Hampstead Heath covers 790 acres across seven distinct sections. Here's how to navigate every area.
Hampstead Heath Map: A Guide to Every Section of the Heath
Hampstead Heath covers 790 acres and has no single entrance, no central point, and no obvious internal logic. It is not a park in the traditional sense — it grew from multiple separate parcels of land protected at different times, which is why it still feels like several different landscapes stitched together. Understanding its geography before you arrive means the difference between finding Parliament Hill in 10 minutes and spending 45 minutes walking between the wrong ponds.
The Seven Main Sections
1. Parliament Hill and the Southern Heath
The most visited section. Parliament Hill is the open grassy hill at the southern end that provides the famous London skyline view. The athletics track, the Parliament Hill Lido (outdoor pool), and the main café are all here. The model boating pond and the bathing ponds are also in this section, set below and to the north of Parliament Hill.
Access: East Heath Road (NW3) for the main car park and pedestrian entrances. Gordon House Road (NW5, near Gospel Oak overground) for the parliament Hill athletics track entrance.
Best for: First-time visitors; families; parkrun participants; anyone wanting the skyline view.
2. The Middle Heath (Wooded Central Section)
The dense woodland that fills the central portion of the Heath, between Parliament Hill to the south and Kenwood to the north. The paths through here are well-walked but the woodland itself gives a sense of remove from the city unusual in Zone 2. The Viaduct Pond sits in this section, along with the Heath's highest point (which is not Parliament Hill — it's further north, near the path to Kenwood).
Access: Multiple paths leading north from Parliament Hill; entering from Millfield Lane (N6) on the eastern edge.
Best for: Quiet walking; woodland-feeling walks; accessing Kenwood from the south.
3. Kenwood and the Northern Heath
Kenwood House sits at the northern boundary, approached from Hampstead Lane (N6). The formal grounds of Kenwood are managed by English Heritage and are distinct from the main Heath — better maintained, with formal garden and lake — but flow directly into the northern Heath's more open meadow areas. The northern Heath is quieter than the south and has a different character: more open, slightly windier, with long views north.
Access: Kenwood car park on Hampstead Lane; from East Heath Road via the long middle Heath path (40 minutes); from Highgate tube (Northern line) on foot (20 minutes).
Best for: Visiting Kenwood House; accessing the Heath from Highgate.
4. East Heath and the Bathing Ponds
The eastern side of the southern Heath contains the three famous bathing ponds: the Men's Pond, the Ladies' Pond, and the Mixed Bathing Pond. The ponds are set in a wooded valley that feels surprisingly rural for Zone 2. Between the ponds and the Vale of Health to the west is a section of gorse and open heath that is among the most attractive on a sunny morning.
Access: East Heath Road for the car park; South End Road for the ponds entrance.
Best for: Swimming (see full wild swimming guide); circular walks from the car park.
5. West Heath
The West Heath sits behind the Hampstead village and is notably quieter and less visited than the southern and eastern sections. The landscape is more varied — gorse, scrub, patches of ancient woodland — and the paths are less well-defined. The Pergola and Hill Garden (a hidden formal garden with elevated walkway) is here and is one of the Heath's best-kept secrets.
Access: From Whitestone Pond (top of Hampstead High Street); from West Heath Road.
Best for: Quiet walks; the Pergola; anyone who finds Parliament Hill too busy.
6. Golders Hill Park
Technically part of the Hampstead Heath complex, Golders Hill Park has a slightly different character: it's more formally maintained, with a free zoo (wallabies, flamingos, deer), a bandstand, formal gardens, and a good café. The park connects to the Heath Extension to the east.
Access: North End Way (near Golders Green); the café and zoo entrance off the main path from the Heath Extension.
Best for: Families with young children; dogs (on lead in the park, off lead in adjacent Heath Extension); the café.
7. The Heath Extension
The wide-open grassland between Golders Hill Park and the main Heath, running roughly east-west along Wildwood Road. The Extension has some of the best open-sky walking on the Heath — fewer trees, longer views, and a wilder character. The area is popular with dog walkers and kite fliers.
Access: From Golders Hill Park to the west; from the North End Way bus stop.
Best for: Dog walking; kite flying; open-sky walking.
Orientation Tips
The ponds are not all the same pond: There are five or six bodies of water on the Heath, each with different uses. The bathing ponds (Men's, Ladies', Mixed) are for swimming. The model boating pond is for model boats, not swimming. The other natural ponds (Viaduct Pond, Stock Pond) are wildlife ponds.
Parliament Hill is not the highest point: The hill provides the best view south, but the actual highest point of the Heath is in the middle section, north of Parliament Hill. Most visitors never visit it.
The Heath has no single entrance: The most used access points are East Heath Road car park (southern Heath), Hampstead tube station (10 minutes west of the Heath), Gospel Oak overground (Parliament Hill athletics track), and Hampstead Lane (Kenwood). All are valid starting points for different walks.
Download an offline map: The Google Maps coverage of the Heath's internal paths is incomplete. The ViewRanger and OS Maps apps have better path data. The City of London Corporation provides a downloadable PDF map of the Heath on their website.
Recommended Walking Routes by Duration
30 minutes: East Heath Road → Parliament Hill summit → return via the ponds path
60 minutes: East Heath Road → Parliament Hill → Viaduct Pond → return via wooded middle path
90 minutes: East Heath Road → Parliament Hill → middle Heath woods → Kenwood lakeside → return
3 hours: Full Heath circuit — East Heath Road → Parliament Hill → Kenwood → Heath Extension → Golders Hill Park → West Heath → Vale of Health → return
Related reading: Hampstead Heath Complete Guide · Best Walks from Hampstead Tube · Wild Swimming at the Ponds
