Zuid-Kennemerland National Park Park

Address: Zuid-Kennemerland National Park, North Holland, Netherlands

Website: https://www.natuurmonumenten.nl/natuurgebieden/zuid-kennemerland

Hours: Daily 24 hours (visitor centre hours vary seasonally)

Admission: Free (park entrance)

Zuid-Kennemerland National Park is a coastal national park in North Holland, Netherlands, protecting a mosaic of dune systems, heath, woodland and beaches to the west of Haarlem. The park combines natural dune landscapes with managed grazing and contains recreational beaches popular with locals and visitors.

Key attractions are the undulating dune fields, walking and cycling trails, and viewpoints over the North Sea and inland polder landscapes; wildlife includes deer, foxes and breeding shorebirds. The park uses traditional grazing with robust horses and cattle to maintain open dune grassland and heath habitats.

The area was designated as a national park to protect the coastal dune ecosystem while providing structured public access and education; visitor facilities and marked trails concentrate use and reduce disturbance to sensitive habitats.

The park is located just west of the city of Haarlem in North Holland, with main access points near Overveen, Bloemendaal and Zandvoort, and is within easy drive or public-transport distance from Amsterdam.

• Size: The park covers roughly 38 square kilometers of coastal dunes, woodlands and heathland to the west of Haarlem.
• Grazing management: Free-roaming grazers including hardy horses and cattle are used in the dunes for landscape management and can often be seen on the trails.

What to See#

• Kennemerduinen: Kennemerduinen - the dune landscape that forms the heart of the park, with rolling coastal dunes, heath and sparse pine shelterbelts extending inland from the sea.
• Coastal dunes and beaches: Coastal section near Bloemendaal and Zandvoort - sandy beaches and seaside access that form the park’s western boundary along the North Sea coast.

Zuid-Kennemerland is accessible from Haarlem by local roads and bike paths; from Amsterdam it’s an easy train ride to Haarlem followed by a short bus, taxi or bike ride (roughly 20-40 minutes depending on the park entrance).

Several designated parking and visitor centres provide maps, bike rental and seasonal information.

• Rent a bike at the visitor centre - the park has extensive cycle routes and dunes not accessible by car.
• Early morning or late afternoon are best for wildlife sightings (deer, foxes) and for softer light on the dunes.
• Avoid summer weekends if seeking solitude; locals frequent the park for picnics and beach access.