Trekking sites in Germany: legal forest camping explained

Trekking sites are the legal answer to wild camping in Germany. They are small, deliberately simple pitches in the forest where hikers may pitch a tent for one night, usually after booking online. Because camping outside campsites is restricted almost everywhere in Germany, these sites are the easiest way to sleep under trees without breaking the law.

What a trekking site is

The idea is simple. A region, often a nature park or forestry office, sets aside a handful of spots in quiet forest, well away from roads and villages. Each spot has room for a few tents, typically on a wooden platform or a levelled area. Many have a compost toilet and a fire pit; very few have water. You cannot drive there: the sites are only reachable on foot, sometimes several kilometres from the nearest car park.

Typical rules include:

• One night per site, sometimes with a limit on consecutive bookings.
• A maximum number of tents and people per pitch.
• Arrival in the afternoon, departure in the morning.
• No music, no generators, no cars.
• Everything you bring, you take away again.

Where to find trekking sites

New sites open almost every year, and outdoor magazines estimate well over 150 across the country (as of 2026). The main networks are:

Region	Federal state	What to expect
Palatinate Forest (Pfälzerwald)	Rhineland-Palatinate	One of the oldest networks, around 15 sites in a large sandstone forest, season roughly April to October
Black Forest (Schwarzwald)	Baden-Württemberg	Several networks in the northern, central and southern Black Forest, season mostly May to October
Eifel	North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate	Numerous “Naturlagerplätze” with wooden platforms in the Hohes Venn–Eifel Nature Park
Franconian Forest (Frankenwald)	Bavaria	A small network of trekking camps along long-distance trails
Sauerland	Hesse, North Rhine-Westphalia	Sites along certified trails such as the Diemelsteig and Uplandsteig

Smaller networks and individual sites exist in several other regions too. Because the list grows quickly, check the websites of the regional nature parks and tourist boards before you plan. Many of these sites sit in or next to the regions described in our guide to wilderness areas in Germany.

How booking works

Each network runs its own system, so details vary, but the pattern is similar:

1. Choose a date and site on the regional booking page.
2. Pay online. Prices are set per tent and night; in the Palatinate Forest the published price is 18 euros per tent for one to three people (2026 season).
3. Receive a confirmation with the coordinates and site rules.
4. Keep the confirmation on your phone or printed, in case a ranger asks.

Popular sites on summer weekends are often booked weeks ahead. Midweek and in early or late season you have much more choice.

What to bring

A trekking site is closer to wild camping than to a campsite. You need a full lightweight camping kit: tent, sleeping bag and mat, stove, water, headlamp and a way to pack out all rubbish. Our gear checklist for remote forest trips lists everything in detail.

A few points specific to German trekking sites:

• Water: carry enough for dinner and breakfast, usually two to three litres per person.
• Toilet paper and bags: compost toilets are not always stocked.
• Small tent: platforms are often around three by three metres, so a large family tent may not fit.
• Offline map: mobile coverage in the forest can be patchy. See our guide to offline maps and navigation.

Etiquette

Trekking sites only work because landowners and forestry offices trust hikers. Keep noise down after dark, use only existing fire pits, never collect live wood and leave the site cleaner than you found it. The principles in our leave no trace guide apply in full.

Linking sites into a multi-day hike

Several regions space their sites a day’s walk apart, so you can link them into a multi-day route. That turns a weekend into a proper trek without leaving Germany. Combine this with a long-distance trail from our list of multi-day forest hikes and you have a quiet alternative to crowded alpine huts.

Trekking sites and the law

Outside these designated sites, camping in German forests is generally not permitted under state forest laws, and rules differ between federal states. Our country-by-country overview of wild camping rules in Europe explains the situation in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and beyond. It is a summary, not legal advice.