A rewarding reserve with a real chance of reptiles and Dartford warblers, but the short-lead rule here is firm — not just for the wildlife but because dogs can get bitten by adders in the heather, and there's a genuine risk of accidental fire from anything dropped in dry weather. Like much of the Purbeck heaths, tracks can close in dry spells if wildfire risk spikes — Wareham Forest itself lost over 220 hectares to fire in 2020, so it pays to check before a summer visit.
The other half of Dorset Wildlife Trust's Tadnoll and Winfrith Heath reserve, designated a National Nature Reserve in 1985 before Dorset Wildlife Trust took on a large part of it in 2000. It holds all six UK native reptile species, including the sand lizard and smooth snake, and grazing animals are present year-round. A surfaced track leads from the car park, with a bird hide and onward routes to Whitcombe Hill and Whitcombe Vale.