Parking
Use The Lodge Forest Visitor Centre car park, about a mile north of Aberfoyle on the A821. Follow signs for Forest Park Visitor Centre.
Overview
About Oak Coppice Trail
Why go
- Ancient coppiced oaks carry velvety green lichen.
- A compact green-marked loop starts at the visitor centre.
Heads up
- Short steep slopes, uneven sections and a flight of steps.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Loch Lomond & The Trossachs map
Full mapElevation56–100 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
4 active Loch Lomond & The Trossachs alerts
- CautionA82 restriction near Kings House HotelThe A82 is restricted in both directions near Kings House Hotel, Glencoe, because of planned roadworks. - Temporary traffic lights are in place; follow the traffic management.Official details
- ClosureDaytime A827 closure at KillinThe A827 at Killin is closed during the day for roadworks from 28 September through 9 October 2026. - Closure hours: 9:30am to 3:30pm; avoid the route during those hours.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Loch Lomond & The Trossachs Tour Guide
Your drive to Oak Coppice Trail, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
Recorded for this trailhead
The Lodge above Aberfoyle0:00 / 0:32
“Up ahead is The Lodge above Aberfoyle, where forest trails start beside a wildlife room and café.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Loch Lomond & The Trossachs Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- The Oaks That Grew Back
- Loch Ard Forest Sculpture Trails
- The Lumberjills in the Woods
- The Quarry Hidden Above Aberfoyle
- 196 audio storiesacross Loch Lomond & The Trossachs’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Golden Eagle, Red Deer, Mute Swan, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 93 trails, 73 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Oak Coppice Trail
A short woodland loopFrom The Lodge Forest Visitor Centre, the full walk is about 2 miles.
From The Lodge Forest Visitor Centre, the full walk is about 2 miles. The green-marked circuit itself is listed at 1¾ miles; this route includes the short access walk from the centre to the circuit and back. Allow about an hour. The reward is an easy-to-reach stretch of old oakwood rather than a summit or long-range view.
What to noticeMost of the path is firm gravel, with some uneven ground, several short steep slopes and one…
Most of the path is firm gravel, with some uneven ground, several short steep slopes and one short flight of steps. Velvety green lichens cover the old oaks. Their coppiced trunks tell the story here: new growth was cut back every 15 years or so for building timber, fuel and charcoal used in iron smelting. The woodland is the main attraction, so take time to look at the lichen and the shapes of the older trees; there is no named viewpoint on this short circuit.
Starting at the LodgeBegin and finish at The Lodge Forest Visitor Centre, north of Aberfoyle on the A821.
Begin and finish at The Lodge Forest Visitor Centre, north of Aberfoyle on the A821. Follow the green waymarks for Oak Coppice, then use the short access path back to the centre. The café and toilets are at the visitor centre, not along the circuit. Uneven patches, steep pitches and steps may be awkward if you need a consistently smooth surface. The dog rule was unclear, so check current access guidance before bringing one.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Loch Lomond & The Trossachs
14 sightingsGolden EagleMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
37 sightingsRed DeerMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
100 sightingsMute SwanMost seen around 11 AMSighting map
48 sightingsOspreyMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
24 sightingsEurasian BeaverMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
37 sightingsEurasian Pine MartenMost seen around 7 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Loch Lomond & The Trossachs. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
