Looking for the best walks on Dartmoor National Park? Look no further as this extensive list will give you all the best routes for any adventure on Dartmoor.
There is no doubt that Dartmoor National Park is one of the best spots for walking in the UK, with ancient woodlands, granite tors, reservoirs, and waterfalls ready to explore. You are sure to be swept up in the wilderness of this impressive national park.
To get you started exploring Dartmoor I’ve compiled my eight favourite walks on the Moors along with details on how to get there, route length and my top tips..
Contents
Best walks on Dartmoor National Park
1. Haytor Quarry
Route type: Circular
Time: 40 minutes
Start: Haytor Upper Car Park/Haytor Rock
This gorgeous little walk is perfect for those looking for a quick taster of what the Moor has to offer. It will take you down across Haytor, past the impressive rock formations, along the ancient tramlines and into a beautiful, secluded quarry before looping back around. The quarry is the perfect place to stop for a picnic or if you ‘re feeling brave you could even go for a quick dip! One of my favourite and the best walks on Dartmoor National Park.
2. Teign Gorge Circular
Route type: Circular
Time: 2hours 30mins
Start: Castle Drogo car park
Another great circular walk, this one doesn’t take you up and around any of the actual moor, but it does follow a beautiful gorge and river with several beautiful landscapes and the option to stop in a great pub for lunch half way! This trail will also take you across several local bridges and into Fingle woods famous for its variety of wildlife!
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3. Fernworthy Reservoir
Route type: Circular
Time: 2hours 30mins
Start: Fernworthy carpark
Another fave spot of mine, this is one of the best walks on Dartmoor National Park. Explore a beautiful reservoir and enjoy some great wildlife on this route taking you around the whole of Fernworthy reservoir.
There are plenty of spots to take a break and enjoy the local birdlife with hides located along the trail. The track here leads you right up to the edge of the reservoir as well as through an ancient woodland!
4. Burrator
Route type: Circular
Time: 1.5-2 hours
Start: Burrator carpark
This beautiful route will take you on a laidback adventure across the South of Dartmoor, giving glorious views of the reservoir as well as the moorland. The paths on this trail are relatively flat and well maintained making it a great route for those looking to ease themselves into Dartmoor and what it has to offer.
5. Meldon Viaduct
Route type: Circular
Time: 1.5-2 hours
Start: Meldon Reservoir
Enjoy the beautiful view of Meldon viaduct and reservoir on this circular walk that will take you along the popular granite way. This walk is perfect for snapping some iconic shots of the viaduct and reservoir so be sure to take your camera with you! The start can be a bit muddy in wetter weather, so be slightly wary however it eventually follows a more well traversed path. A must visit of the best walks on Dartmoor National Park.
6. Stover Country Park
Route type: Circular
Time: 40 minutes- 1 hour
Start: Stover Country Park
This walk is definitely one for the wildlife lovers! At Stover you can find a whole host of different bird life and other species in and around the main lake. Stover is also wheelchair and accessibility friendly making it the perfect spot for everyone to enjoy. You can even choose to go along the aerial walk way or into the forest if you want to keep exploring the wildlife.
7. Princetown
Route type: Linear
Time: 40 minutes- 1 hour
Start: Princetown centre
This is probably the easiest Dartmoor walk included on my list; but it definitely deserves a place as its great for those with limited time that still want to get a taste of the iconic moor!
This linear route will take you out of Princetown centre and up onto the moor via a medieval bridleway, where you can enjoy views across the moor and on clear days you can even see the ocean down in Plymouth! You can finish your walk by visiting the Dartmoor visitor centre or one of the cosy lunch spots in the town.
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8. Bellever Forest
Route type: Linear
Time: 40 minutes- 1 hour
Start: Bellever Forest car park
Enjoy a different side of Dartmoor with this forest walk, that will take you through the gorgeous forest and round to the iconic Clapper bridge which is perfect for picnics and photos! This walk will take you through the forest before following the river along to the bridge, you can often see a herd of wild ponies here enjoying the shade in the trees!
So which of these is your favourite best walks on Dartmoor National Park?
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My Travel Tips and Recommendations
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Thank you for reading and as always happy adventuring! If you have any questions about the destination please leave these in the comments below.
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