Forestry England Stick Man Trails
Stick Man is such a popular Julia Donaldson book and I’m excited to tell you all about the new Forestry England Stick Man Trails. There are a few sites in the North West where you can find this fun kid’s trail and I’m sharing details of these below. Find more Family walks North West here.
From the 5th November 2025 (and throughout December) these trails are becoming Stick Man’s winter adventure trails.
Julia Donaldson trails at Forestry England North West England
Forestry England have been putting on a Julia Donaldson book character trail at many of their forests for as long as I can remember. These trails change every January and they usually run in Delamere forest, Gisburn forest, Grizedale Forest and Whinlatter forest in the North West as well as in many other forests across the whole of England.
In 2025 the new theme will be Stick Man. In the North West you will find a Stick Man trail at Grizedale Forest, Whinlatter Forest, Gisburn Forest and Stocks and Delamere Forest. It’s running in 26 forests in total across the whole of England.
What to expect
These Forestry England trails are fantastic for young children. The walks are usually about a mile long and the trail is usually suitable for pushchairs (do check for each forest though).
The trail will follow Stick Man on his journey as he tries to get home to the family tree. You’ll be able to take part in lots of fun stick-based activities, discover tree-mendous facts and learn about forest wildlife along the way.
Once you’ve helped Stick Man find his way back home, there’ll be a wax rubbing to complete in your adventure passport and the chance to take a picture with Stick Man in the family tree.
Along the trail you will find brightly coloured boards to keep your children entertained and walking to find the next board. On these boards you will find have simple, fun activities for children.
Each forest has 9 interactive activity panels and 6 spotter panels. There will be a variety of activities from building with sticks to learning about the forest wildlife, birds and nests. It’s the perfect way to get children walking, exploring nature and enjoying Stick Man storytelling.
You can purchase an activity pack to go along with the trail at each forest which works in conjunction with these boards.
There are loads of photo opportunities along the way too. The one at the end is always the best so don’t forget to look out for it.
Just like in 2024, there is no longer an app for use on the trail.
The Stick Man activity pack
Packs have now sold out so it is now £1 for a map only.
You can purchase an activity pack from the visitors centre of your chosen forest for £4. The activity pack includes:
- A craft bag to colour in
- pipe cleaners to create their own Stick Man
- a Stick Man lanyard to wear.
- pencil and crayon
- a special passport system (with stickers) which you can use to collect stamps along the trail.
The passport system encourages children to explore every part of the trail, creating a sense of achievement as they collect stamps and discover new aspects of forest life at each stopping point. This hands-on approach makes learning about nature engaging and memorable for young adventurers.
When are the Stick Man trails running?
These trails are running from February 2025 – January 2026. Exact start dates have started to be announced and these are different based on the forest.
Find out more here – The Stick Man trail | Forestry England
Stick Man trail at Delamere forest
Delamere forest Stick Man trail is now open! The trail is 1 mile long and it is an accessible trail for all. Activity packs can be purchased from the visitor centre.
We have tried this trail so you can find out more here – Stick man trail at Delamere forest.
Delamere forest also has a fantastic permanent Gruffalo sculpture trail. Find our review here – Delamere forest Gruffalo trail.
Find out more about Delamere forest walks here.
Stick Man trail at Gisburn forest
This trail is now open.
Stick Man trail at Whinlatter forest
Whinlatter forest Stick Man trail is due to open on the 14th February 2025. It is a 1 mile trail on gravel paths with some gentle slopes. The stick man activity pack is available from the visitors centre.
Whinlater forest also has a lovely Gruffalo and friends sculpture trail and 1 mile long play trail and is well worth a visit.
Find our guide to Whinlatter forest here – Whinlatter forest walks
Stick Man trail at Girzedale forest
Grizedale forest is equally fantastic for families with an amazing play area and accessible sculpture trails. It is worth noting that there is no Gruffalo sculpture in Grizedale forest.
The Stick Man trail is due to open on the 14th February 2025. It is a 1 mile trail on gravel paths with some gentle slopes. The stick man activity pack is available from the visitors centre.
Find our guide to Grizedale forest here – Grizedale forest walks
Enjoy family walks? Join the Family Walks North West Facebook group to be part of a community sharing the best walks for families across the region. Join here.
More useful guides
If you’re travelling to one of these trails, you might be going up or down the M6. Find 10 Places to stop on the M6.
These trails are fantastic places to take toddlers. Find loads more ideas, wherever you are in the North West here – Toddler days out North West
Find more ideas for Family walks Lake District here.
