Wilderness Trail – four stages through Eifel National Park

This Collection follows the 85-kilometre (53-mi) Wilderness Trail through Eifel National Park. Divided into four stages, each between 18 and 25 kilometres (11-16 mi), it follows the wildcat waymarkers.

Look forward to challenging routes and memorable experiences, surrounded by nature. Swap your everyday life for rushing streams, fragrant flower meadows, deep forests and panoramic views over the wilderness of tomorrow. From Monschau-Höfen in the south to Hürtgenwald-Zerkall in the north, the Wilderness Trail showcases the scenic diversity of the 110-square-kilometre (68 sq mi) national park.

Our tip: If you book the Wilderness Trail as a package, you don't have to worry about organising transport or accommodation. Further information at: nationalpark-eifel.de/en/experience-national-park/wilderness-trail/the-package.

The starting point of the four-day Wilderness Trail is the Monschau-Höfen National Park Gate, which has a large hikers' car park and hikers' rest stop. Wilderness Trail hikers receive a discounted parking ticket at the National Park Gate, valid for a minimum stay of three days. Monschau-Höfen can be reached by bus line 84 or the Netliner call bus. At the end of the Wilderness Trail, in Hürtgenwald-Zerkall, take the Rurtalbahn to Düren and from there continue by train to Cologne, Euskirchen or Aachen. Further information on arriving by bus and train can be found at: nationalpark-eifel.de/en/arrival-accommodation/bus-train-or-car.

If you arrive by car and need to collect it at the end, bus and train services, as well as the reservable Trail Express call bus included in the package, will take you back to your starting point.

Please note, there are some important rules in Eifel National Park to help protect sensitive species: stay on the paths, keep dogs on a leash and don't leave any litter.

Eifel National Park, founded in 2004, is still considered a ‘development’ national park. Protected areas in this category must allow natural regeneration of at least three quarters of their area for 30 years – only then do they meet the international criteria of a national park. However, the national park motto "let nature be nature" already applies to more than half of the area, which means that humans are leaving nature to live by its own laws again. On the Wilderness Trail, you’ll experience exciting wilderness up close.

Explore the region:
As an alternative or supplement to a continuous four-day hike, you can explore the region on a ‘lazy’ day, visiting swimming pools, museums, historic towns and attractions such as the 2,000-square-metre (21,500 sq ft) barrier-free adventure exhibition ‘Wilderness Spaces’ in the National Park Centre.


ℹ Information and event tips are available at the national park gates along with tourist service areas and small national park exhibitions. Admission is free. Further information can be found at: nationalpark-eifel.de/en/information-offices-facilities.

Educational holidays on the Wilderness Trail:
Educational holidays to Eifel National Park are organised several times a year. Accompanied by two certified forest guides and supported by the Park Administration, these offer recognised vocational and political education over five days. More details are available from Rureifel-Tourismus at info@rureifel-tourismus.de or Tel.: +49 2446 80579 -0.

Further information:
Organisation and return transport: nationalpark-eifel.de/en/arrival-accommodation
The four stages: nationalpark-eifel.de/en/experience-national-park/wilderness-trail

Timetable information:
🚉 bahn.com/en
🚌 vrs.de/en/drive/timetable-service