Nature Reserve Guide
Naturschutzgebiet Kirchheller Heide is a nature reserve located in Bottrop, Germany, offering a diverse landscape for outdoor activities. This protected area, part of the Hohe Mark Nature Park, features extensive deciduous and coniferous forests, heathlands, and several lakes and streams. The varied terrain provides a suitable environment for several sports like touring cycling, hiking, mountain biking, jogging, and more.
Exploring Naturschutzgebiet Kirchheller Heide offers a wide range of outdoor activities, with more than…
150
Routes
4.5
(3025)
Average rating
13711
People visited

4.7
(319)
1,039
riders
39.7km
02:28
160m
160m
Moderate bike ride. Good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.

4.5
(40)
133
riders
Easy bike ride. Great for any fitness level. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.

4.0
(32)
128
riders
29.0km
01:45
110m
110m
Easy bike ride. Great for any fitness level. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.

4.8
(28)
78
riders
43.3km
02:35
170m
170m
Hard bike ride. Good fitness required. You may need to push your bike for some segments of this route.
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4.7
(297)
988
hikers
8.67km
02:14
40m
40m
Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

4.7
(262)
1,457
hikers
3.24km
00:50
10m
10m
Easy hike. Great for any fitness level. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

4.6
(185)
857
hikers
Easy hike. Great for any fitness level. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

4.6
(195)
632
hikers
12.0km
03:04
50m
50m
Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.
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4.4
(34)
204
riders
Hard mountain bike ride. Great for any fitness level. Advanced riding skills necessary. Some portions of the route may require you to push your bike.

5.0
(3)
15
riders
Hard mountain bike ride. Great for any fitness level. Advanced riding skills necessary. Some portions of the route may require you to push your bike.

5.0
(5)
11
riders
Easy mountain bike ride. Great for any fitness level. Suitable for all skill levels.

4.3
(3)
12
riders
Hard mountain bike ride. Great for any fitness level. Advanced riding skills necessary. Some portions of the route may require you to push your bike.
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4.1
(29)
121
runners
3.09km
00:19
10m
10m
Easy run. Great for any fitness level. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.

3.3
(4)
66
runners
Moderate run. Good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.

3.7
(3)
53
runners
6.80km
00:42
30m
30m
Moderate run. Good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.

3.7
(3)
49
runners
Moderate run. Good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.
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4.7
(3)
62
riders
47.5km
02:28
180m
180m
Moderate road ride. Good fitness required. Some segments of this route may be unpaved and difficult to ride.

4.6
(5)
37
riders
39.6km
01:42
190m
190m
Moderate road ride. Great for any fitness level. Some segments of this route may be unpaved and difficult to ride.

2.0
(1)
59
riders
30.6km
01:13
110m
110m
Easy road ride. Great for any fitness level. Mostly well-paved surfaces and easy to ride.

5.0
(3)
21
riders
39.1km
01:35
160m
160m
Easy road ride. Great for any fitness level. Mostly well-paved surfaces and easy to ride.
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4.0
(4)
47
riders
49.2km
02:52
190m
190m
Hard gravel ride. Good fitness required. You may need to push your bike for some segments of this route.

4.8
(6)
35
riders
32.0km
01:40
90m
90m
Easy gravel ride. Great for any fitness level. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.

5.0
(2)
20
riders
47.0km
02:31
170m
170m
Hard gravel ride. Good fitness required. You may need to push your bike for some segments of this route.

4.8
(44)
102
riders
32.5km
01:41
110m
110m
Easy gravel ride. Great for any fitness level. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.
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Naturschutzgebiet Kirchheller Heide offers a variety of outdoor activities, including Touring cycling, Hiking, Mountain biking, Jogging, Road cycling, and Gravel biking. The reserve features approximately 100 kilometers of marked trails for exploration. Over 8,000 visitors have shared experiences on more than 90 routes, which have an average rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars.
A popular touring cycling route is the Rotbach Pathway – View of Rotbachsee loop, covering about 24.6 miles (39.7 km) with a moderate difficulty. Another option is the Pfingstsee – View of Heidesee (East Shore) loop, an easy route of approximately 14.3 miles (22.9 km). More options can be found in the Cycling in Naturschutzgebiet Kirchheller Heide guide.
The View of Heidesee – Heath lake loop is a highly-rated easy hike, approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) long. Another well-regarded option is the Pfingstsee (Whitsun Lake) – Rotbachtal Nature Trail loop, an easy route of about 4.1 miles (6.6 km). For more choices, consult the Hiking in Naturschutzgebiet Kirchheller Heide guide.
Yes, Naturschutzgebiet Kirchheller Heide offers mountain biking trails. The Totem Poles on Halde Haniel – Halde Haniel Mountain Arena loop is a difficult route of about 10.4 miles (16.7 km). An easy option is the Rotbach Lake – Hiesfelder Forest loop, approximately 11.6 miles (18.7 km). Further details are available in the MTB Trails in Naturschutzgebiet Kirchheller Heide guide.
Jogging routes are available, such as the View of the Heidesee – Heidesee loop, an easy 1.9-mile (3.1 km) route. A moderate option is the View over Heidesee – Bench with a view of Heidesee loop, approximately 5.1 miles (8.2 km) long. The Running Trails in Naturschutzgebiet Kirchheller Heide guide provides more information.
Yes, Naturschutzgebiet Kirchheller Heide offers several easy routes suitable for beginners and families. For hiking, the View of Heidesee – Heath lake loop is an easy 2-mile (3.2 km) trail. An easy touring cycling option is the Pfingstsee – View of Heidesee (East Shore) loop, about 14.3 miles (22.9 km). The Easy hikes in Naturschutzgebiet Kirchheller Heide guide lists more options.
The reserve features diverse landscapes including dense deciduous and coniferous forests, heathlands, and wetlands. Notable lakes include Heidesee, Heidhofsee, and Pfingstsee. Natural stream courses like the Spechtbach, Rotbach, and Schwarzbach also traverse the area. The Attractions in Naturschutzgebiet Kirchheller Heide guide highlights points of interest.
Naturschutzgebiet Kirchheller Heide is characterized by dense deciduous and coniferous forests. These include valuable old beech, oak, alder, and birch forests, particularly in the Fernewald and Köllnischer Wald areas. The management of the reserve actively works to increase natural deciduous forests.
The reserve has been under nature protection since 1926 and spans nearly 2,000 hectares. Unique soil and water conditions support diverse plant and animal life, including rare plants like sundew and peat moss in the Kletterpoth protected area. Subsidence lakes, formed by past hard coal mining, also contribute to unique ecosystems.
Komoot offers several guides for Naturschutzgebiet Kirchheller Heide, including Hiking, Cycling, MTB Trails, and Running Trails. There are also guides for Attractions, Lakes, and Natural Monuments.
Naturschutzgebiet Kirchheller Heide is a popular destination on komoot, with more than 8,000 visitors having explored its routes. The area features 98 routes across various sports, which collectively hold an average rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars from over 1,800 ratings. This indicates a high level of satisfaction among users.
Yes, road cycling routes are available in and around Naturschutzgebiet Kirchheller Heide. An example is the Hünxe Town Hall – Emstege Climb loop, a moderate route of about 29.5 miles (47.5 km). The Road Cycling Routes in Naturschutzgebiet Kirchheller Heide guide provides more options.
Gravel biking is an available activity in Naturschutzgebiet Kirchheller Heide. The HOAG Rail Trail – HOAG-Trasse loop is a moderate route of approximately 32.9 miles (52.9 km). An easy option is the Rotbach Trail – Rotbach Pathway loop, about 19.9 miles (32 km). More routes are listed in the Gravel biking in Naturschutzgebiet Kirchheller Heide guide.

