Best Dog Walking Spots in Surrey (2025 Guide)
- Naomi White
- Sep 30
- 6 min read
If you’re looking for the best dog walking spots in Surrey, you’re spoilt for choice. From open countryside to shady woodlands, Surrey has plenty of dog-friendly routes to explore!
With so many options, it can be hard to choose, especially if you have a dog with particular needs. That’s why we’ve rounded up our favourite spots, including:
Off-lead adventures
Dog-social spaces
Quiet routes for reactive dogs
As local trainers, we’ve walked these routes with all kinds of dogs, so you’ll also find practical tips to make your walks safer and more enjoyable.
1. Alice Holt Forest – Great for Off-Lead Adventures
If you’re looking for one of the best dog walks in Surrey, Alice Holt Forest near Farnham is a brilliant choice. This vast woodland is managed by Forestry England and offers a mix of wide, open trails and quieter paths where your dog can explore at their own pace.
There are plenty of opportunities for off-lead dog walks, with large, open areas that are perfect for recall practice or letting your dog stretch their legs. For younger dogs or those still learning, the well-marked trails make it easy to keep things safe and controlled.
Facilities include several car parks, toilets, and a dog-friendly café, so you can easily make a day of it. The Easy Access Trail is ideal if you prefer a shorter, flatter walk, while the longer routes offer more of a challenge if you fancy a hike with your dog by your side.
It’s also a great spot if you have children, with plenty of activities and play areas for them too.
👉 Trainer’s tip: Alice Holt can get busy, so it’s ideal if you have a friendly dog and you’re looking for somewhere to practice training with distractions. However, if you have a reactive dog or would prefer a place with fewer people, children, and other dogs around then check out more places from our list.
2. Newlands Corner – Stunning Views for You & Your Dog
Newlands Corner in Guildford is hard to beat for the scenic views and the many walking routes and connecting trails across the Surrey Hills. Dogs can be off lead on the large open field area and numerous woodland paths too.
There is a large car park, toilets, and an outdoor café where you can get excellent coffee and bacon butties! There are also plenty of picnic benches and a small playground for children, so it’s perfect for a day out.
From Newlands Corner, you can walk to nearby areas including St Martha’s, The Chantries, and Merrow Downs. If you’re looking for a long walk, then you can easily find a route that takes you out for the whole day across the Surrey Hills in Guildford.
👉 Trainer’s tip: Newlands Corner is a wildlife-heavy area so if your dog needs some extra training in woodland, it’s worth taking a longline with you to keep them safe and avoid them running too far. Weekends and mornings tend to busy here, so if you want a quieter walk then try going during the week around early afternoon instead.
3. Farnham Park – Perfect for a Social Walk
Farnham Park is great for everyday walks or for a big weekend outing. It’s a beautifully maintained park with huge open spaces of green fields where dogs can run free in a safe space. There are also areas of woodland and trees, plus lovely views over Farnham to enjoy too!
There are plenty of flat, accessible paths which are ideal for pushchairs, and great play areas for children, making it a family-friendly walking spot.
The main areas of the park can be very busy so it’s great if you’d like your dog to meet some playmates or for you to enjoy a walk-and-talk with friends. Off to the side, you can walk for miles in open green areas without meeting many other people, so these areas are great if you have a reactive dog or prefer more space.
An added bonus, you can walk into Farnham town centre which is perfect for a quick shop, coffee or to grab some food. Equally excellent is Birdie’s coffee house in the park itself, a great spot for a coffee or lunch during your walk.
👉 Trainer’s tip: We love it here for the social side, it’s a great place if you’re working on training with a friendly dog! The large open fields are ideal for practicing recall training, while using a longline, and the well-kept paths are useful for working on loose-lead walking.
4. Lightwater Country Park – Great Location with Walking Variety
Just off the M3, Lightwater Country Park is easy to access from lots of areas of Surrey, including Guildford, Woking and Chertsey. You could walk for miles here and enjoy a wide range of spaces, from lakes near the car park to open heathland and beautiful woods.
Close to the car parks the paths can be busier with people and dogs but the further you go, the more likely you are to enjoy the space without anyone else around. Making it ideal if your dog is reactive or you’d like to avoid seeing many other dogs and people.
On warmer days, the lakes near the car park are ideal for letting dogs cool off with a refreshing swim (just watch out for the fishermen and ducks!). There is also a handy café, toilets, and plenty of parking. Plus a play area for children. What more could you need?
👉 Trainer’s tip: With a wide variety of environments here, there are plenty of excellent training opportunities. We’d recommend using a longline if your dog’s recall isn’t reliable as it’s a large area with lots of wildlife around. Weekdays tend to be quieter than weekends so this is a better time to come if you have a reactive dog and want to avoid seeing lots of dogs and people.
5. Ash Green Meadows – Safe and Secure
Over in Ash, on the outer edge of Guildford and bordering Aldershot, Ash Green Meadows is a well-maintained place for safe dog walks. It is comprised of two large fields, with gates at most entry/exit points, and woodland paths between the two. The old railway line also runs through this area.
It's a very accessible spot for walking, with the old railway line providing a flat wide path ideal for pushchairs, wheelchairs and scooters. Additional paths and boardwalks also allow for easy access.
The main fields are relatively secure in most places so it is a good place to practice recall with your dog (although we’d still recommend using a longline). It can be busy at times, especially weekend mornings, but on the whole, it’s a large enough space that you never feel unable to move away from other dogs and people if yours is reactive and needs more distance.
Be warned, there is a lovely ‘dog pond’ in the main field … great for cooling off in summer, but watch out in winter if your dog is a mud monster!!
👉 Trainer’s tip: The wide open paths are great for practicing loose-lead walking, while the open fields are ideal for recall training or for working with a reactive dog at a safe distance from others.
6. Puttenham Common - Sandy Paths & Great Views
Tucked between Guildford and Farnham, Puttenham Common is a beautiful and often quieter spot for dog walks in Surrey. With a mix of heathland, shady woodland, and open commons, it’s a varied and enriching place for your dog to explore.
The wide, sandy tracks are ideal for off-lead walks, while woodland areas offer shade in the summer. If you start at the Top Car Park, there are numerous scenic viewpoints across the Surrey Hills. Dropping down lower towards the Middle Car Park you will find some large lakes which are perfect for dogs to cool off in warmer weather.
There is plenty of space here for dogs who prefer distance from others so it’s ideal for reactive dogs or if you’re working on more control during walks.
On Thursdays, Fridays and weekends you’ll even find a coffee van in the Top Car Park – The Little Coffee Pantry
👉 Trainer’s tip: Puttenham Common is usually much quieter than nearby Farnham Park or Newlands Corner, making it a brilliant choice if you have a reactive dog or one that prefers calm walks. The sandy ground is also great in winter as it drains well, so it’s a lot less muddy than some other Surrey walks!
Want to enjoy stress-free walks at these amazing Surrey spots? Whether you’re working on recall, loose-lead walking, or reactivity, we can help. Get in touch today to book a training session. https://www.houndspot.com/dog-training-surrey
If you are looking for more tips on recall, general training, or reactivity then browse our blog posts for more on these topics!
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