Do your kids love Julia Donaldson books? If so, they (and you) may be excited to hear there’s a new Gruffalo Trail at Haldon Forest Park near Exeter in Devon.
Haldon Forest is one of 20 Forestry England sites around the country where you can find the activity trail marking 25 years of this award-winning book.
The Gruffalo Party Trail is the latest partnership between Forestry England and Magic Light Pictures following on from the Zog, Highway Rat, Stickman and Superworm trails you might have enjoyed in recent years.
The new trail launched on 24 January 2024.
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What to expect on the new Gruffalo Trail
Haldon Forest already as a Gruffalo Orienteering activity sheet that you can buy for £1.50. The Party Trail is completely new.
As part of the new adventure, families work together to search for missing party items while enjoying fun and games along the trail. And of course there will be an educational twist with information about the intricate ways plants and animals look after each other.
Follow the route of Haldon Forest’s Discovery Trail and find five activity boards, two of which have interactive elements, and 15 smaller panels in which you can find missing party essentials.
There’s also five rubbing stations along the trail.
How long is the Gruffalo trail at Haldon Forest?
The Discovery Trail at Haldon Forest is 1.5 mile long and is mostly flat. The path is suitable for pushchairs but there are often puddles after rain. Wellington boots are recommended.
Be aware that you have to cross a road twice and the trail is also used by cyclists.
The walk and activities should keep your kids entertained for around an hour.
How much does the Gruffalo trail pack cost?
You can follow the trail for free and there are free activity sheets to download on the Forestry England website.
But for some extra activities there’s a Gruffalo trail pack. This is available to buy for £4 from Haldon Forest’s Info Pod (open from 10am to 4pm daily) by the car park.
The activity pack includes:
- a party headband
- an activity leaflet
- stickers
- pencils and crayons
- and a woven Gruffalo sew-on patch.
Where is Haldon Forest Park?
Find the car park where you start the Gruffalo Trail at: Bullers Hill, Kennford, Exeter EX6 7XR.
Parking at Haldon Forest
At the weekends and in school holidays, parking costs £4 for up to two hours, £6 for up to four hours and £8 all day. There are reduced prices for parking on week days in term time.
Download and use the Ringo app for contactless payment. There is a small additional fee for parking notifications but you can turn these off in your app.
Alternatively, if you visit regularly, you can buy membership for £42 per year, which includes parking.
Find out more about visiting Haldon Forest.
Looking for more thing to do near Exeter? Check out these posts:
- Things to do in and near Exeter
- Places to visit in South Devon
- Things to do on Dartmoor with kids
- Easy Dartmoor walks to try with kids
More places to find the Gruffalo Trail in the South West
Here’s the other Forestry England sites in South West England where you can find the Gruffalo sculptures or trail:
- Cardinham Woods, Cornwall – Gruffalo sculptures
- Moors Valley Country Park, Dorset – Gruffalo sculptures and trail
- Westonbirt Arboretum, Gloucestershire – Gruffalo sculptures and trail
- Beechenhurst, Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire – Gruffalo sculptures and trail
Here’s the full list of 20 Forestry England sites that have the new Gruffalo Trail.
Looking for more free, cheap and special days out in Devon? Check out my free guide.