Lawns
There is a wide flat lawn across the northern part of the castle grounds. Sloping lawns lead south toward the forest and border the lake. Lawns are also where you can find the Gamekeeper's Hut, greenhouses, vegetable patches, and training grounds.

Courtyards & Gardens
The courtyards and gardens are outdoor areas of the castle, and popular hangout areas in between classes or during breaks, or during nice weather. The courtyards are enclosed by the walls of the castle, but the gardens are open areas that are meticulously maintained with flowers, hedge sculptures and fountains.

Quidditch Pitch
The pitch is an elongated oval playing area with three golden hoops at each end and surrounded by spectator stands. There is a secondary pitch that is used for training; it does not have any spectator stands to protect other teams from spying.

Forbidden Forest
The forest borders the edge of the grounds; in November 2005, the northern part of the forest that leads into Hogsmeade was damaged in a fire. Other than for classes and detentions, the forest is off-limits to students, but as the forest is massive, this is almost impossible to enforce.

Great Lake
A large body of water, the Great Lake is located to the south of Hogwarts Castle. Students have been known to swim in the lake, despite not only its cold temperature but also its many dangerous magical creatures (the Giant Squid, however, is semi-domesticated).