Top 20 Bike Parks around Hasselt

Thor Park

Highlight • Structure

The Thor Park is a business, technology and science park where work is mainly done on energy and automation in cities and manufacturing companies. The former mine site plays an important role in this. We see similar initiatives in often similar domains in other old mining sites, mainly regarding the so-called connected and circular world. Thor Park is built around Thor Central, the former mining buildings of Waterschei. In addition, Thor Park is also a gateway to the Hoge Kempen National Park, more specifically to Thor Park, which is usually written here in one word and which is an area of ten square kilometers behind the mine and, among other things, mining mountains in the middle of heath, pine forests, a stream valley and inland dunes (with Klaverberg nature reserve). There are also some ponds at the foot of the slag heaps that can be reached via one of about ten hiking loops or via the cairn path.

- About Thor Park as a business and innovation park and gateway to Hoge Kempen National Park: thorpark.be
- About Thorpark, the nature reserve behind the mine that has been part of the Hoge Kempen National Park since 2018: nationaalparkhogekempen.be/nl/thorpark

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Adventure Hill and be‑MINE spoil tip

Highlight • MTB Park

The Adventure Mountain is a unique attraction that connects the foot of the small slag heap at the track park with the top, at a height of 55 m. A special play landscape, substantive heritage paths, breathtaking mountain bike paths (MTB) and views of relics of mining history together form a total concept in which experience is central.
(Openbaargroen.be)

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Klaverberg Nature Reserve

Highlight • Forest

Klaverberg nature reserve is located around and on the slag heap of Waterschei. Here you will find an information board. Klaverberg is not the only nature reserve that you can encounter here during your walk. This area was once all moorland. The cloverleaf-shaped inland dunes of the Klaverberg stretch from the Zevenhuizen district to Zwartberg airport. As a protected landscape and nature reserve, Klaverberg is part of the Hoge Kempen National Park. By definition, this means that you will also find a lot of walking switches if you want to plan your trip in the park completely tailor-made. The Klaverberg area has been redesigned for a while now. While nature remains central, more space has been left for recreation at the foot of the (unwooded) slag heap (at the two ponds). In terms of nature, the aim is for the typical protected residents that people hope for in reserves such as Klaverberg. Think of the smooth snake, the nightjar, the natterjack toad and the skylark to name a few. There is also a population of roe deer and the queen page flutters on the slag heap (just like on the slag heap of Beringen). The chance that you will encounter deer in the wooded parts (where there is also an MTB path on the mountain) is high, so be respectful. The animals here have a beautiful area full of hiding and escape routes and plenty of space outside the paths where the walker belongs. Keep your dog on a leash because important species live here.

- More about the recreational possibilities and plans in Klaverberg in this article from the spring of 2022: vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/2022/03/25/in-natuurgebied-klaverberg-op-mijnterril-waterschei-zijn-vanaf-n
- More about Klaverberg (with plan) at natuurenbos.be/klaverberg

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Genk Bike Park

Highlight • MTB Park

Small but nice bike park with some easy, but also difficult obstacles.

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Bliksemtrap Kattevennen

Highlight • Viewpoint

A 37-meter-high staircase shaped like a lightning bolt runs along the highest jump of Sky Park in Kattevennen. The mirrored structure has 164 steps and offers stunning views of Kattevennen, the Hoge Kempen National Park, and beyond.

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Winterslag spoil tip

Highlight • MTB Park

You can see what you can expect from this slag heap here:

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De Teut Nature Reserve

Highlight • Natural

The 'De Teut' nature reserve lies at the foot of the Kempen plateau. The Roosterbeek has carved out a wide valley here. Thanks to this varied terrain, a great diversity of plant communities has developed: coniferous forests, heathlands, ponds, and riparian forests. The prominent plateau edge at the entrance to the reserve offers a magnificent view over a large part of Midden-Limburg.

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Willekensberg Nature Reserve

Highlight • Forest

The Willekensberg is a nature reserve and a hill, characterized by sunken roads. The hill offers views of the Demer and Zwarte Beek valleys. The summit of the Willekensberg is approximately sixty meters above sea level. At this highest point in the municipality is the Chapel of the Beukeboom. This place was already mentioned in 1770 under the name 'Willekensbosch'. After 1945, the hill was planted with conifers for the production of mining timber, but was gradually converted into deciduous forest after the area came into the possession of Natuurpunt.

Source: lummen.be/node/7270

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MTB Enduro Trail Terril Waterschei

Highlight • MTB Park

The MTB Enduro Trail at the Waterschei spoil heap is a popular mountain biking location for experienced riders in Genk, Limburg, Belgium. The spoil heap, a former mining site reminiscent of the region's coal mining past, has been transformed in recent years into a legal trail center with a network of singletrack, technical descents, and challenging sections that appeal to enduro and mountain bike enthusiasts.
The trails on the spoil heap are not officially marked as a fixed route, but together form an informal and technical ride over the uneven terrain of the artificial hill. Because the spoil heap offers steep slopes, turns, rooty trails, and loose surfaces, riding requires good cycling and display technique, as well as some off-road mountain biking experience. The local group Genkertrails is working to maintain and legalize the trails, and the area is increasingly recognized as a
structural trail center for mountain biking skills. Many riders combine rides on the Waterschei spoil heap with surrounding routes and trails in the Hoge Kempen National Park, making the terrain part of larger mountain bike tours in the region. For example, popular GPS tracks and routes that follow the slag heap are often challenging and technical, with shorter sections featuring sharp turns and singletrack on steep terrain. Some riders have reported that these sections are particularly challenging in wet weather.
Examples of combination routes that partially traverse the slag heap include long mountain bike outings (such as a 40 km route via singletrack in the area) with elevation changes of around 150 meters, which is quite significant for Flanders and provides a real challenge on your fully-loaded or hardtail bike.
It's important to note that while the topographical conditions are suitable for enduro riding, some trails in the area are also protected nature reserves (such as parts of the Klaverberg Nature Reserve and Hoge Kempen), and that respecting local rules and ecological restrictions is essential.
Riders are advised to stay on designated trails only. In practice, this means that on the Waterschei slag heap, you'll find a mix of technical sections, steep descents, and challenging singletrack, especially suitable for advanced mountain bikers or riders experienced with enduro-style trails. At the same time, the area is an excellent training ground for honing skills like cornering speed and balance before visiting larger enduro bike parks or mountain areas.

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Tips from the Community

K🌍nny

September 28, 2026, Thor Parc

The terrain borders a 30-hectare park landscape with old spoil heaps

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K🌍nny

September 28, 2026, Thor Parc

'Thorpark' is a 10 km² area behind the former Waterschei hard coal mine

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August 12, 2026, Willekensberg Nature Reserve

The Willekensberg is a valuable outlier hill and nature reserve and is managed by Natuurpunt. The area is characterized by the presence of iron sandstone in the soil with many hollow roads in a rich forest structure and, together with the nearby domain of the Thousand-Year Oak, forms a unique and historically valuable hiking and heritage area.

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July 24, 2026, Avonturenberg and be-MINE Terril

On the Avonturenberg you can scramble, climb and discover. Via a forest of 1,600 poles you reach the top of the spoil tip via stairs, rope courses, climbing structures, crawl tunnels and hiking trails. The path leads you from one viewpoint to another and offers background information on the history of the coal mine. At the top you can catch your breath on the sunken coal square and enjoy the peace and the view.

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June 20, 2026, Klaverberg Nature Reserve

The Klaverberg is a largely wooded sand dune and also the name of the surrounding nature reserve on the border of the Belgian municipalities of As, Genk and Oudsbergen. It borders the Opglabbekerzavel heathland and other wooded nature areas. The area is named after the cloverleaf-shaped drifting dunes, which form a predominantly wooded dune ridge over a length of approximately 1.7 kilometers. The sand dunes probably arose as a result of the wind-blown transport of sand that was exposed due to overgrazing and too frequent turf stripping of southwestern heathlands. Klaverberg on an 18th-century Ferraris map The Klaverberg is overshadowed by the remediated spoil tip of the former Waterschei coal mine, with a top up to 155 meters above sea level. These most striking landscape witnesses of the mining past cover a part of the dunes.

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