Bison Trail open again!

From Tuesday September 1st the Bison Trail in Kraansvlak is open again. The bison herd can often be seen from this path and is then nicely visible from a distance due to the open dune landscape. This year, five calves have been born in the herd, making it even more appealing to try to spot the herd from the walking trail. Taking binoculars to see them in detail is a good idea.

For many years, the Kraansvlak area has been closed off for public. An enlargement of the bison area in 2012 made it possible to open a special walking trail –the Bison Trail- so public can visit the area where bison and konik horses roam on their own. Public is very welcomed to use the trail, between sunrise and sunset. It is not a route to wander off, so visitors are strongly encouraged to stay on the path. A part of the Bison Trail is made up of loose sand. To reach the trail, special small stairs over the fence line are made. It is reachable from several sites (Zandvoort, Bloemendaal aan Zee, boulevard along the beach), see the map on www.wisenten.nl/en/yourself.

The Bison Trail is about 3 kilometres long and marked with yellow capped poles. It is located along the entire western part of the bison area. Signs on both entrances show additional information to take into account when entering the area. Visitors should at least keep 50 meters distance to bison and konik horses. This way, the animals are least disturbed and you have the best chance to see their natural behaviour.

The European bison, also known as wisent, has been chosen as one of the Big Five of Europe. It is an unique chance to see this still endangered animal in Dutch nature. Project partners PWN and ARK Nature are proud to be able to make this possible.