Indian Summer
Blaze of colour
If there are dry and warm weather periods there is a spectacle of nature in the North Eifel, “Indian Summer”, which is usually only well-known in North America.
The leaves of the Beech and Oak forests transform into an “Indian Summer” with their brilliant yellow, red, and orange colours.
This phenomenon is especially spectacular to see in the Beech and Oak forests of the Eifel National Park.
Eifel National Park
The deciduous forests are the outstanding reason for the identity of the national park. This is especially shown in the large percentage of area covered with Beech and Oak forests.
The Beech forests cover 12% of the national park area- mainly at the Kermeter, the heart of the national park, and in Dedenborn. The Beech tree has a special meaning for the Eifel National Park, because it was the mainstay of the wooded vegetation of the Eifel before the intensive influence of mankind.
The Oak forests cover 16% of the national park area at the present time. Oak forests grow naturally on the mainly sunny, steep south-facing slopes of the Kermeter. Especially here the Sessile Oaks, which can thrive in dry areas, have a great advantage over other deciduous kinds.
Experience being guided
You can experience the Eifel “Indian Summer” in the autumn on a guided ranger tour. There are discovery tours together with rangers on offer nearly daily.
You will recognise the certified rangers and landscape conservationists by their green clothing and the big Mounty hat. There are a total of 8 free ranger-guided tours per week.
You just need to turn up at the meeting points punctually. Some of the tours are also available for children and with strollers. In the following you can find out the times.
As an alternative to the ranger tours, you can also book individual hikes with a certified national park forest guide.