Catrijper Nok: the highest dune in the Netherlands, 55.4 metres

The highest dune in the Netherlands is not the one in the village but the one in the forest. The name has only existed since 2014, the height is 55.4 metres and a stairway of 249 steps runs to the top. The dune lies in the Schoorlse Duinen (the Schoorl dunes), managed by Staatsbosbeheer, the Dutch state forestry service.

Where is this, coming from Amsterdam?

Schoorl sits on the coast of Noord-Holland, the province directly north of Amsterdam. Calculated from the coordinates on this page, in a straight line, the dune is roughly 40 kilometres north-west of the centre of Amsterdam, roughly 45 kilometres north of Schiphol airport and roughly 10 kilometres north-west of Alkmaar, the nearest city. Those are straight lines, not roads. How long the drive actually takes we have not measured.

How high is the Catrijper Nok?

55.4 metres above NAP (Normaal Amsterdams Peil, the Dutch ordnance datum, roughly mean sea level), and with that also the highest point in Noord-Holland. That figure comes from a measurement taken on 29 August 2014. Forest ranger Jeroen Pater doubted the dune that until then counted as the highest and had it measured again, together with engineer Bert Kuipers of Hogeschool Inholland. OpenStreetMap gives the same 55.4 metres.

Is this higher than the Klimduin?

Yes, by 4.4 metres. The Klimduin is 51 metres and stands in the middle of Schoorl, with a square and cafes at its foot. That is the dune most people think of, and it is the dune they drive to. It is not the highest one.

Where does that name come from?

Until the 2014 measurement the dune had no name. RTV Noord-Holland, the regional broadcaster, ran a competition for one, 145 entries came in, and the winning name came from Wendy de Vroone from Wognum, then 18 years old.

How many steps run to the top?

249. In 2021 the stairway was at risk of disappearing because the upkeep had become too expensive. A crowdfunding campaign raised the 38,000 euros needed in three days. Whether the stairway closes in winter or during a storm, we have not been able to establish.

Where can you park?

At the Buitencentrum (the visitor centre) at Oorsprongweg 1, where two car parks lie 143 metres apart. Navigate to Heereweg 62, the road opposite it is the Oorsprongweg. Without a car: bus 151 runs from Alkmaar station to the Idenslaan stop.

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 with a maximum of 14.70 euros a day. From 1 March to 1 November you pay daily from 10.00 to 19.00, from 1 November to 1 March on Saturday and Sunday only. On winter weekdays you park free.

How many metres it is from that car park to the foot of the stairway, and whether there is anywhere closer, we have not been able to establish.

Can the dog run free?

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

This is likely to change. The province of Noord-Holland is working on a Natura 2000 management plan with a year-round lead requirement. Whether that has been formally adopted, we could not establish on 5 September 2026.

Are you allowed off the path?

No. In the Schoorlse Duinen you walk on the official paths, with five exceptions where roaming is allowed: Jan Bas z’n tuintje, de Speelkuil, Wulpendal, de Hargerplas and het Groeter Zandgat. To the top, the stairway is the way.