Dartmoor National Park
A land of contrasts
Wild, open moorlands and deep river valleys, with a rich history and rare wildlife, striking tors and swathes of heather, Dartmoor will touch your soul.
With 450 miles of paths to walk, cycle, run or ride, thousands of archaeological sites and features to discover the past, Dartmoor is packed full of stunning views that steal your breath, mysterious stories to intrigue and spaces to simply sit and be.
Key activities
Exploring
Follow one of the many routes such as the Dartmoor Way or Wray Valley Trail on foot or by bike. Or maybe take a compass and a map to explore the moor in your own way.
Eating & Drinking
What can be more rewarding after a long (or short!) walk than visiting one of Dartmoorβs pubs, restaurants or tea houses. Whether you prefer gourmet food or a cream tea, there are plenty of choices.
Discovering
Dip into Dartmoorβs incredible history, find out more about its rare wildlife and special habitats. Come along to one of our many events or discover for yourself.
Special qualities
Overview
βI have never before, in my long and eclectic career, been gifted with such an abundance of natural beauty as I experienced filming War Horse on Dartmoor.β Steven Spielberg.
Dartmoorβs granite tors, rich coloured rivers and open landscapes have inspired authors, poets and artists for years. From Arthur Conan Doyleβs Sherlock Holmes, Agatha Christieβs detective Poirot and the evocative works of Widgery to the contemporary folk songs of Seth Lakeman.
Steeped in history Dartmoor is the most important site for Bronze Age archaeology in western Europe, itβs home to the Dartmoor pony which can be seen grazing wild with foals close by and itβs the only place in the world where you can find the tiny Bog Hoverfly. In Dartmoorβs woodlands you might spot the worldβs largest land slug the whopping Black Ash Slug that can exceed 20cm!
Find a river side spot for a picnic, walk Stallmoor stone row β the longest in the world, explore a hut circle and cross a clapper bridge or climb a tor and take in the natural beauty of Dartmoor, it will leave you uplifted, refreshed and revived.
Did you know?
Enjoying Dartmoor
Dartmoor doesnβt just have places, it has special places. These are places that are set apart from the ordinary or the mundane. This could be due to their history, their setting, their offer or often due to all of this and more.
Start your journey in one ofΒ Dartmoorβs towns or villages and discover what makes them so special. Maybe itβs because theyβre a market town, a Medieval Stannary town or just a great place to start a walk or ride from.Β What you can be sure of is the welcome and the quality of the food and drink.
Venturing further up on to the Moor, come and discover one of three National Park Visitor Centres. With a wealth of natural and built beauty, opportunities for short or long walksΒ and things to do for people of all ages, they make great bases to explore Dartmoor.
Getting around
Dartmoor can be explored on foot, bike, horse or vehicle. There are several bus services running from the main moorland towns and for hassle free travel there are organised trips with a variety of coach companies.
Getting there
Dartmoor National Park has train stations nearby in Exeter, Newton Abbot, Totnes, Ivybridge and Plymouth. The average journey time from London is 4 hours.
Exeter Airport offers access from the rest of the UK and internationally.
There are good road links to the gateway moorland towns.
