The Park is the largest area of moorland in Britain and is famous for grouse hunting. The upland part consists of wild moorland, which is kept healthy by controlled burns, and in August is a glorious sight of purple heather. The landscape was shaped in the last ice age, where glaciers moved in a north to south direction, carving U-shaped valleys which now are used for farming.

There are occasional sections of Roman roads and encampments in the area, and the Park extends to the coast. As with all UK National Parks, the parks are inhabited as the settlements were there long before the parks were formed, but conservation helps preserve the natural beauty of the area. There is a wealth of things to see and do in the moors, including hiking, biking and horse riding.

IDEAS FOR THINGS TO DO

https://www.northyorkmoors.org.uk/things-to-do

A few favorite walks are:

Helmsley Castle to Rievaulx Abbey - 6 miles roundtrip. Moderate. All round great hike.

A glorious countryside walk with historic Rievaulx Abbey ruins – a Cistercian Monastery – as the destination. Tearooms near the ruins.

Ravenscar to Robin Hood’s Bay (or in the other direction)– 7.4 miles roundtrip. Varies from easy to strenuous along the route. All round great hike.

This hike is part of the Cleveland Way and is an excellent hike with loads of interest. Two words of warning though. First, consult the tide tables and time your hike so that you can follow the beach to Robin Hood’s Bay at or close to low tide, and return by the cliff top path, or vice versa – you will be trapped by the incoming tide if you don’t. Second, don’t do this hike if it has been particularly rainy – the cliff path will be impossibly muddy. Park at the Raven Hall Hotel and either take the marked cliff path or the way down to the beach/rock shelves. The cliff path is intersected a couple of times where there are steep steps up and down. Follow the cliff path or the beach to Robin Hood’s Bay for lunch and walk back on the part of the route you didn’t follow to get there.

Bridestones/Bridestones Moor – 3 miles roundtrip. Easy to Moderate.

Starting low Staindale carpark in Dalby Forest, this hike goes up through woodland to Bridestones Moor and the Bridestones, some bizarre-shaped rocks formed in the ice age, and loops back down to the parking lot. Very nice morning or afternoon short hike.

Sinnington to Appleton-le-Moors – 5.5 miles roundtrip. Moderate.

Park near the old village school on the green, and walk up the road toward the church, but do not take a right up the hill to the church. Continue straight on (north) and follow the path through the woods. There are some options to take but they all bring you out at the same place. Follow the footpath signs. You will pass through forest and meadows and past a small white house. Turn right when you reach a lane and walk across the field, crossing a footbridge across the river at Appleton Mill farm. Avoiding the farmyard, walk right, up the lane and turn left along a public footpath where the trees start again (or alternatively stay on the road and you will arrive at the north end of Appleton). If on the footpath, follow the signs and they will eventually lead you upward to the south end of Appleton. Walk up the street to the Moors pub for lunch or drink between 12 pm and 2 pm. To walk back to Sinnington, you can take an alternate route by walking to the sharp corner at the south end of the street (there is only one street) and follow the footpath. You will eventually meet up with the river again and arrive in Sinnington. Cross the bridge back to your car.

Hole of Horcum to Levisham – 7 miles roundtrip (includes side trip for lunch) - Moderate

After driving about 10 minutes north of Pickering you will arrive at the moors and notice a large depression of land to the west. This is the Hole of Horcum (which involves a legend of a giant). Saltersgate carpark requires payment and is on the right just before a hill that goes down to Fylingdales Moor (notice an odd-shaped building in the distance – this is a missile early warning station). Walk either to the bottom of the Hole and up the other side and take the path south toward Levisham where there is a convenient pub as usual or walk around the north and west sides of the rim and arrive at the same place. Walk back on either path. Easy if you do the whole thing on the rim path.

Cleveland Way

This is a 109 mile hike (if you are very ambitious!) that follows the edges of the NYM National Park. Included here because you can easily hike small sections. The following link has trails listed as accessible, easy, moderate and strenuous. https://www.nationaltrail.co.uk/en_GB/trails/cleveland-way/circular-linear-walks-2/

Things to watch out for: bad weather – if it is very foggy, it is surprisingly easy to get disoriented on the moors. Snakes – the only venomous snake is the adder, and they are not often seen. Not as big or dangerous as a rattler but will bite and don’t rattle. Live on moorland.

Registry