The New Forest's Best Autumn Walks for Colour

If you are after proper autumn colour in the New Forest, the trees start to change in October, and by then the beech and oak canopies have turned copper and gold. Bolderwood is one of the best places to see it. The oaks and beeches stand out against the dark green holly, which is loaded with bright red berries. The area is also home to the Bolderwood Deer Sanctuary, with fallow, roe and red deer and a viewing platform. The rut runs from late September into October, so you may hear the males roaring and see them fighting with their antlers. For the best chance of spotting them, go at dawn or in the hour before sunset.

For a longer look at the trees, the Blackwater car park is a good starting point. It has space for about 50 cars, along with toilets and picnic tables, so an early start will help you get a space. From there, the Tall Trees Trail is a circular walk of about 1.4 to 1.5 miles, which takes roughly an hour on a flat, gravelled path. It takes you past conifers planted in the 1850s, some of the oldest Douglas firs in Britain and two enormous redwoods. The Blackwater Arboretum, which includes more than 100 tree species from around the world, runs alongside it, and Rhinefield Ornamental Drive nearby is known for its redwoods, mixed conifers, oak and beech, and its photo spots.

If you prefer a single tree to a whole woodland, Knightwood Oak is worth the detour. It is an ancient pedunculate oak, estimated at 500 to 600 years old, with a girth of 7.4 metres, and it is known locally as the Queen of the New Forest. You will find it about 2.4 miles west-south-west of Lyndhurst, just north of the A35 (postcode SO43 7GR). A fence protects its roots and a gravel path leads around it. Those who prefer water views might head to the Beaulieu River instead. It is a privately owned tidal estuary, and its quiet banks make for a relaxed walk close to Beaulieu Palace and its car museum. Buckler's Hard, a riverside village with Georgian architecture, is a short distance away. Fritham, with its mix of open heath and forest edge, is another option, though deer sightings there are less certain than at Bolderwood.

If you would rather walk with a guide, the New Forest Walking and Cycling Festival, organised by the New Forest National Park Association, runs for about two weeks from Saturday 17 October 2026, with more than 70 guided routes. Some of the walks suited to autumn include a tree identification walk with the New Forest National Park Authority's tree team on 22 October, a Tall Trees and Arboretum walk with Forestry England on 20 October, an 11-mile circular from Shatterford on 18 October, and a 7-mile walk on Setley Ridge on 23 October, which has an optional lunch afterwards. Photographers often find that October to early November is when the colours are at their best, so the festival's timing fits well with that window. You can find full details on the New Forest's own autumn pages.