3. New Forest Wildlife Park
The New Forest Wildlife Park is a great attraction in the New Forest. If you’re looking for a break from some of the walks, then a visit to the New Forest Wildlife Park is a great idea. It’s also a great option if you haven’t been lucky enough to spot many deer on your walks in the New Forest. The New Forest Wildlife Park has lots of deer that you can get really close to!
The deer were my favourite part of the New Forest Wildlife Park. They had a large, natural-looking enclosure. And you could walk through it and get really close to the deer.
There were lots of fallow and sika deer. And in autumn, there are some fawns as well. It was lovely seeing the young deer and their mothers.
There are also some larger red deer, which were beautiful as well.
As well as deer, there are some other animals here as well. There are otters, which are always fun to watch. And some owls and wild boar.
Another highlight of the New Forest Wildlife Park was the wolves and lynx. These impressive predators are lovely to see up close. It was really interesting to see the lynx and wolves, in their natural forest enclosure. These predators used to live in the UK, hundreds of years ago. I found it interesting to think about what it would be like to have wild lynx and wolves roaming around the New Forest now!
The New Forest Wildlife Park does have other animals, such as badgers and foxes. However, as these animals are nocturnal, they’re hard to spot at the wildlife park. I liked that the New Forest Wildlife Park focussed on animals that were native to the UK. But it was still a bit disappointing to not always be able to see the animals. But the deer, lynx and wolves were worth seeing.
4. Knightwood Oak
Another of my top autumnal walks and activities in the New Forest is the walk around Knightwood Oak. This famous oak tree is one of the oldest trees in the New Forest. And it’s a beautiful place to visit in autumn.
The Knightwood Oak tree is just a short walk from the Knightwood Oak car park. As well as the impressive Knightwood Oak, there are other lovely autumnal trees in this area.
You can extend the walk beyond the Knightwood Oak tree as well. The footpaths continue and are easy to follow. And this was also a great walk for seeing more New Forest ponies.
This was one of my favourite places to see ponies, as they stood in the forest with beautiful forest views behind them.
5. Lyndhurst Village
The village of Lyndhurst is a really pretty, cute village in the New Forest. It’s a great place to spend some time in the autumn, to warm up after a long forest walk. There’s a great selection of tea rooms in Lyndhurst, as well as an ice cream shop that sells great milkshakes.
Lyndhurst also has some great Halloween decorations in the autumn, so it’s worth looking out for the scary pumpkins!
Top places to stay in the New Forest in autumn
To fully enjoy the top autumnal walks and activities in the New Forest, I definitely recommend choosing a cosy hotel in the middle of the New Forest. There are lots of country hotels to choose from, but here are my two favourite.
Woodlands Lodge Hotel
Woodlands Lodge Hotel is a classic country house hotel. It’s set in the middle of the forest, feeling nicely separate from the busy outside world.
The best part of Woodlands Lodge Hotel is the food. The cooked breakfasts are delicious, and the perfect start to your day. The breakfasts really fill you up before a long walk in the forest.
The dinners at Woodlands Lodge Hotel are great as well. The restaurant in the hotel is cosy, and the quality of the food is excellent. It serves classic British food, with fresh ingredients and great flavours.
A dinner at the Woodlands Lodge Hotel is the perfect ending to a ay exploring the New Forest in autumn.
The Crown Manor House Hotel
The Crown Manor House Hotel is a Grade II listed hotel in the centre of Lyndhurst. It’s a really characterful, beautiful old building. The location in the centre of Lyndhurst means it’s a great location to explore the village and also the surrounding forest.
The inside of the hotel is stunning. I loved the staircase. And there’s a really characterful lift as well – with grating that you pull across to close the lift. The hotel has several lounge areas to relax in with newspapers and a drink.
And there were some great Halloween displays as well.
The food at the Crown Manor House Hotel was amazing. The buffet breakfast was great – you could take as much as you want, including the cooked breakfast. The local bacon and sausages were some of the best I’ve had in ages.
The highlight of my stay at the Crown Manor House Hotel was the dinners. The restaurant had a lovely, calm atmosphere. And the food was delicious. It was presented beautifully as well. The whole dining experience just felt really luxurious. Highlights for me were a smoked mackerel fishcake starter, and a goats cheese mille-feuille starter. The New Forest venison was perfect, and the lamb shank was really good too. And the tarte tatin was amazing.
Along with some great red wines, dining at the Crown Manor House Hotel was amazing. It was the perfect place to stay when enjoying the top autumnal walks and activities in the New Forest.
Hope you enjoy the top autumnal walks and activities in the New Forest! If you’re looking for more forest adventures, make sure you also check out my top dog walks in the New Forest. You can also check out my top walks in the Forest of Dean and Wye Valley and also the best activities in the Forest of Dean.
