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You are here: Home > Visitor Info > Caring for the Forest
The New Forest is a great place to visit for walking, dog walking, cycling and horse riding for everyone. When you’re out in the forest and are enjoying the beautiful surroundings and the rich wildlife, please help us to care for this very special place.
Ponies, donkeys, cattle, pigs & sheep: For their safety and your own please keep your distance from grazing animals, especially mothers and their young. Although owned and cared for by local people called commoners, they are unpredictable and best treated as wild. Please don’t feed or pet them; there is plenty of natural food and it’s best that they don’t come to rely on people’s attention. They may look friendly but they can bite and kick, especially ponies with foals.
Dogs: To minimise disturbance to wildlife, livestock and other people, please keep your dogs under close control - if necessary use a lead. Pick up after your dog, especially around car parks, on paths and where people play or picnic, and take bagged waste home if there is no litter bin.
Birds: To help ground-nesting birds rear their young safely, keep yourself, dogs and horses on the main tracks from the beginning of March to the end of July.
Litter: Your food and litter could harm the ponies and donkeys. Please take your litter home if bins are full.
Driving: The ponies and other animals have no road sense and frequently stand or walk on the unfenced roads, so give them (and walkers, cyclists and horse-riders) a wide berth and be especially careful when driving at night.
Parking: To avoid damage and obstruction, please park only in designated car parks, not on a verge or in gateways. Lock your car, taking any valuables with you and leave Forestry Commission car parks by dusk.
Barbeques & fires: To reduce the risk of damaging wildfires, campfires are not allowed without the landowner’s permission. Disposable BBQs are only permitted at Bolderwood, Blackwater and Wilverley, where stands and water are available. Raised non-disposable BBQs are allowed on the hard-standing areas of car parks, providing water is available and they are fully extinguished after use. You can hire fixed stand party-sized BBQs from the Forestry Commission (call 0300 067 4601) and from Hampshire County Council at Lepe Country Park (hants.gov.uk/lepe or call 023 8089 9108 in advance). In extreme weather conditions check the Forestry Commission website for updated guidance on using BBQs in the New Forest.
Fungi: Please leave fungi for other people to enjoy. Fungi are essential to the New Forest’s internationally protected ecosystem. Foray leaders must apply for permission for educational excursions from the Forestry Commission in advance. If you suspect or see commercial picking please call the Forestry Commission on 0300 067 4600 or the National Trust on 01425 650035.
Cycling: Cycling is allowed only on the waymarked tracks and other designated routes. When approaching people and animals, call out a warning to make yourself noticed and pass slowly and wide. Try to leave gaps for overtaking vehicles and never ride more than two abreast. Keep to a safe speed, wear bright colours to be visible and always use lights in the dark.
Horse riding: Horse riders have open access to the New Forest, but to reduce damage to the ground please use tracks when it’s wet.
Camping in the New Forest: Please note that camping in the wild and overnight parking is not allowed. There are 10 campsites in the New Forest run by Camping in the Forest, and a number of private sites.
Ticks: Check your dog and yourself for ticks when you get back home – they can lead to Lyme Disease. Ticks tend to live in places with damp vegetation and lots of small animals and birds (that they can feed on). Just be smart and aware when you are out and about in the forest, keep your arms and legs covered when walking in woodland and similar places, check for ticks regularly when you are out and afterwards and you can even use insect repellents containing chemicals called DEET or Picaridine. If you find a tick attached, remove it quickly and in the proper way (with a tick remover - do not try to pull it out with your fingers, burn it, scrape it off, or cut it out - you need to ensure that you remove the whole tick).
Forest management: Stay safe by taking note of warning signs and keeping away from work sites and vehicles.
Unidentified objects: Areas of the New Forest were used to test bombs in World War I and II. Please keep away from objects that might be dangerous and notify the police immediately on 999.
Buy Local: If you like fresh, locally distinctive free range and organic produce then look out for Local Produce, especially the New Forest Marque! You will be helping to support small and unique forest businesses, reducing food miles and be enjoying the best locally produced food and drink around. Visit New Forest Producers Markets for food, drink and crafts and take home a flavour of the New Forest.
Give your car a break: 100 miles of off-road cycle tracks, great walks, and good public transport services, means you don't need to bring your car at all. Numerous New Forest businesses are also offering discounts and incentives for leaving your car at home, so get out there! Have fun, get fit and give your car a break. Please keep to the tracks when cycling on the open forest.
New Forest Animal Emergency Hotlines: If you find yourself in an unforeseen circumstance where you need to report an accident/injured animal please use the contacts below:
© Go New Forest 2020. All Rights Reserved
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