Buitencentrum Schoorlse Duinen: parking at Oorsprongweg 1

The visitor centre of Staatsbosbeheer, the Dutch state forestry service, stands at Oorsprongweg 1, on the edge of the Schoorlse Duinen (the Schoorl dunes). The two paid car parks for the area are there as well. The dune area itself is 1,875 hectares and open all year round, also when the building is shut.

Where is the Buitencentrum?

At Oorsprongweg 1 in Schoorl. Navigate on Heereweg 62, because the road straight opposite it is the Oorsprongweg. Anyone going on the name alone drives past it easily.

The two car parks lie 143 metres apart. As the crow flies you stand here about 1.5 kilometres west of the Klimduin in the village, and 1.7 kilometres south of the Catrijper Nok. Schoorl itself lies in the province of Noord-Holland, north of Amsterdam, with Alkmaar as the nearest city.

Where can you park and what does it cost?

On the two car parks by the centre. Parking costs 2.45 euros per hour. In zone A that rises after an hour and a half to 4.90 euros per hour, with no daily maximum. In zone B it stays 2.45 euros per hour with a maximum of 14.70 euros a day.

Paid parking applies from 1 March to 1 November daily from 10.00 to 19.00. From 1 November to 1 March on Saturday and Sunday only, on winter weekdays you stand for free. Before 10.00 and after 19.00 it is free all year round.

What time does it open?

That we have not been able to verify, and so no times appear here. Check the page of Staatsbosbeheer itself before you drive, certainly if you are counting on the toilets, the desk or the cafe.

What is certain: the parking regime and the opening hours of the building are two different things. That you park for free does not mean you can get inside. The dunes meanwhile stay open.

What can you walk from here?

The Schoorlse Duinen have more than 60 kilometres of footpath. You may leave the path in five places and nowhere else: Jan Bas z’n tuintje, de Speelkuil, Wulpendal, de Hargerplas and het Groeter Zandgat. The rest of the area you walk on the official paths, and it is a designated quiet area on top of that.

The Catrijper Nok, at 55.4 metres the highest dune in the Netherlands, lies 1.7 kilometres to the north as the crow flies. To the top go 249 steps. Which waymarked routes start exactly at the Buitencentrum and how long they are we have not been able to establish, so they are not listed here.

Can the dog come along?

Yes, all year round. From 1 March to 1 September on a lead only, because birds nest on the ground here. The rest of the year he may run free as long as he comes when called. Different rules apply in the grazing areas, and those are on the signs at the entrance. Since August 2026 Kempen heath sheep and a couple of goats have been grazing there against the encroaching grass.

Count on this changing. The province of Noord-Holland is working on a Natura 2000 management plan with a lead requirement all year round. Whether that has been formally adopted we were not able to establish on 5 September 2026.

Can you drive from here to the beach?

No. According to the municipality of Bergen the North Sea beach at Schoorl aan Zee is reachable by bike only. By car you go round to Hargen aan Zee, where there are 1,600 spaces, or to Camperduin. At the strandpaviljoen in Camperduin, a beach pavilion being a permanent restaurant on the sand, you borrow the beach wheelchair de Jutter free of charge for two hours, and booking is recommended.