🇳🇱Utrecht — Leusden

Leusderheide

Updated: August 10, 2026

The Leusderheide on the Utrechtse Heuvelrug ridge is one of the oldest military training grounds in the Netherlands: exercises have been held here since the 19th century. The terrain near Leusden and Soesterberg is mainly used for driver training with tracked and wheeled vehicles and — unlike many other areas — is never open to the public.

The relief of the ridge makes the Leusderheide special: drift-sand ridges and elevation differences of up to fifty metres give the terrain a character rarely found on the flat sandy soils elsewhere. That also makes it interesting for map work: contour lines truly matter here. On this page you can see the MGRS zone, the terrain features and an interactive map with 3D view of the area.

On the map

LeusderheideOpen in MilMap
MILMAP

MilMap on this ground

On the broken Leusderheide it pays to study the elevation profile beforehand: MilMap's terrain layer reveals the drift-sand ridges and hollows that are hard to judge from the ground. You lay out routes and rally points in MGRS, and the flyover lets you scout the sightlines across the ridge in advance.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the Leusderheide?

The Leusderheide lies on the Utrechtse Heuvelrug between Leusden and Soesterberg, in the province of Utrecht.

Can you enter the Leusderheide?

No — the Leusderheide is permanent military terrain and closed to the public, even outside of exercises.

Which MGRS zone covers the Leusderheide?

The Leusderheide falls within UTM grid zone 31U. The exact MGRS coordinate of the centre point is shown at the top of this page.