Henschtal Germany Hike Near Ramstein Air Base

Idyllic valleys and charming hills with a mile long tree and animal exhibit, perfect for training your dog off lead. Also great for elementary age kids wanting to learn about the local flora and fauna.

Henschtal Germany Hike Overview

Sometimes I just can’t believe where I live and how simply gorgeous it is. The Pfälzer Bergland quiets your soul with it’s simple, gorgeous beauty and lack of busy. Located not far from the Zum Hoher Fels hike, this one is also a bit muddy.

This area presents oodles of trails where you may only come across a lady riding an Iceland pony, even wearing an Iceland wool sweater to match.

tl;dr

Author’s TL:DR: 5.3 mile long loop with idyllic valleys and charming hills with a mile long tree and animal exhibit for children. Classic Rhineland Pfalz farm country.

Henschtal Germany Squirrel Hike Trail Guide

Location: Henschtal, Germany – 10 minutes from Ramstein Air Base
Trail Guide: Henschtal Squirrel Hike
Type of Hike: 1 Loop
Distance: 5.3 miles
Elevation: 525 ft up, 500 ft down
Duration: Approx. 1.5 to 2 hours
Difficulty: Easy
Start/end point: Parking lot
Kid-friendly: yes
Stroller-friendly: Yes, Only Sport Stroller
Dog-friendly: yes
Fees: No
Camino de Santiago: No
Something Good to Eat: Il Pirata is just a few miles away and delicious with family run hospitality

Each hike includes detailed GPS guidance so it’s simple and not frustrating to find your way, food recommendations, and history highlights.

Trail Map Henschtal Hike – 5.3 miles or 8.5 km

This hike is for you if you want a quiet place to soak in Nature with rolling idyllic hills. Sport stroller friendly in the non-uber wet months. There’s some mud that might make you think twice during the winter.

Trail Name: Henschtal Squirrel Hike

How to use this map: Use your computer mouse or fingers to zoom in and out. Click on the icons to get more information. Click the arrow on the top left corner for the written index. Click the star next to the title of the map to add this map to your google maps account. To view the saved map on your smartphone or PC, open google maps, click the menu button, and go to “your places”/ “maps.”

Getting to the Henschtal Squirrel Hike & Area Guide

The easiest way to get there is to use a car and park in the parking lot.

Weather in Henschtal

This long valley starting in Glan Munchweiler has it’s own little microclimate. It could be snowing in Ramstein and sunny and bright here or vice versa. It’s really weird and cool.

This area is known as the Pfälzer Bergland, or Palatinate mountain country. It feels set back in time with roads you wished you had a porsche to wind around and local shooting houses, iceland pony riding stations and hidden holiday homes.

Here’s a German trail guide of the area if you’d like to explore more, your phone can translate pretty easily if German isn’t your jam.

Who is This Guide NOT for and What are the Alternatives?

This guide is not for city strollers. You’d need a sport stroller, however the hike would be great for backpacking your kid with a comfortable Osprey Baby Carrying Pack.

For a more mellow hike, consider the Sculpture Hike in Steinwenden with it’s multitude of playgrounds.

If you’re looking for more of a scenic hike with dramatic hills less than an hour away consider going to the Moselsteig hike, near the Mosel river close to Trier.

Tips for Hiking Henschtal Squirrel Hike

This trail is essentially one big loop on mostly dirt roads. Just follow the squirrel, it’s really well marked.

The first half is open with great views, then it turns wooded and follows the Hodenbach (Hoden creek) and can be pretty wet and muddy, so bring an extra pair of shoes for the car.

I’d hold off on sport strollers until Late April due to the mud. If I were a homeschool mom with k-4 kids, I’d definitely bring them here for a flora and fauna lesson as there are great placards you can use your phone to decipher with the local critters.

There’s even a hütte with a bunch of different birds’ nests and designs so you can learn what each bird likes best.

If you can score a pony lesson up the road at the Sangerhof, it’d be a great thing to do at the same time. They have icelandic ponies.

Of interest is another intersecting trail called the “Jewish Trail.” I will have to explore this one more. And also of interest is a local celtic burial ground. There’s so much history.

Best Hikes in Rhineland Pfalz

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoy rambling around Pfälzer Bergland.

Have you experienced a cool trail nearby? We would love to hear how it was over on our facebook group European Adventure Travel Planning.

Thanks for reading this guide on the Henschtal Germany hike.