On the Gerheserheide in Heppen

Appointment at the Buurthuis 1 in the Heidestraat in Heppen (V). You leave with the Community Center on your left and step past the football fields of Leopoldsburg to the crossroads with De Hengstbergen. Take the forest road next to the football field on the left, ignore the bike path on the right and walk straight into the forest.

You will end up in the bend of a dolomite cycle path and follow it to the left, towards junction 276. Follow the signs until you come to a wide forest road after a nod to the right. Left swimming pool and adventure playground De Merel 2. Step straight past the playground and do the same on the first quadruple jump. At the second intersection turn right, immediately along a beautiful piece of heath with a small information board about forest management on your left. At the intersection after, follow the forest road diagonally to the right until the end. Step onto the asphalt road to the left until you can walk right on a wide dirt road into Gerheserheide 3. Before a grove you turn with the road to the left and, in front of a meadow, you step through a sasje on the left into the nature reserve.

The signposted Nightjar Path of Natuurpunt also runs here. The path takes you with an arch to another sasje, so that you leave the closed part again. The Nightjar Path turns left, you turn right. Continue between the edge of the forest and the Gerheserheide. Ignore a forest path on the left, step over a bridge further on and you will end up on a cross road. Turn right for a moment and at the fork follow the cycle path diagonally left, direction 277. You step past a name sign of Oostham and at the Y-junction, where the bike path bends right, you walk left into the field road.

You pass a garden and opposite the entrance gate you step left into the forest. You walk along the edge of the forest to a wide field road. On the right is a white house, you turn left. You walk past a weekend residence, ignore a road on the right and come to a crossroads with a rest bench. On the left it goes to no. 276 of the cycling network, straight on to no. 39. You turn right on a narrow asphalt road and choose on the crossroads, with a private road straight ahead, on the left. It continues on a narrow field road, first along the edge of the forest, then between fields and meadows. Ignore a side road on the left and turn further along with the road to the right. On the T you have to turn left, because on the right it is a private road. Immediately turn left again and continue walking between the fields. You cross a wide road and continue to a narrow asphalt road. Follow it to the left, past some weekend stays, until the first intersection. Choose to the right, cross a stream further on and step into the forest next to a wooden barrier. At the junction with the bridle path go straight ahead and at the fork of forest roads turn right.

The path splits immediately and you choose the left road. You follow the signs of the Nightjar Path again. If that path turns right, keep walking straight ahead. After the forest you walk between the fields and there is a separate bridle path next to yours. You walk past a barrier and where the road bends right at a Y-junction, you step left into the forest, together with the arrows of Natuurpunt. At the first intersection you are at the starting point of the Nightjar Path with information board and map. Walk straight ahead without caring about side paths until you reach a dolomite bike path. Follow it to the left. Where the bike path bends to the left, you step straight into a forest road. At the T-junction in front of a canal, turn left and turn right immediately afterwards. You follow a narrow winding forest path to another forest path.

On the right it goes to a meadow. Turn left and turn right at the bend of a somewhat wider forest road. Don't worry about side paths anymore and walk further until you come to football fields next to the cemetery. After the first football field, walk right until you reach the Community Centre.