Hertfordshire Walker: Locations

Our interactive map, below, should help you find the perfect walk

Below are two colour-coded interactive maps showing the starting points for more than 290 free walks in the Hertfordshire countryside.

The first map groups the walks based on their distance. The second map groups them based on their total ascent.

They are easy to use, and they are designed to help you find walks that best match your abilities.

Walks grouped by distance

The first map (embedded below) displays the starting points colour-coded to show their distance.

You can also view the interactive distances map in full screen.

Yellow = 1-3 miles
Red = 3-5 miles
Green = 5-8 miles
Blue = more than 8 miles

When you click on a starting point icon a box will appear with a brief description of the walk along with a link to the free directions, maps and GPS navigation files for those using smartphones.

How to use the map

The black navigation bar on the embedded maps

If you use the embedded interactive maps (above and below), you can click on small white rectangle on the right in the black navigation bar (highlighted in orange on the image above) to reveal a full-sized map.

You can now zoom in on the map (using the + button) to find walks in the area you want to explore.

There are markers showing the starting point for every free walks on our Hertfordshire Walker site.

You can also click on the small white rectangle with an arrow on the left of the black navigation bar (highlighted in green on the image above) to reveal a menu listing all the walks grouped in the colour-coded categories.

If you have no intention of ever walking eight miles or more, or climbing 200m or more, you can just uncheck those options and all those walks will disappear from the map.

The same is true with any of the colour-coded categories.

The map showing total ascent (below) works in the same way.

The light blue shaded area on the map is the Hertfordshire boundary. You can also turn that 'layer' off, too by unchecking the option.

Walks grouped by total ascent

The second map (embedded below) displays the starting points colour-coded to show their total ascent.

You can also view the interactive elevations map in full-screen.

Yellow = 1-50m
Red = 50-100m
Green = 100-150m
Blue = 150-200m
Purple = more than 200m

To help you calculate what total ascent relates to, one popular fitness app counts a flight (of stairs) as 3m or 10 feet. So if you are doing a walk that is 30m, you will have climbed the equivalent of 10 flights of stairs. If you do a walk that is 150m you will have climbed the equivalent of 50 floors in a building.

When you click on a starting point icon a box will appear with a brief description of the walk and a link to the free directions, maps and GPS navigation files for those using smartphones.

If you don't like accessing interactive maps to find the distance or total elevation of a walk you can use the list below.

Choose how far you walk

1-3 miles = 1.6km-4.8km (387)
3-5 miles = 4.8km-8km (109)
5-7 miles = 8km-11.2km (103)
7-10 miles = 11.2km-16km (33)
10-13 miles = 16km-21km (3)
13-18 miles = 21km-30km (2)
18-26 miles = 30km-41.8km (2)

Choose the total ascent for your walk

0m-25m = 0-85ft (12)
25m-50m = 85ft-164ft (35)
50m-75m = 164ft-246ft (53)
75m-100m = 246ft-328ft (78)
100m-125m = 328ft-410ft (53)
125m-150m = 410ft-492ft (32)
150m-175m = 492ft-574ft (7)
175m-200m = 574ft-656ft (10)
200m-225m = 656ft-738ft (6)
225m-250m = 738ft-820ft (1)
250m-275m = 820ft-902ft (1)
300m-325m = 984ft-1066ft (0)
325m-350m = 984ft-1066ft (1)
525m-550m = 1722ft-1804ft (1)

Removing the layers from Google maps

If you find that our Hertfordshire Walker coloured walking icons keep appearing on the Google Maps app on your mobile device, don't worry, it's easy to remove them with a couple of clicks.

All you need to do is to load Google Maps, click on the layers button, which is a diamond shape with an arrow beneath (see image below), then scroll down to 'Explore' and uncheck the box next to the 'Hertfordshire Walker' layer to remove it. More details here.