GR 512 connects the cities of Diest and Geraardsbergen with a 173 km stretch in an east-westerly direction through Flemish Brabant and East Flanders. You explore picturesque corners and historic buildings in Diest. You are going through the hilly landscape of Hageland, Brabant forests and valleys, the tradition-rich Pajottenland and the Dender valley. The Houwaartse berg full of vines, the castles of Horst, Beersel and Gaasbeek and traditional square farms crosses your way. You step between majestic trees in the Walenbos, Meerdaalwoud, Zoniënwoud, Neigembos and Raspaillebos.

This loop is located in Theodore Roosevelt National Park. It is sometimes referred to as the East Loop and offers more solitude than the loop formed by the Lower Talkington and Lower Paddock trails. The Upper Talkington Trail gains elevation going east until it climbs up onto the rim. This part of the loop is mostly dry and has spectacular sandstone and clay formations. You then run along the rim for about 1 ½ miles before heading back into the rock formations on the Upper Paddock Creek trail. The Paddock Creek trail can be wet and muddy in places. There are a few steep drop offs.