The best viewpoints in the New Forest National Park

The best viewpoints in the New Forest National Park

We reveal the best viewing spots in Hampshire's New Forest National Park, perhaps Britain's most underrated park

We recently spent a few days exploring the New Forest and discovering the best New Forest cycling routes. Despite the bad weather during our trip (welcome to England!) we managed to find some great views along the way; Views that are undoubtedly incredible on a summer day with blue skies and sunshine.

The New Forest was founded in 2005 and is the second youngest national park in the UK. It may lack the dramatic lakes and peaks of its more famous counterparts, but its extensive heathlands, picturesque forests and 3,000 wild ponies make the park a worthy outdoor destination.

Unfortunately, despite our late spring visit, England's unpredictable weather made the landscape a bit of a challenge. Not to be frustrated, we tried our best to find the best viewing spots in New Forest National Park.

The best viewpoints in the New Forest National Park

We have plotted the viewpoints on the Google map below and added the GPS coordinates to help you navigate to the access points. The New Forest is flatter in the southern parts of the park, so most viewing points are found in the harsher northwest. All of the viewpoints we list have free parking and easy access to hiking and biking trails.

1. Burley parking lot

GPS coordinates: 50°49’29.4″N 1°41’50.1″W

alt="Best viewpoints in New Forest National Park Burley">Atlas & BootsA wild pony grazes near the Burley parking lot

2. Castle Hill Alley

GPS coordinates: 50°49’42.9″N 1°43’01.1″W

alt="Best-Viewpoints-in-New-Forest-National-Park">Atlas & BootsThe view from Castle Hill Lane near the village of Burley

3. Picket parking lot

GPS coordinates: 50°51’04.0″N 1°43’41.5″W

alt="Best-Viewpoints-in-New-Forest-National-Park-Picket-Post">Atlas & BootsThick clouds move across the sky over Picket Post

4. Acres Down parking lot

GPS coordinates: 50°53’10.8″N 1°37’15.5″W

alt="Best-Viewpoints-in-New-Forest-National-Park-Acres-Down-2″>Image: New Forest HolidaysAcres Down on a clear day (we are reliably informed that they exist!)

5. Wilverley Enclosure Car Park

GPS coordinates: 50°48’30.1″N 1°38’29.1″W

alt="Best-Viewpoints-in-New-Forest-National-Park-Wilverley-Inclosure">Atlas & BootsThe tall coniferous forest at Wilverley Inclosure

6. Deadman's Hill

GPS coordinates: 50°56’55.2″N 1°43’34.0″W

alt="Best-Viewpoints-in-New-Forest-National-Park-Deadman-Hill">Atlas & BootsDeadman Hill offers wide and expansive views over the New Forest heathland

7. Ashley Way

GPS coordinates: 50°56’23.0″N 1°44’10.9″W

alt=”Best viewpoints in the New Forest National Park Ashley Walk”>Atlas & BootsAshley Walk offers excellent access to hiking trails

8. Godshill cricket ground

GPS coordinates: 50°56’05.0″N 1°44’35.4″W

alt="best-viewpoints-in-the-new-forest-national-park-godshill-cricket">Atlas & BootsWalk around the cricket pitch to look over the valley where Ditchend Brook runs

9. Godshill Inclusion

GPS coordinates: 50°56’35.7″N 1°45’00.4″W

alt="Best-Viewpoints-in-New-Forest-National-Park-Godshill-Inclosure">Atlas & BootsWe didn't get past this beautiful horse before the sky opened and we took cover!

10. Castle Hill

GPS coordinates: 50°56’57.5″N 1°45’30.1″W

alt="Best viewpoints in the New Forest National Park Castle Hill">Atlas & BootsThe view across the River Avon in Hampshire from Castle Hill (not to be confused with Castle Hill Lane near Burley)

Best Viewpoints in the New Forest National Park: The Essentials

What: Explore the best viewing spots in the New Forest National Park.

Where: We stayed at the charming Wayside Cottage, run by the even more charming Trish and Ian. The cottage has six delightful rooms, all with WiFi, flat screen TVs, private bathrooms, super comfortable beds and large windows that let in lots of light. The holiday home also has free on-site parking. A delicious (and extensive) breakfast is served in the elegant dining room each morning, and tea, coffee and homemade cakes are available in the lounge during your stay.

When the weather is nice, it's worth taking advantage of the cottage's grounds, which are surrounded by beautiful purple wisteria. Take time to chat with Trish and Ian, who have led a fascinating life as a chef (Trish) and airline pilot (Ian) in Zimbabwe.

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Atlas & Boots

When: As we know, good weather is never guaranteed in England, but June to August is without a doubt the driest and warmest time of the year. However, it is also high season and availability could be an issue, particularly during the school holidays from late July to August. With this in mind, the shoulder seasons (April to May and September to October) are also a good time to explore the New Forest.

How: We rented bikes from Forest Leisure Cycling Center who have a fleet of bikes including tandems, children's and electric bikes, and bike trailers for dogs and children. The prices below are for 24 hours and include helmets, backpack, pump, lock, tool kit and a mobile replacement mechanic. See their website for additional equipment, prices and discounts.

They also carry local guidebooks and detailed maps (also available on their online store).

The national park is free to visit and there is tons of free parking throughout the park with access to hundreds of miles of hiking and biking trails.

South West Trains run from London Waterloo to several major stations near the New Forest including Portsmouth, Southampton, Bournemouth and Poole. Travel times are usually between 1-2.5 hours. Other stations within the park include Ashurst, Beaulieu Road, Brockenhurst, Hinton Admiral, Lymington, New Milton, Sway and Totton.

National Express offers a number of services from London and the south of England, stopping at Lyndhurst, Lymington and Ringwood, as well as other stops in the New Forest.

We were in France at the time, so we took a ferry from St Malo in France to Portsmouth in the UK, the closest cross-Channel port to the New Forest, 50km (30 miles) and 65km (40 miles) from Burley. Brittany Ferries operates a route between St Malo and Portsmouth.

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Lonely Planet England is a comprehensive travel guide to England, including the New Forest National Park, ideal for those who want to both explore the main attractions and take the road less traveled.

New Forest OS Explorer Map is the most detailed and easy to read map at 1:25,000 scale. It contains tourist information points, popular attractions, viewpoints, points of interest and rights of way information.

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