Plan your visit to Sherwood Forest

There are so many adventures waiting to be had, and every trail will offer up a little magic…that’s why many visitors go their own way, with something suitable for all ages, abilities and interests, from fungi to fauna.

And there’s lots going on, as you’ll discover on our Events page. Time your visit to take in a Robin Hood-themed guided tour or walk or even learn some archery skills.

You could learn more about the the work we’re doing to manage and sustain the forest, the site’s history, or may be something about the magnificent Major Oak!

The historic village of Edwinstowe is a short walk away, and the Sherwood Forest Art and Craft centre just opposite our Visitor Centre has lots of brilliant independent shops selling a range of distinctive and intriguing products.

Walk around the village and you’ll uncover other places which also play a part in the story of Sherwood, such as the nearby St Mary’s Church, which is said to be where Robin and Marian were married.

We are totally committed to caring for Sherwood Forest – and hope you’ll help us to do this too during your visit.

Fires, BBQs and Camping

Camp fires, barbecues and camping are strictly not allowed anywhere in the forest at any time of year. Not only is this a threat to the incredible ancient trees and wonderful wildlife of Sherwood Forest and Budby South Forest, but also to soil-dwelling invertebrates and other vital organisms under the ground.

Cycling and horse riding

Please respect other users at all times.  Cyclists and horse-riders should remain on public bridleways. There are clear signs to direct you in the forest, and to inform you of where it is prohibited to ride. Please note that the approach to the Major Oak is not part of the bridleway network and will be busy with pedestrians.

Our bespoke sculpted forest bicycle racks are in the amphitheatre area, so cyclists can secure their bike and enjoy a refreshing drink or delicious snack while close by, just a few yards from the bridleway routes.

Foraging

Removing fungi or any other kind of foraging activity is not permitted. The forest is within a Site of Special Scientific Interest and removing any plant or fungus is an offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act.

Litter and Smoking

There are bins provided for your rubbish, but we would prefer it you could please bag it up and take it home with you. Smoking is not permitted around the Visitor Centre and playpark. Please dispose of your cigarette butts appropriately.

Drones

Flying drones is not permitted within the Site of Special Scientific Interest area, as it has the potential to damage Sherwood’s fragile ancient oaks and disturb the flight paths of birds above Sherwood and Budby South Forest. Drones should also not be flown anywhere within 50 metres of other people.

You can request permission to fly a drone for professional purposes, e.g. filming, by emailing us at sherwoodforest@rspb.org.uk but this must also be approved by Natural England, the government’s advisory body for the environment. This process can take several weeks, so please contact us in good time if you wish to film here using a drone.

You will be expected to provide evidence of your competence to fly, such as a Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) permit or overseas equivalent.

Visit the CAA website for more information on where you can and can’t fly drones – there is a section about SSSIs.

Metal detecting

As this is a legally-protected Site of Special Scientific Interest, the soil cannot be disturbed without the consent of Natural England. The reserve is also a former military training area and there is a risk of disturbing historical unexploded ordnance. Therefore, metal detecting is strictly not permitted.

Follow the Countryside Code

The Countryside Code also has lots of other great advice about how to help protect the special landscape we have at Sherwood Forest.

You can walk your dog at Sherwood at any time of day.  For out-of-hours parking, please see our Parking page.

Please keep your dog on a lead around the Visitor Centre and under close control at all times. Well-behaved dogs are permitted in the cafe and dog bowls with water are provided in the amphitheatre and Welcome areas.

All dogs will need to be on leads in some areas of the forest to protect ground-nesting birds, or where we have cattle or sheep grazing. Please look out for signs telling you where these areas are.

If your dog is not on a lead when out on the trails in areas where it is not requested, please make sure it is within sight and recall distance.

Ensure you clean up after to your dog. Bag any waste and place it in the dog bins provided at the entrances to the forest.

You may know how your dog behaves when out with you, but others will not.

Be respectful of other visitors and their dogs, and ideally put your dog on a lead where there may be the risk of encountering other animals, especially Sherwood’s vulnerable feeding and nesting wildlife.

Ticks

Please be aware that there are ticks in the forest throughout the year and at higher levels during the spring and autumn months.

They are part of the natural environment and have become far more prevalent in recent years in response to changes in climate.

If you are walking your dog in the reserve, we recommend that you keep to the paths and discourage your dog from exploring the undergrowth, as they are then less likely to be troubled by them.

However, please do always check your dog and yourself for ticks following a visit.

Please note that dogs should be kept on leads where indicated, or within sight and recall, during the spring and summer months in order to protect our ground-nesting birds.

On Open Access Land at Budby South Forest, dogs should by law be kept on leads within fenced areas of the heath between 1 March and 31^st August.

Keeping your dog on a lead will also reduce the likelihood of your pet exploring areas of dense vegetation where ticks may be more concentrated.

The Kennel Club website has a page with advice about ticks and dogs which you can access here.

Please wear appropriate clothing when walking in the forest, such as long trousers, particularly if you leave the main trails.

There are detailed tick awareness notices on display around the reserve and the visitor centre. You can find the latest advice from the UK Health Security Agency here.

There is also information from the NHS website here.

A small number of naturists have been infrequently walking in the wider Sherwood Forest landscape for several decades.

This includes at Budby South Forest and adjacent land managed by Forestry England, as well as parts of the nearby Thoresby and Welbeck Estates and the Public Right of Way network across the landscape.

Naturism on RSPB Reserves Policy

The reserves are located around 20 miles north of the city of Nottingham and within easy distance of both the M1 and A1.

Heading from the south via the M1, take junction 29 and then the A617 to Mansfield. Follow signs for Mansfield Woodhouse, where you can join the A6075 which takes you directly to Edwinstowe.

From the north via the M1, exit at junction 30 and join the A616 heading towards Newark, following it until you see the signs for Sherwood Forest Visitor Centre.

From the A1, exit at Tuxford and follow the A6075 to Edwinstowe, via Ollerton.

Plan your journey

If you have an electric vehicle, this map shows where you can find charging points in the local area.

Please note that our main car park is accessed from the B6034 Swinecote Road and not from Forest Corner.

You may use the turning circle outside the Visitor Centre to return to Swinecote Road, but this is strictly a no stopping area.

Click here for full parking information.

If you do have accessibility needs, you can park your vehicle in the accessible car park which is right next to the Visitor Centre building in Forest Corner (Postcode NG21 9RN).

Read about our accessible and Changing Places facilities here

The Stagecoach Sherwood Arrow bus service runs hourly from Victoria bus station in Nottingham and stops outside the Visitor Centre.

The direct journey takes around an hour. For up to date timetable information check here

For the route map showing all the stops where you can pick up the service, click here.

The nearest train stations are at Shirebrook (6 miles), Mansfield Woodhouse (6.5 miles) and Mansfield (7 miles).  These are all served by the Robin Hood line, operated by East Midlands Railway and you can find timetables here www.eastmidlandrailway.co.uk

If you are planning to stay for longer in the area, the Newark and Sherwood tourism website has listings of self-catering, hotel and B&B options.

If camping or caravanning is your thing, try the campsites.co.uk listings page, which has more than 30 places to stay near here on its website.

Please note that camping is strictly not allowed within the reserve.