A range of accessible walks are on offer in and around our resorts across the Yorkshire Coast and the North York Moors National Park.
Please read the information for each walk to check its suitability. The North York Moors National Park also have more information on their website - Easy access walks in the North York Moors.
1. Cawthorn Roman Camps Easy Access Walk
Nearly 2,000 years ago the Romans built a group of fortifications overlooking the central moorlands of the National Park. This easygoing 1-mile trail offers you the opportunity to discover these remarkable earthworks and to imagine what life must have been like for the legionnaires who built them. The views from the escarpment almost defy description – from this vantage point the splendour of the North York Moors unfolds in front of you.
Great for: easy access, big-sky views, history buffs
Length:1 mile (1.6km)
Time: 45 minutes
Start/Finish: Cawthorn Roman Camps car park, 5 miles (8km) north of Pickering
2. Esk Valley to Beck Hole Easy Access Walk
When the railway came to the Esk Valley in the 1830s it transformed both life and landscape. Explore the line of George Stephenson’s original Whitby to Pickering railway by following a 3-mile level linear route that avoids the hills at the beginning and end of the full ‘Rail Trail’. The starting point is the isolated hamlet of Esk Valley, part of the way along the line from Grosmont, which involves a roundabout approach by road from Grosmont via Egton Bridge (4½ miles/7.5km) or Goathland (5 miles/8km). Your halfway point reward on the walk is the charming hamlet of Beck Hole, which has a fine old riverside pub by the bridge.
Great for: easy access, riverside rambles, history buffs
Length:3 miles (4.8km)
Time: 2 hours
Start/Finish: Parking area, bottom of hill, Esk Valley hamlet
3. Rosedale Mineral Railway Easy Access Walk
Choose a clear day and the panoramic views of Rosedale will reward your efforts on this glorious 1-mile route. As an introduction to the wide sweep of heather moorland you’ll be hard pressed to find a better spot than the moors above Rosedale. The track you follow also forms part of the valley’s industrial heritage – it’s the old railway line for Rosedale’s nineteenth-century ironstone mines.
Great for: easy access, big-sky views, history buffs
Length:1¼ miles (2km)
Time: 1 hour
Start/Finish: Chimney Bank car park, Rosedale Abbey
4. Runswick Bay Easy Access Walk
Take a pleasant 2-mile linear walk along the Runswick Bay clifftop to enjoy wide views over Runswick Bay and Port Mulgrave. It’s an easy access walk that doesn’t descend to the village of Runswick Bay itself, but instead follows the Cleveland Way National Trail as it heads north towards Staithes. The view at the turn-around point of the walk is of the remains of the harbour at Port Mulgrave, which was opened in 1856 to ship iron ore from nearby mines to the furnaces of the northeast. Today, it’s hard to imagine how industrial this area once was – the only sound you’ll hear on the walk is the cry of seabirds and the rustle of the sea breeze in the gorse bushes.
Great for: easy access, coastal capers.
Length: 2 miles (3.2km)
Time: 1 hour
Start/Finish: Upper car park, Runswick Bay
5. Staindale Lake Easy Access Walk
Take a walk around Staindale Lake in the heart of Dalby Forest and you won’t be disappointed. It may only be a half-mile stroll, but the views are superb – and the resident ducks are sure to make you feel welcome if you bring along a packed lunch! Entrance to Dalby Forest is by toll road (admission charged) – follow the signs on the Forest Drive to Staindale and park in the High Staindale car park, at the eastern end of the lake.
Great for: easy access, family walks, nature Lovers
Length:½ mile (800m)
Time: 30 minutes
Start/Finish: High Staindale car park
6. Sutton Bank Easy Access Walk
Start is at Sutton Bank Visitor Centre, SE514829, where there is ample car parking, accessible toilets and café. Overnight stay and electricity are possible by application.
The route heads south on the escarpment to the Kilburn White Horse with stunning views of James Heriot country.
The pathway is a level smooth well maintained surface with numerous seats and viewpoints. The route then follows the southern edge of the Gliding club field swinging north past the Yorkshire Gliding clubhouse.
It joins the High Town Bank road then crosses the A170. It then enters Hambleton Plantation joining the well-marked, well maintained cycle path which will be signposted as disabled routes. However, the cycle route does provide a more interesting surface with small rises, twists and turns to enjoy!
7. Farndale's Famous Daffodil Walk
Enjoy a classic spring walk in the so-called ‘Daffodil Dale’ to see Farndale’s glorious wild daffodils. It’s a straightforward 3½-mile linear route alongside the enchanting River Dove, from Low Mill to Church Houses and back, though there is an alternative return route that climbs through farm fields for some lovely valley views. Depending on the weather, the daffodils are usually out between mid-March and mid-April, but this is a charming walk at any time of year.
Great for: nature nuts, riverside rambles, easy access
Length: 3½ miles (5.6km)
Time: 2 hours
Start/Finish: Low Mill car park, 4 miles (6.4km) northeast of Hutton le Hole
8. Cleveland Way
The Cleveland Way is 109 miles/175km long, with points of interest every step of the Way, enjoying the North York Moors and Coast.
Starting from the attractive market town of Helmsley, The Cleveland Way heads across the stunning North York Moors, before reaching the coast at Saltburn. From here there’s a visual feast along the dramatic North Yorkshire coastline to Filey, passing through old fishing villages, such as Robin Hood's Bay and lively coastal towns such as Scarborough and Whitby.
Anyone who is reasonably fit can walk the Cleveland Way. The route is challenging in places, especially on the Cleveland Hills and some of the coastal sections, but this adds to the overall experience. Whilst the route is well-signed throughout, an up-to-date map or GPS mapping is essential.
You can walk the Cleveland Way at any time of year but if you want to see the moorland heather in bloom, the best time to visit is late August and early September.
Most people walk the route in a clockwise direction from Helmsley to Filey as you are likely to have the wind behind you. But there is no right or wrong way and plenty of people enjoy walking the route in the opposite direction. You can even access the route in bite size sections along the coast taking in some of the most scenic coastal views.
9. Dalby Forest
Dalby - The Great Yorkshire Forest - offers over 8,000 acres of woodlands to explore and enjoy, including play areas for children (at Sneverdale and Adderstone), barbeques for the family and plenty of waymarked trails, cycling and walking, for all abilities. The Visitor Centre is just beyond Low Dalby Village, 1.5 miles from the Thornton Dale entrance. The forest has a nine mile scenic drive with car parks, picnic places and BBQ sites. The Visitor Centre has friendly and helpful staff on hand to provide information and advice and the shop stocks a range of useful maps as well as souvenirs. Visit Treetops restaurant or have fun with the hands-on interactive displays. Go Ape - high wire forest adventure is based near the Visitor Centre. Dalby Courtyard has craft workshops, a café and bike hire. Toilets are available at the Visitor Centre, Dalby Courtyard and at Staindale.
Crosscliff View Trail Easy Access Walk
A short easy access trail on a flat, even surface with extensive views from the viewpoint. Crosscliff provides an outstanding panorama of an ice-age sculpted landscape.
Ellerburn Trail Easy Access Walk
Starting at the Dalby Courtyard near the Visitor Centre, the Ellerburn Trail is a multi-user pathway for disabled cyclists, walkers and wheelchair users as well children learning to ride a bike and parents with pushchairs.
Lakeside Trail Easy Access Walk
This short path along Staindale Lake encircles the lake providing easy access for the less able-bodied, wheelchair users and parents with pushchairs.
Pexton Moor Trail
A circular trail around Pexton Moor taking in the diverse mixture of woodland, scrub and grassland in the area. There are outstanding views over the riggs and dales of Dalby and over Ryedale towards Helmsley.
Waitcliff Trail Easy Access Walk
An easy access trail following compacted stone paths and a forest road around the rim of Waitcliff high above Deepdale and Langdale Forest. This is a very flat route but short sections may be flooded in very wet weather.