Rushmere Country Park is undeniably a stunning spot for familiesâperfect for kids to play, dogs to romp, and nature to be admired. The trails offer a lovely way to soak in the sights and sounds of wildlife, but thereâs a catch for bikers. This park is really designed for mountain bikes to be able to tackle its rugged terrain. If youâre expecting smooth, paved paths suitable for young children or a childâs bike trailer, think again! We learned the hard way and found ourselves navigating some challenging routes instead. The park is best suited for hiking and walking your dog(s). Watch out for the cow/horse/dog animal dung throughout the park.
To make matters a bit trickier, the park's signage is not helpful as there are no arrows with color codes to let you know you're on the correct pathway. We struggled from the get go to find our way back to the main visitor center #1, which houses a charming cafĂ© and ample parkingâa children's playground ---what we really needed was a clear sign directing us there! A helpful park staff member provided a map and pointed out the orange trail designated for bikers, along with QR code signs for paying access to the private trailways. The rest are public bridleways, so at least thereâs some accessibility for everyone.
After carefully considering the map, we decided to dive into the adventure anyway, thinking weâd enjoy a relaxing ride. Unfortunately, the âone-hourâ orange trail turned into a three-hour exhausting ordeal! Despite hoping for a straightforward journey, we left our first trail intersection disoriented. The signs were insufficient, and even following another biking family led us to a narrow and risky path, prompting us to retreat. In our search for a safer route, we stumbled upon a quaint fishing pond with its own small car park, only to find ourselves heading toward a main roadâdefinitely not the scenic bike ride we had envisioned!
We retraced our steps, passing the pond again, and finally stopped to check the park map. To our dismay, we realized we were completely off-course and ended up at a primary roadway that forced us to go back the way we came and found a sign that identified we were at point #12âmuch too far from where we needed to be on the orange trail. It became clear that the park maps needed significant updates; the color-coded trails on the visitor brochure were absent from the actual signs, and no information was given about the multiple car park locations or the fishing area we encountered.
After a somewhat overwhelming experience, it was apparent why the visitor center suggests having the "What Three Words" app handy in emergenciesâgetting lost in this park is all too easy! The Green Trust owners must prioritize updating the park maps and signs with color coding and arrows clearly stating Visitor Center, this way, for improved visitor safety.
However, we were fortunate to meet a kind lady with her cheerful yellow Labrador, who helped guide us back to Car Park #2. There, we met a friendly gentleman with an impressive gray dog. He was a local with vast knowledge of the park and gave us the much-needed directions to finally return to the visitor center. He informed us that Rushmere has three entrancesâinformation that was missing from both the visitor brochure and the posted maps. Anyone can easily become lost.
We originally set out for what we thought would be a quick 30-minute bike ride around the park at 3 p.m., only to return after 6 p.m., feeling a mix of exhaustion and frustration. We wouldn't have made it through that physically demanding time lost if my husband hadnât packed water bottles and hydration electrolyte powder for both of us. A word of advice to future visitors: come prepared with a backpack of essentialsâwater being your top priority!
After this misadventure, we firmly have no intention of returning. Consider us a one-time visitor!...
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