The Dahn Germany Hike in the Wasgau Forest: Hikers Guide

If you’re looking for an action packed hike close to Kaiserslautern, the Dahn Germany Hike is for you.  I’ve hiked all around the Wasgau forest and this is one of my favorite places I’ve hiked in my 8 years of living in Germany.

Otherwise known as the Dahner Felsenland hike, this is a true highlight of the Wasgau forest just 30 minutes south of Kaiserslautern, Germany.  

Author’s tl;dr: Dahn Germany Hike Trail Travel Guide located near Kaiserslautern Germany in the middle of the PALATINATE FOREST-NORTHERN VOSGES BIOSPHERE RESERVE.  Including GPX stages for your phone and food and cultural highlights.  Dog friendly. 5.95 miles but easily shortened.

It’s part of the biosphere and there are a LOT of cool things about this round (well, more like an amoeba) hike.

The stunning red sandstone cliffs and rock formations are abundant in the Wasgau but this hike allows you to climb onto them, through them and meander past wolf and lynx reintroduction exhibits.  

Also the forest PWV-Hütte Dahn Im Schneiderfeld hütte (otherwise known as the Dahner Hut) is open 5 days a week offering indoor and outdoor seating, a children’s playground and delicious food and beverages.

There are also a plethora of campgrounds, luxury hotels, and normal hotels so you’ll get to have random encounters with people from around Germany.

It’s fun to chat with people while they are on vacation, because they usually are in a good and friendly mood. 

It’s not a challenging hike, but I love coming here because it is so close to the city, yet you feel completely immersed into fairytale forests, rocks and ruined castles atop traffic cone like peaks. 

Once you walk 5 minutes away from the parking lot it’s like you have the forest to yourself, despite having an incredible amount of amenities.

Dahn Germany Hike Overview

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You will also like my related hiking guide: Dragon’s teeth Siegfried Line Hike or the Dragon’s Rock Hike in Wasgau

Morgan’s Gelterswoog Germany Youtube – Get a vibe for the same Forest

If you prefer a lake on your hiking route think about doing the Gelterswoog lake hike.

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Dahn Felsenland Hike Map

How to Use This Map:
Click on the icon on the top left-hand corner. You will now see an interactive list.

For more info on each, click on the map icons.

To see the map in more detail, click on the [ ] in the top right-hand corner. This will open a larger map where the details of each point can be found by clicking on the location point name in the list on the left.

You can also save the map for your own use by clicking the next to the map name. This will save the map to your Google Maps, where you can make a copy and use it for your own trip planning.

To view the saved map on your phone, open Google Maps, click “saved” on the bottom, and then “maps” on the lower right.

These same trails lead all the way to Strausbourg in France and up to Kaiserslautern.

There are a few people running, horseback riding and mountain biking here and I’m sure why. It’s idyllic. 

The only problem I have is if my dog is off lead and horses come by, I’m sure to leash up. 

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Dahn Germany Hike: My Experience

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 Parking Lot – Fels Ladder Lookout (:45)

This hike starts off with a bang! Well, after you go past the one street of rental houses and parking lot. There’s definitely cute cows here with the black eyeliner 😉

You’ll pass by an Austrian looking sauna resort, make sure you don’t stare cause they’ll be naked in the pool.

After a short walk on a bike path, you’ll enter the forest and head straight for the fels.

Fels means “rocks”. But around here it’s these beautiful red sandstone cliffs and rock formations. We found a half dozen amanita mushrooms.

I’ve seen toprope climbers here and it’s fun to climb up the ladders and through the rocks. There are many side trails which we took and it ended up looking out the other side of a massive red cliff. Take the ladder up and get some pictures.

Fels Ladder Lookout – Dahn Hutte (2:00)

The trail is a mix of logging road and single track with many roots. It’s not great for strollers so I’d bring a kid pack in case you run into roots. The Dahn hutte is open everyday except Monday and Tuesday from 10:00-18:00 and they serve all kinds of food. The cheese spaetzle looked delish. They have a lot of very nice bathrooms, indoor and outdoor seating, and a playground.

If you have small kids that love wolves or wild cats, there is a detailed exhibit funded by the EU. I’m not sure if they were reintroducing them to the area or just providing a learning experience for kids. It’s extensive.

Dahn Hutte – Parking Lot (2:30)

You’ll wind through the forest getting back to the trailhead. There are multiple campgrounds and hotels and resorts. It’s really surprising.

There are a confluence of dozens of short and long distance hiking trails at the Dahn Hutte.

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You will also like my related history hiking guide: Adlerbogen Hike

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How to Get to the Dahn Germany Hike (Dahner Felsenpfad in German)

By Car

This hike is very easy to get to from Kaiserslautern.  It takes about 45 minutes from the center of Kaiserslautern to Dahn.  The parking lot is well marked and free and I’ve listed it on the google map above. 

By Bus or Train

There is a bus stop directly in front of the hike and a train in the center of Dahn which would add 10-15 minutes to your hike. Use the bahn . de website to arrange transit.

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Things to Know About Dahner Felsenland Recreation

This place sits near a Nature reserve and offers not only swimming, but picnic areas, BBQ facilities, wildlife, birdwatching and scenic views.

Premium Hiking Region:  

You know I’m biased, but this is one of 7 “premium hiking regions” in Germany. There are so many trails it’s really unbelieveable.  

Sauna Holidays:

This is a very popular activity at in the Dahn region. The Felsland Badeparadies offers indoor and outdoor pools, extensive saunas and more water attractions for over 33 years. There are even women’s nature exhibits with photography.

Events:

This lake often hosts flea markets and Middle Age markets.  Check out their website to stay up to date for events.

Dahner Felsenland Camping:

The sites are right along the lakeside and very relaxing at the Gelterswoog campingplatz.  If you want to reserve a spot you’ve got to email or call them.  

You will also like my related hiking guide: Heidenfelsen Pagan Hike Landstuhl

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nature Travel Resources

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We hope this guide to the Dahn Germany Hike has given you the proper information to plan your visit to this hidden gem in Germany!