Today at 3:55 PM • Updated today at 4:30 PM
The northern part of the Beekdal on Landgoed de Utrecht is no longer accessible to visitors for the time being. The nature reserve near Reusel-De Mierden and Hilvarenbeek was closed immediately on Tuesday because there are many dead and unstable trees. They can suddenly fall over or lose heavy branches, making it too dangerous for visitors to the forest to enter the area.
The Beekdal is part of Landgoed De Utrecht, a vast nature reserve in the Kempen that borders Belgium. In recent years, the estate, with 1,600 hectares of forest, has had to deal with increasingly extreme weather conditions.
Flooding and drought have negative consequences for the trees. Beech trees in particular are sensitive to rapid changes in moisture and temperature, which causes them to die more quickly.
Root rot
A large amount of rain fell in 2023 and 2025, causing the soil in the nature reserve to be saturated for a long time. This caused tree roots to receive insufficient oxygen, which led to root rot and weakening of stability.
According to the managers of Landgoed De Utrecht, it is not only wet years that are a problem for the trees. The dry periods of recent years have also left their mark. Weakened trees have difficulty absorbing the drought and are becoming increasingly in poor condition.
Risk of falling over, even in light winds
The result is a forest area where trees can fall unexpectedly, even when there is hardly any wind. That is why the northern part of the Beekdal has been closed since Tuesday. People who ignore the ban can be prosecuted and pay for any damages.
Tree safety experts will investigate and restore the area in the near future. It is not yet known when visitors will be welcome again.
Boscafé open
Herberg In Den Bockenryder received a lot of phone calls on Tuesday from people wondering whether they can still go for a beer, bouncer or apple turnover.
The owner can reassure them: the terrace of the popular café is open as usual. “There is nothing wrong here, and you can also take a nice walk along the Reusel,” he says. “The area that is closed is a little further north. It is clearly indicated with signs that you cannot pass through.”