The Best Dog Walks In Essex
Here we have listed some great country park, woodland and waterside walks that we think will be perfect for any dog that wants to explore Essex!
Cherry Orchard
6 Cherry Orchard Way, Rochford SS4 1GP
Cherry Orchard Country Park is ideal for dogs of any kind! With their massive grounds reaching up to 200 acres. The grassland, woodland and lake offer plenty of wonderful trails to follow and explore. Your dogs are bound to burn off a lot of energy as they frolic through these exciting grounds! You can bring older dogs or younger dogs and this may even be the ideal place to let your puppy off for the first time with some slightly fenced-in areas that are perfect for practising recall. This country park is also filled with plenty of species that you may have never even discovered before! See if you can spot any of these when you visit. Birds that can be spotted at the park include Skylark, Fieldfare and the Grey Partridge. Find beautiful trees and learn about each type of tree including Oak, Ash and Hornbeam trees. The car park is also free to use on weekends!
Be sure to check out our TikTok from when we visited Orchard Forest ourselves!
Epping Forest
19 Station Approach, Theydon Bois, Epping CM16 7HR
Epping forest is very well known for being a brilliant place to walk the dogs. This huge woodland provides plenty of exciting paths for you and your furry friends to discover. Each trip you are bound to find a brand new route that will lead you to somewhere completely new. The forest is truly enchanting and you will feel almost as if you have walked straight into a fairytale. There are also ponds waiting to be found in between the trees where your pups can enjoy splashing around! One of the trails called the Oak Trail starts at Theydon Bois Station, which means if you do not drive there is no need to worry!
Two Tree Island
Belton Way (by Leigh-on-sea train station) Leigh on Sea, Essex, SS9 2GB
Two Tree was originally used for farming after being reclaimed from the sea. It has now become a nature reserve and is a perfect spot to walk your dog. You will be able to find plenty of wildlife around this nature reserve although they may be hiding at the time you will still be able to spot their habitats. Due to it being coastal you can look out onto the calming water as you sit on benches that have been placed strategically to capture wonderful views and to immerse you in the sounds of nature. You can also bring a packed lunch down with you which you can enjoy at one of the picnic areas. They also have a free car park that holds 30 cars and plenty of walking trails.
Mersea
East Mersea, Colchester, Essex, CO5 8UE
This island is considered small but is definitely worth the visit. It is filled with adventure and life. Including country parks, restaurants, holiday parks and pubs! Cudmore country park is perfect for a dog walk with is large amount of grassland and lovely sandy beach that your dog will love frolicking across!
Hockley Woods
SS5 4RN
Hockley woods is the largest area remaining from the wildwood. The wildwood spread across Essex during the Ice Age which took place over 10,000 years ago. With plenty of space to explore there are two trails that you can follow on your dog walk. One is blue and the other is yellow, the blue trail is longer than the yellow. On weekends the parking is free which is always a bonus and within the woods at the end and beginning of both trails is a pub called The Bull. Perfect to visit after a long walk for a quick drink or to grab a bite to eat. The pub is fully dog-friendly so your furry friends can join you for a well-deserved rest too!
We also visited Hockley Woods with the dogs too, check it out below!
