Dartmoor National Park is just an hour’s drive from the English Riviera with the new South Devon Highway making day trips easy. Dartmoor is a stunningly beautiful ancient landscape with deep wooded valleys, fast flowing rivers, rolling hills, towering rock formations (called tors) and rugged landscapes. This special place is steeped in legend and folklore and you’ll love the country pubs, hidden hamlets and the rugged, free roaming Dartmoor ponies that make a Devon day out here a delight.
National Park Visitor Centres
National Park Visitor Centres are a great place to start your visit. Their friendly and knowledgeable advisers will help you get the most out of your visit. The Visitor Centres are stocked with maps, books and leaflets, as well as attractive local gifts from The Dartmoor Range. You can find them at Princetown, Postbridge and Haytor. FIND OUT MORE
Walking and Cycling
There are dozens of walking trails on the moors and if you want to make it even more fun for the kids check out Geocaching. You can find out more from reading our dedicated blog. FIND OUT MORE
Dartmoor National Park Authority suggests traffic-free trails, quiet forest tracks, challenging bridleways and historic rural lanes to enjoy at your own pace. Dartmoor is a great place to cycle with an extensive network of quiet lanes and designated cycle routes, together with over 350km of bridleways and byways. However, cycling on the open moorland or common land is not permitted unless it is on a designated bridleway or permitted route.
To help you plan great routes on and around Dartmoor, the Dartmoor and Surrounding Area for Cyclists map is invaluable. This tough, detailed waterproof map shows cycle routes for off-roading or touring and is available to buy from the National Park Visitor Centres.
Alternatively, you can hire bikes from Devon Cycle Hire and take a ride along the traffic-free Granite Way Cycle Trail. FIND OUT MORE
History and Attractions
As well as the natural beauty of Dartmoor, there are also a variety of attractions that are within an easy drive of Devon’s English Riviera including Castle Drogo and Buckfast Abbey. For a great family day out, take the kids to the Buckfast Butterfly Farm, Becky Falls, Canonteign Falls or Morwellham Quay. Dartmoor Prison Museum high up on the moor at mysterious Princetown has many tales to tell with a fascinating archive of some of the famous prisoners, memorabilia, manacles and weapons as well as insignia and uniforms. Children will love beautiful Chagford’s open air, river-fed, (but heated) swimming pool that opens from late May until mid-September. Chagford has a surprising number of stylish independent shops, ancient pubs and wonderful eateries so it’s well worth a visit.
Miles without Styles
Dartmoor National Park is here for everyone to enjoy and explore, no matter what your level of ability, needs or background. Miles Without Stiles are stile-free routes, meaning that they are suitable for those with limited mobility. These routes are suitable for a wide range of users including those in all-terrain powered mobility scooters and families with younger children.
Enjoy Dartmoor – Full Guide
Enjoy Dartmoor is packed with useful information, interesting features and stories, plus some great activity ideas for how you can really enjoy Dartmoor. It also contains a handy map. DOWNLOAD GUIDE