North Limburg gravel route around Horst

Please note: on 8 November 2022, the Limburg Water Board started work on the mouth of the Molenbeek from Lottum into the Meuse. The gravel cycle path along the Siebersbeek (which flows into the Molenbeek) is therefore not accessible for several months, follow the local detour for cyclists.

The route starts from the parking lot in the Schadijkse Bossen north of America (Naaldhoutweg) and goes clockwise, 54% of the route is unpaved. The route is a variant of my gravel route North Limburg gravel route: between the Maas and Helenaveen (which starts in Helenaveen) to the area of old Maasarmen between Meerlo, Swolgen and the Maas. Some gravel roads from the original route have been exchanged for other gravel roads and other gravel roads have been added so that the share of gravel roads has increased from 48% to 54%.

The route is very varied and you cycle on many unpaved roads (mainly gravel roads) in and around nature reserves such as the Schadijkse Bossen, the Groote Broek, along the Groote Molenbeek, along sand extraction De Diepeling, Schuitwater (Meerlo), 't Sohr, Swolgender Heide, Schuitwater (Lottum), Kaldenbroek, Reulsberg and the Heesberg. You also get gravel roads through agricultural area (east of Horst, south of Kronenberg and south of America).

Most gravel roads on this route are easy to cycle. Some gravel roads are not accessible to traffic, others are and with intensive use of these roads by agricultural traffic or forestry traffic, the gravel roads may have slightly less unpaved road surface locally. In addition, some unpaved roads (just west of Sevenum, namely the Steegbredeweg and the Heesbredeweg) may be less suitable for cycling with thin tires (read: road bike tires) during a drought period (more sand than gravel). You also cross 2x nature reserve 't Sohr, crossing the trench of an old Maasarm. In the past, the road was flooded after longer periods of rain, but nowadays excess water flows under the road.

Gravel strips and their length in kilometers:
3,0 Naaldhoutweg/Silvesterweg
2.1 Hardwood Road/Gusseweg
0.9 Schadijkerpeelweg -> Sint Maartensweg
1.7 Large Pants
2.0 Molenbeek Greater
1,2 De Diepeling (note: 1x barrier passing, 1x crawling under barrier)
0,4 Elshout
0,7 The Ham (Barge Water)
0,8 Kortenbos
1.4 Elsholterweg
0,4 Lissevenweg
0.6 Osterbos
0.4 Witteweg
1.2 Broekhuizerweg
2.4 Swolgender Heath/Meerlose Baan
1.5 Barge water
0.1 Swans Heike
0,2 Rozenlaan
0,2 Eikenlaan
0.3 Borggraaf
1.3 Meuse floodplains
3.7 IJsweg/Siebersbeek/Laag Abbenray Veldweg
0.6 Kaldenbroek
0.7 Multiple Orbit
1,3 Parallel road unloading track
1,0 Unloading track -> Witveldweg
0,6 Reulsweg
0.7 Hamweg
1,3 Sint Jorisweg -> Greenport Bikeway
0,7 Lindersstraatje
2.6 Heesbredeweg/Steegbredeweg
1,9 Heesbredeweg (through the woods)
0,7 Raamweg
2,3 Bloemvenweg/Reindonk/ American road/Staarterbeemdweg
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40.9 km (= 54.5 %) unpaved roads