Baumwipfelpfad Bad Wildbad; tip in Black Forest, Germany

The Black Forest (Schwarzwald) in southwestern Germany is known for its mountainous landscape with vast forests. Nature lovers and action lovers know the area well. You can enjoy endless hiking, mountain biking, visiting castles, beautiful villages as well as fun activities in the Black Forest. One place in this beautiful German region to be sure to visit is Baumwipfelpfad Schwarzwald, beautifully located in Bad Wildbad. I visit this treetop trail in the Black Forest after a roadtrip through the Vosges Mountains, when we drive back to the Netherlands via Germany.

Baumwipfelpfad Schwarzwald in Bad Wildbad

In 2014, the 1.2 kilometer long treetop trail on the Sommerberg in Bad Wildbad was opened to the public. For just under 650 meters you walk high among the treetops on a beautifully laid-out path, where educational stations have been placed at various points. Here you will learn everything about the Black Forest; about its ecology, about nature and about the animals that live there. There are also several stations where you can climb to your heart’s content. Here children (possibly with parents) can balance on balance beams, jump from log to log and walk on nets. Super fun!

Lookout tower tree canopy path Bad Wildbad

After traveling about half the total length of the trail, the lookout tower of tree canopy path Bad Wildbad comes into view. At a height of 40 meters, the watchtower offers a 360-degree view of the dense forests of the Black Forest. You immediately understand where this area gets its name from; in Roman times it was already known as a dark and impenetrable forest.

Over its entire length, the path is nice and wide, so in crowds you don’t have to get in each other’s way. It is also barrier-free and the maximum slope of 6% makes it possible to get up the observation tower with both a stroller and a wheelchair. The views are sublime! The colors of the forest are beautiful, especially in spring and fall. On top of the lookout tower are signs with names of places you can see in the distance.

WildLine Hängebrücke Bad Wildbad

Standing atop the lookout tower of Baumwipfelpfad Schwarzwald, the WildLine Hängebrücke immediately catches the eye. This 380-meter long and 60-meter high suspension bridge provides a cool experience and offers a view of Bad Wildbad located in the valley. It takes fifteen minutes to walk from the treetop trail to this impressive suspension bridge, and you can purchase tickets for access to the bridge on site.

Walk up, slide down

At a height of 25 meters, in the middle of the observation tower, is the start of the slide that allows you to slide down after visiting the top. For 2 euros (cash only) you get a mat and you can come down 55 meters through a spiral slide. And believe me, before you know it, you’re there. Wow, that goes fast!!!

Tips for after a visit to Baumwipfelpfad Schwarzwald

Once you are back down, you have also come to the end of the tree canopy trail. At the exit there is a store with nice souvenirs and you can go to a small bar for drinks and snacks. If you are with children, they can have fun in the Abenteuerwald Sommerberg. Unfortunately (for our kids), Abenteuerwald Sommerberg is closed during our visit and we plop down in the sunshine on the terrace of the slightly distant Skihütte Skizunft Wildbad. A wonderful way to end the day!

Tree canopy trails in Germany

There are tree canopy trails in several places in Germany. Highly recommended is the treetop trail in Saarland Baumwipfelpfad Saarschleife, which I visited years ago when it had just opened. The view here is phenomenal, situated on a well-known curve in the Saar River. A listing of tree canopy trails in Germany:

• Baumwipfelpfad Bad Iburg in Bad Iburg
• Baumwipfelpfad Harz in Bad Harzburg
• Baumwipfelpfad Bavarian Forest in Neuschönau
• Baumwipfelpfad Panarbora in Waldbröl
• Baumwipfelpfad Steigerwald Tower in Ebracher Forst
• Baumwipfelpfad Pfälzerwald in Fischbach bei Dahn
• Baumkronenpfad im Nationalpark Hainich in Schönstedt
• Skywalk allgäu Wald Abenteuerwelt in Scheidegg
• Waldwipfelweg in Sankt Englmar
• TreeTopWalk Baumkronenweg am Edersee in Edertal
• Baumkronenpfad Beelitz Tree & Time in Beelitz
• Baumwipfelpfad im Naturerbe Zentrum Rügen in Binz (Rügen)

Beste tijd om Baumwipfelpfad Schwarzawald te bezoeken

Prior to our visit (in May), we hear from several people that it is so crowded on the Sommerberg that parking the car in the parking lot is no longer possible. People have to park at the bottom of the mountain and walk up. To avoid this we decide to go to the tree crown path only late in the afternoon (around 16.00h). When we arrive, the parking lot is as good as empty and we then find ourselves virtually alone on this beautiful treetop trail in the Black Forest. Delightful!

In the summer months, Baumwipfelpfad Bad Wildbad is open until 7 p.m. so if you arrive around 4 p.m. / 5 p.m., you have plenty of time to walk to the observation tower at your leisure. After all, you don’t have to walk there and back during opening hours; you can also walk the path back to the car after closing time. Are you with children and also want to visit Abenteuerwald Sommerberg? Then you could choose to do that first and walk the tree crown path afterwards. It’s up to you!