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The MTB Enduro Trail at the Waterschei spoil heap is a popular mountain biking location for experienced riders in Genk, Limburg, Belgium. The spoil heap, a former mining site reminiscent of the region's coal mining past, has been transformed in recent years into a legal trail center with a network of singletrack, technical descents, and challenging sections that appeal to enduro and mountain bike enthusiasts. The trails on the spoil heap are not officially marked as a fixed route, but together form an informal and technical ride over the uneven terrain of the artificial hill. Because the spoil heap offers steep slopes, turns, rooty trails, and loose surfaces, riding requires good cycling and display technique, as well as some off-road mountain biking experience. The local group Genkertrails is working to maintain and legalize the trails, and the area is increasingly recognized as a structural trail center for mountain biking skills. Many riders combine rides on the Waterschei spoil heap with surrounding routes and trails in the Hoge Kempen National Park, making the terrain part of larger mountain bike tours in the region. For example, popular GPS tracks and routes that follow the slag heap are often challenging and technical, with shorter sections featuring sharp turns and singletrack on steep terrain. Some riders have reported that these sections are particularly challenging in wet weather. Examples of combination routes that partially traverse the slag heap include long mountain bike outings (such as a 40 km route via singletrack in the area) with elevation changes of around 150 meters, which is quite significant for Flanders and provides a real challenge on your fully-loaded or hardtail bike. It's important to note that while the topographical conditions are suitable for enduro riding, some trails in the area are also protected nature reserves (such as parts of the Klaverberg Nature Reserve and Hoge Kempen), and that respecting local rules and ecological restrictions is essential. Riders are advised to stay on designated trails only. In practice, this means that on the Waterschei slag heap, you'll find a mix of technical sections, steep descents, and challenging singletrack, especially suitable for advanced mountain bikers or riders experienced with enduro-style trails. At the same time, the area is an excellent training ground for honing skills like cornering speed and balance before visiting larger enduro bike parks or mountain areas.

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On the outskirts of Genk lies Thor Park, a unique place where natural heritage and technology converge. This former mining site has been transformed into one of the official gateways to the Hoge Kempen National Park, and you can feel it from the moment you enter. Here begins a landscape that has been constantly evolving: from industrial worksites to vast nature reserves where tranquil heathland and forests once again take center stage. Numerous walks depart from the park, taking you deeper into nature. The Klaverberg, a green slag heap towering above the landscape, offers expansive views of Genk and the surrounding forests. The Heiderbos welcomes you with open pine forests, soft moss, and heather vegetation that glows purple in summer. Even lower in the landscape lies the Thorpark Valley, a serene depression where water zones, young plants and birds, are slowly taking their place. Boardwalks lead you past heathland fens and wetlands so characteristic of the Hoge Kempen: quiet, fragile, and beautiful. It's an area built on the remains of vanished industry—a landscape that now speaks of restoration, resilience, and the power of nature. Yet, Thor Park is more than just nature today. It's also a breeding ground for the future. Where miners once dug down shafts, they're now working on solutions for tomorrow. Here you'll find EnergyVille, the research center for sustainable energy and smart energy systems. The site also boasts several modern business incubators and campuses where technology, design, and innovation reinforce each other. This tension between past and future—between old mining structures and sleek modern buildings—gives Thor Park its unique character. It feels like walking through a place that's constantly reinventing itself. Dotted between the buildings are paths and open spaces, artworks that perfectly complement the story of Thor Park. "Courteous Bow" and "Greeting" are beautiful examples: wooden sculptures that gently evoke human interaction and encounters in the heart of an environment that once revolved around labor and industry. They add a touch of poetry to the landscape. Thor Park is much more than a starting point: it's a place where nature embraces the past and where innovation shapes the future. An area where every walk brings a piece of history, a view, restoration, and tranquility, and where you enter the Hoge Kempen region with the feeling that the landscape has been waiting for you for centuries.

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https://www.nationaalparkhogekempen.be/nl/thorpark "Thorpark is a 10 km² area behind the former Waterschei mine and has been part of the national park since 2018. Here you'll find everything the Hoge Kempen has to offer: mining mountains surrounded by heath and pine forests, a beautiful stream valley, juniper berries, and inland dunes. A few striking buildings add a touch of character to the landscape: the As Children's Colony and the Waterschei Coal Mine (Thor Central). If you'd like to see what the UNESCO candidacy is all about, you'll find a nice taste here. You can already take a long walk there, but there's no entrance gate yet, as is familiar to the other gates. Thor Central will serve as a gateway in the future. Now you can visit this building, which serves as an event center, without obligation, take a guided tour, or enjoy a snack or a drink in beautiful historic surroundings. Thor Central is also the vibrant Heart of a growing business and science park where technology, research, energy and innovation are at the heart."

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Beautifully maintained park. Quiet and secluded so you can fully enjoy it.

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Technical trail! Great for practicing whether you ride XC or enduro. Beautiful views!

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There is now also a mammoth skeleton in De Kuil. Don't believe it? Read more here: https://www.zonhoven.be/rendierjagerspad De Kuil has indeed been included - and successfully - in the new Reindeer Hunters' Trail. Be sure to walk around there too, new benches, information boards and fun things that refer to prehistoric times. And if you want to see the cross-country skiers at work, you should definitely also check out the grass areas behind the pit where sometimes a runner goes up high via one of the ski jumps.

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The Thorpark is a 10 km² area behind the former Waterschei mine. The area has so many qualities that it will become part of the national park. Here you will find everything that the Hoge Kempen has to offer: mining stone mountains in the middle of heather and pine forests, a beautiful stream valley, juniper berries and sand dunes. A few striking buildings break up the landscape: the As children's colony and the Waterschei mine (Thor Central). Source: https://www.nationaalparkhogekempen.be/de/tor/thorpark

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wonderful place to train.

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