survey Map 
- view and print off detailed OS map
Salcey Forest Open Street Map 
- view and print off detailed map
Salcey Forest OS Map 
- Mobile GPS OS Map with Location tracking
Salcey Forest Open Street Map 
- Mobile GPS Map with Location tracking
Pubs/Cafes
The Grounds Salcey cafe is located right in the forest. They do a good range of meals and have seating indoor and out. You can find it on Wootton Road, at postcode NN7 2HX for your sat navs. A five mile family cycle route also starts just behind the cafe.
Dog Walking
The expansive forest is an excellent place for a dog walk so you'll probably see plenty of other dogs on your visit. The Grounds Cafe mentioned above is also dog friendly.
Further Information and Other Local Ideas
The Milton Keynes Boundary Walk skirts the southern edge of the forest. You could pick up the waymarked circular trail and follow it east to visit the market town of Olney. There's some nice trails here along the River Great Ouse and around Emberton Lakes.
A few miles to the north east there's the historic Castle Ashby to visit. Here you'll find a fine manor house surrounded by 35 acres of parkland including Italian Gardens, an Orangery, an Arboretum and a series of pretty ponds.
The Northamptonshire Round long distance circular walk passes through the forest. It takes you on a tour of the countryside and villages of the area.
For more walking ideas in the area see the Northamptonshire Walks page
Cycle Routes and Walking Routes Nearby
Photos
Ride into Salcey Forest. The forest is all access land which is situated between Northampton and Milton Keynes. The countryside of this part of Northamptonshire is an undeveloped green space which gives character to The Rose of the Shires. The horse-rider is encouraged to bring their animals to ride the many tracks like this one by the provision of horse-box friendly car parks.
"Elephant Pond" part of the elephant trail in the forest.
View of the Woodpecker Trail. The tall mauve flowers to the right of the trail are Rosebay Willow Herb. This trail is approximately 6 miles in length and is the longest on offer in the forest.
Car Park on Swan's Way. A popular car park for walkers, riders and cyclists. The track leads deep into the forest on the less-busy southern side. The forest warden told me that in the evenings (at the right time of year) nightingales can be heard calling.
Beeches in the Forest in mid-spring
View of the walkway over the Elephant Pond