Do your kids love Julia Donaldson books? If so, they (and you) may be excited to hear there’s a new Stick Man Trail at Haldon Forest Park near Exeter in Devon.
Haldon Forest is one of 26 Forestry England sites around the country where you can find the activity trail. It is the latest chapter the successful partnership between Forestry England and Magic Light Pictures, bringing Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s beloved characters to life in natural settings.
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What to expect on the new Stick Man Trail

Specially designed for families with young children, the new trail allows you to follow Stick Man on his journey back to the family tree.
Follow the route of Haldon Forest’s Discovery Trail, to discover interactive activity panels and hands-on experiences, from building with sticks to learning about forest wildlife, birds, and nests.
How long is the Stick Man 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 Stick Man trail pack cost?


You can follow the trail and look at the activity boards for free, but for some extra activities there’s a Stick Man 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 pack includes:
- a paper bag to colour
- a Stick Man lanyard
- adventure stamp stickers
- adventure passport cards
- a pencil and crayon
- a pipe cleaner to make your own Stick Man.
What’s happened to the Gruffalo Trail?

The Gruffalo Party Trail finished at the start of January 2025, but you can still pick up a Gruffalo Orienteering map to complete while walking the Discovery Trail that the Stick Man trial follows.
This costs £1.50 and is available from the Info Pod.
You can also hire a Forest Activity Bag with tools to help you find out more about the forest and what lives there for £5. This must be returned to the Info Pod but you get a goodie bag to take home.
And if you have a dog looking for a longer romp through the woods then check out Haldon Forest’s Wallace & Gromit activity trail.

Where is Haldon Forest Park?
Find the car park where you start the Stick Man Activity Trail at: Bullers Hill, Kennford, Exeter EX6 7XR.
Parking at Haldon Forest
Parking costs £5 for up to two hours, £6.50 for up to four hours and £9 all day. These prices apply all day every day.
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 £45 per year, which includes parking.
Find out more about visiting Haldon Forest.
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