Sihlwald: Hiking in the wilderness park

What do you do when you spend the weekend in Zurich and really feel the urge for colourful forests, leaves, views and healthy air? Quite simply, you take the train and head into the wilderness. The train ride from Zurich main station to Sihlwald takes just under 25 minutes – the gateway to the wilderness, so to speak.

In 2009, the Sihlwald Nature Adventure Park was awarded the label “Park of National Importance” by the federal government. The special thing about the Sihlwald is that it embodies the rare example of a large-scale original beech forest. This type of forest used to cover more than 80% of the area of Central Europe. However, agriculture, forestry and infrastructure construction have ensured that only small fragments remain. It is all the more astonishing that there is such a fairytale forest landscape in the immediate vicinity of the greater Zurich area.

In the Sihlwald, animal lovers, sports fanatics and nature seekers get their money’s worth. In the Zurich Langenberg Wilderness Park, you can come face to face with bears, wolves and lynxes. It is therefore a popular destination for families with children. Otherwise, there are miles of hiking, cycling and riding trails.

Start of the hike at Sihlwald train station

We start our hike at the Sihlwald train station with the destination Albishorn. However, it should not be forgotten that we are still close to Zurich and the Horn is located at a modest 900 m above sea level. I always have to smile a bit when I read posts where people in Zurich have supposedly spotted lush alpine pastures and mountains (real mountains). Of course, I grew up in the Bernese foothills of the Alps with a far more impressive panorama ;).

After just a few metres, the thicket swallows the noise of the Sihltalstrasse. It’s almost eerily quiet in the forest. This is probably due to the fact that most of the birds have already fled to the south. The hiking trail is covered with a thick layer of leaves. But it still has them, the colorful leaves that defy wind and weather and cling to the branches with the last of their strength.

We are here in the middle of the core zone of the wilderness park. To the left and right of the hiking trail, we are offered an exciting mix of old giant trees, some up to the crowns, entwined with ivy, young shoots and dead wood lying around. Since the forest has become a nature park, it has been left to its own devices and no longer managed. In between, there is also a fallen tree on the way.

The ascent to the Albishorn provides a few drops of sweat at the end. But it’s worth it, because the view from the top is priceless. The view sweeps over the almost endless canopy of leaves far into the greater Zurich area.

We continue on the “ridge”. Up here we are spared from further tough climbs and can devote our attention entirely to the beautiful view. Although the ridge path is signposted as a hiking trail, bikers occasionally get lost on it. Funnily enough, we met more bikers than hikers on the way – but as the saying goes: “The grass on the other side is always greener”.

Hochwacht observation tower

Another panoramic highlight is the Hochwacht observation tower. From up here you can see as far as Lake Zug. On a clear day, you would probably even spot one or the other “real” mountain on the horizon.

Key data of the hike Hike through the Sihlwald Wilderness Park

The map shows our route. The route is about 7.25 km long, includes an ascent of 550 meters and a descent of about 200 meters in altitude. It took us just under 2.5 hours (with a short break on the Alibshorn). The starting point is Sihlwald railway station (S4 from Zurich main station SZU to Sihlwald). On the Albis Pass there is a post bus stop of the Sihlwald line from Hausen a. A. via Langnau (train station, connection to S4) to Thalwil.

Starting point	Sihlwald, Railway Station
Length	7.60 kilometers
Elevation gain	↗ 573 m 267 m ↘
Duration	2:37 p.m.
Destination	Langnau a.A., Albispasshöhe

Are you looking for more excursions around Zurich? Then take a look at my 9 tips with beautiful excursion destinations around Zurich.