Autumn vacation is just around the corner, and that’s exactly the time to really open up the gravel season in the Netherlands: the forests are changing colors, the trails are still rideable, and it’s quieter everywhere than in the summer. You don’t have to travel far to get there. These seven routes are spread across the country, from the Gooi and the Zeeland coast to the Drenthe moors, and you can download all of them directly as GPX files.
1. The Gooi: Gooisch Gravel
104 km · approx. 160 hm · gravel · start Laren
Half an hour from Amsterdam lies one of the most beautiful gravel areas in the Netherlands. From Laren you drive through the meadows of the Gooi, through the forests of Lage Vuursche and past Hilversum and Naarden, and back via Huizen and Blaricum. Sand, meadows and wide forest paths: in autumn, when the meadows are still changing color and the forests turn yellow and red, it is at its most beautiful here.
→ View the route and download the GPX · More bicycles in North Holland
2. Utrecht Hills: Soesterberg Air Base
64 km · approx. 180 hm · gravel · start Soesterberg
Start at the old air base of Soesterberg, where the National Military Museum now stands, and drive over the Utrecht Hills via Woudenberg, Driebergen and Doorn to Leusden and the outskirts of Amersfoort. Sand paths, manor houses and forests, with just enough hills to make you feel like you’re climbing. An ideal autumn outing for half a day.
→ View the route and download the GPX · More bicycles in Utrecht
3. Utrecht Hills: Follow the Stigterpad
66.5 km · approx. 180 hm · gravel · starting station Driebergen-Zeist
Get off the train in Driebergen-Zeist and you’ll be riding on sandy paths between the estates and forests of the Heuvelrug within five minutes. With 66.5 kilometers and about 180 meters of elevation gain, this is the ideal autumn trail for those who don’t want to travel much but still want the feeling of “taking a break”.
→ View the route and download the GPX · More bicycles in Utrecht's Heuvelrug
4. Achterhoek: gravel from Landal De Weelderik
98.9 km · almost flat · gravel · start Landal De Weelderik
Almost one hundred kilometers of unpaved terrain through the hilly landscape of the Achterhoek, partly along the routes of Gravelrides.cc. The terrain is flat, but with wooden fences, dirt roads and manor houses, this is a real endurance race, and with Landal De Weelderik as a base, you can easily make it a weekend trip.
→ View the route and download the GPX · More bicycles in the Achterhoek
5. Nijmegen: all the peaks of the Reichswald
46.4 km · approx. 410 hm · gravel · start Groesbeek
Just across the border near Nijmegen lies the Reichswald, and this round covers all the official peaks that the forest has to offer. Over 400 meters in height in just under 50 kilometers: short, intense and at its best in October, when the beech forest turns colorful.
→ View the route and download the GPX · More bicycles in Gelderland
6. Zeeland-West Flanders: a salty gravel adventure
112.8 km · almost flat · gravel · start Sluis
Over 110 kilometers along dykes, polder roads and hedgerows between Sluis, the coast and the Belgian border. There are no height meters, but the sea wind makes West-Zeeuws-Vlaanderen a different journey every time, and along the way you immediately experience why this is the quietest corner of Zeeland.
→ View the route and download the GPX · More bicycles in Zeeland
7. Drenthe/Friesland: Hunerwoldstate – Fochteloërveen
47.7 km · virtually flat · gravel · start Landal Hunerwoldstate
From Landal Hunerwoldstate you drive through forests and meadows on the border between Drenthe and Friesland to the moorland of the Fochteloërveen. A quiet, flat round of almost 48 kilometers, and in autumn there is a good chance that you will hear cranes along the way.
→ View the route and download the GPX · More bicycles in Drenthe
Tips for your autumn run
Be prepared for mud after a rainy week, especially in the forests of the Heuvelrug and the Reichswald: wider tires (40 mm or more) make it a lot more fun. It gets dark earlier, so bring some lights and start on time. Are you riding one of these routes? Share your ride with Cycling Destination community.
Questions & tips
Do you have any questions about this route, or have you been there yourself? Share them here. We read everything and usually respond within a few days.