Queen Elizabeth Country Park
Children will enjoy the woodland play area, the mini-wheels pump track and the assault course on this walk.
The new pump track near the visitor centre at Queen Elizabeth Country Park
The Basics
Time: 40 mins
Distance: 2.7 km
Terrain: Mainly flat and even woodland paths
Pushchairs: The outward track is great for pushchairs. The return track can get muddier in winter and can become more rutted.
Dogs: Yes, and they might like the dog agility course!
Refreshments: Juniper kiosk, café at the visitors centre, BBQ hire, picnics or even pizza oven hire!
Toilets: Yes
Public Transport: Stagecoach service 37 between Havant and Petersfield stops at the park (not Sundays)
Parking: Juniper car park, charges apply - summer is £5 for up to two hours, winter is £4 - number plate recognition (Postcode: PO8 0QE - W3W: organisms/digital/lost)
The assault course at Queen Elizabeth Country Park
There is plenty to do on a day out at Queen Elizabeth Country Park. Easily accessed from the A3, one side the park consists of wooded hillsides, perfect for walks and mountain biking. The other side comprises Butser Hill, a typical South Downs landscape. There are lots of possible walks you can do and we have chosen ours to start out beside the play area. Here you will also find picnic benches, toilets, bbqs for hire, woodland play area, snack kiosk (weekends and school holidays) and an assault course and dog agility course.
The Route
There are plenty of trails you can do here, but we like this one as it takes in all of the key features that children will enjoy and there are no steep paths.
From the Juniper car park at the top of the park, take the large, wide path heading north past the pizza oven area. The play area should be to your left and the pizza oven to your right. This path passes three more, often quieter picnic areas on the left (although no tables).
Keep going straight until you reach the end of War Down. Here there are glimpses of views over Petersfield through the trees, which tend to be clearer in winter when the trees are without leaves. Just as the view comes into sight, look out for the path on your right with a green cycle badge on a black post and a bench. After enjoying the view, take this path, going back in the direction of the car park.
This path will eventually re-join the original path just before you arrive back at the pizza oven/play area/kiosk. Look out on your left for an entrance through the trees to the assault course.
Juniper car park is home to the assault course, children’s play area, picnic area, snack kiosk, toilets, dog agility course, barbecues and pizza oven. It is the last stop on the drive up from the visitor centre.
Young bike riders will enjoy the new novice mountain bike tracks at Benham’s car park which you will see as you drive up the hill to Juniper car park. The smallest riders will find a mini wheels track beside the visitor centre. Expert riders will find a variety of downhill mountain bike trails - walkers watch out for the points where they cross the footpaths!
The wildlife pond can also be found the visitor centre as well as a café, toilets and shop.
Did you know?
The beech forest at Queen Elizabeth Country Park is relatively infant, having mostly been planted in the 1930s.
If you enjoyed this walk…
…try this one at Itchen Valley Country Park which has an equally brilliant woodland play areas and a café.
We are passionate about keeping The Ambling Path as a free resource available to everyone, forever. If you have enjoyed using our walking guides, then please consider leaving us a donation. This will help to cover our costs as well as rewarding the considerable time and effort needed to maintain the site. Thank you.
