Top 15 National Park walks
Walking is the most popular activity in the UK's National Parks. We have miles of stunning countryside, spectacular views and local food to fuel you on your way, so what better way to unwind and rejuvenate body, mind and soul...
CHOOSING a favourite National Park walk is a bit like trying to choose your best Desert Island Discs. Everyone has their favourites but it’s a challenge to narrow down the list.
Maybe you like hard mountain hikes like the Pyg Track up Snowdon in Snowdonia National Park or Keswick fells in the Lake District National Park.
Perhaps you’re more of a long-distance walker - for you we have the spectacular Pembrokeshire Coast Path in Pembrokeshire Coast National Park or the South Downs Way.
But not all walks need to leave your thighs aching and your feet in need of a good soak.
There are walks for all ages and abilities - we have accessible trails suitable for people with pushchairs, wheelchairs, limited mobility or simply for those whose legs aren't as young as they used to be.
And moderate walks to challenge older children and adults who want to get out and about in Britain’s Breathing Spaces.
The UK’s family of 15 National Parks are free for all to visit – all you need to enjoy them is the right gear, some half-decent weather, a map and a sense of adventure!
The list below is just a taster of what these beautiful, inspirational live-and-work landscapes have to offer.
Our top 15 National Park walks 15 UK - and one chosen by you!
Easy walks (easy peasey)
1. Barton Broad Boardwalk, The Broads
The boardwalk is easily accessible by wheelchair and takes you on a journey of discovery into a lost world which has remained isolated for half a century. The mystery trail leads through wildlife-filled wet woodland, emerging to give a view over the broad.
www.enjoythebroads.com/barton-broad-boardwalk
2. Blackwater Arboretum Trail, New Forest National Park
Experience the majestic Douglas firs and redwoods of the New Forest. Many date back to 1859 when it was the vogue to grow exotic trees. The Blackwater Arboretum houses a beautiful collection of trees from many countries and the sensory trail encourages you to touch, smell and listen to the sound of the trees.
www.newforestnpa.gov.uk/easy-walks/blackwater
3. Aysgarth Falls and Freeholders’ Wood, Yorkshire Dales National Park
Aysgarth Falls is a spectacular stretch of water in Lower Wensleydale. The tree-lined River Ure drops over a triple flight of waterfalls seen in the 1991 film Robin Hood Prince Of Thieves. The walk takes you through a local nature reserve, home to red squirrels, roe deer and dormice. It’s an accessible route suitable for people who are less mobile or families with buggies.
www.yorkshiredales.org.uk/accessforall-wensleydale.pdf
4. Inchcailloch Island, Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park
Take the water bus from Balmaha to an island known as the ‘jewel in Loch Lomond’s crown’. You’ll find history, legend and unspoilt nature on the island. Take one of two paths – the low path, a gentle woodland walk or the summit path, a steeper climb (each take 30 to 45 minutes) – but don’t forget to stop and enjoy the view.
www.lochlomond-trossachs.org/short-to-moderate-walks/inchcailloch
www.lochlomond-trossachs.org/visiting/water-bus
Moderate walks (middle of the road)
5. Anagach Woods, Grantown on Spey, Cairngorms National Park
Anagach Woods surrounds the highland town of Grantown on Spey and offers some of the finest low-level walking in the highlands. All routes are clearly marked and walks range from one to four hours long. You may be lucky enough to see capercaillie [CORR], crossbills or red squirrels.
visitcairngorms.com/Local-Walking-Routes
www.visitgrantown.co.uk/enjoy/walking
6. Postbridge circular walk, Dartmoor National Park
The Postbridge walk is a six-mile circular walk from Postbridge Information Centre and includes far-reaching views from Hartland Tor, historical remains from Dartmoor's industrial past and a stunning waterfall. This walk is available with audio guide including music by Dartmoor folk musician, Seth Lakeman.
www.dartmoor-npa.gov.uk/audiowalk-postbridge-circular
7. Combe Martin and the Hangmans, Exmoor National Park
This is a five-mile walk beginning in the pretty village of Combe Martin [CORR] which is well-known for its rocks, minerals and remains of past mining as well as its beach. This hill and valley walk also offers stunning views from the headland at Great Hangman, Britain’s highest sea cliff.
www.exmoor-nationalpark.gov.uk/the-hangmans-walk
8. Breamish Valley and Cochrane Pike, Northumberland National Park
On this invigorating four-mile walk in the wild and wonderful Cheviot Hills you may be lucky enough to hear skylarks or spot red kites. Throw in great views a taste of history and you’ve got the flavour of this walk. Look out for the remains of two Bronze Age burials at Turf Knowe and of four hut circles on Cochrane Pike.
www.northumberlandnationalpark.org.uk/cochranepikewalk
9.Great Ayton Circuit via the Cleveland Way, North York Moors National Park
This seven-miler along part of the Cleveland Way National Trail begins in Great Ayton where Captain James Cook went to school. It takes around five hours and offers great views, an iconic landscape (Roseberry Topping, sometimes called the ‘Yorkshire Matterhorn’), moorland, woodland and passes Cook’s monument on Easby Moor.
www.nationaltrail.co.uk/ClevelandWay/Great_Ayton.pdf
www.northyorkmoors.org.uk/cleveland-way
10.Latrigg Summit with views of Keswick, Lake District National Park
The Latrigg walk is a stunner, taking you on a long, gentle climb to the 368-metre summit. This six-mile moderate walk will reward you with one of the finest views of the town of Keswick and of beautiful lake Derwentwater beyond. The walk should take around 3-4 hours.
www.lakedistrict.gov.uk/kw-nu_latrigg_walk.pdf
Hard walks (humdingers)
11. Pembrokeshire Coast Path, Pembrokeshire Coast National Park
You don’t have to do the whole 186-mile long Pembrokeshire Coast path to get a flavour of the breathtaking coastal scenery on offer – but imagine the satisfaction of completing this awesome National Trail which also offers fabulous wildlife and marine life (seals, anyone?).
12. Snowdon via the Pyg Track, Snowdonia National Park
This seven-mile route up Snowdon isn’t for the faint-hearted! This is the most rugged and challenging of the six paths up Snowdon, which leads up Crib Goch and along the ridge – the path is extremely dangerous and should not be attempted by novice walkers. It takes around six hours.
www.eryri-npa.gov.uk/Hard-Mountain-Walks/pyg-track
13. Stanage Edge from Hathersage, Peak District National Park
A nine-mile walk from the village of Hathersage [CORR] up the Stanage Edge and back, this walk offers superb views of the Derwent and Hope Valleys, Mam Tor and Kinder Scout.
www.peakdistrictwalks/stanage-edge.pdf
www.peakdistrict.gov.uk/getactive-walking
14. South Downs Way, South Downs National Park
The South Downs Way is a 100-mile long National Trail lying in the South Downs National Park. Walking this exceptional route from Winchester in the west to Beachy Head at Eastbourne offers views of some of the finest landscapes in Britain.
www.southdowns.gov.uk/south-downs-way
www.nationaltrail.co.uk/southdowns
15. Beacons Way, Brecon Beacons National Park
The 95-mile Beacons Way offers beautiful scenery – the ruins of Llanthony Abbey and the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal – and challenging summits including Pen y Fan (886m) and Corn Du (873m). It continues on into the less well-known, but equally dramatic Western Beacons. The walk is divided into eight sections taking eight days to complete.
www.breconbeacons.org/walking/beacons-way
Notes
There are 15 Members of the National Park Family - 14 National Parks namely Brecon Beacons, Cairngorms, Dartmoor, Exmoor, The Lake District, Loch Lomond and The Trossachs, The New Forest, Northumberland, North York Moors, The Peak District, Pembrokeshire Coast, Snowdonia, South Downs and The Yorkshire Dales; and the Broads which has equivalent status to a National Park.
And here's one chosen by you:
16. The People's Choice walk is...Snowdon!
This is a walking destination, rather than a single walk.
It was nominated by all you UK National Parks Facebook fans and Twitter followers as your favourite mountain to climb - and there are (lucky you!) six ways up to choose from, including the Pyg Track (see walk no. 12, above).
It's tough going, unless you cheat and take the train, but worth every bit of effort. Here's a link to the other routes up Eryri (as it's known in Welsh). Happy trails.
