The 10 best hikes in Exmoor National Park

The 10 best hikes in Exmoor National Park

The best walks in Exmoor National Park showcase one of England's wildest and most diverse landscapes

My first experience of Exmoor was in my youth when I read an illustrated children's version of Lorna Doone: A Romance of Exmoor. The historical adventure novel is set in the 17th century and features an outlaw clan (the Doones) roaming a wild landscape (Exmoor).

The novel is essentially a love story with a dash of kidnapping, revenge and rebellion - everything a little boy who dreams of adventure and rescuing virgins would want in a book (especially one with pictures).

Years later I wandered the Doone Valley on a family holiday and was mesmerized by the ethereal beauty of the high moor. It's a sprawling landscape of moorland, woodland, valleys and farmland that can sometimes feel remarkably empty under its big sky.

The wildness, tranquility and cream teas of Exmoor remind me of Dartmoor in many ways. But with a thrilling coastline of towering cliffs rising above the Bristol Channel, Exmoor offers another element to its landscape that reinforces its credentials as one of England's leading walking destinations.

That's why we've rounded up the best walks in Exmoor National Park, an inspiring area of ​​England with an extraordinary variety of landscapes.

Best hikes in Exmoor National Park

Declared a national park in 1954, Exmoor National Park covers an area of ​​693km2 with over 1,000km of footpaths, bridleways and some excellent hiking trails.

From coastal walks over coal-black cliffs to long hikes across remote moorland, we've picked out the best walks in Exmoor National Park.

For more information about things to do and where to stay in Exmoor, visit the national park website.

1. Valley of the Rocks

Distance: 5.8 km (3.6 miles)Duration: 2 hoursDifficulty: Medium

Steve Heap/ShutterstockThe Valley of Rocks hike gives the feeling of a lost world

This atmospheric circular walk follows the coastal border of the park and through a rugged valley that was once home to the River Lyn until it changed course to Lynmouth. In its wake, the river left behind the eerie Valley of Rocks, which inspired writers such as Samuel Taylor Coleridge and William Wordsworth.

The highlight of the route is the acute-angled Devon stone Castle Rock, which towers over the delightfully remote bay of Wringcliff Bay. On a clear day the scenery is idyllic, but as the fog rolls in, the landscape takes on the feel of a lost world straight out of Arthur Conan Doyle's classic novel.

2. Darker

Distance: 6.4 km (4 miles)Duration: 2 hoursDifficulty: Easy to moderate

Billy Stock/ShutterstockThe medieval village of Dunster

Near the park's eastern boundaries, high on a hill in Somerset, sits Dunster Castle, overlooking the alluring medieval village of Dunster. The path begins in the village and leads to a number of attractions including a churchyard, a restored 16th-century tithe barn and a 17th-century market square, all guarded by the imposing castle.

The path then heads south out of the village and crosses the River Avill before completing a circuit of the surrounding countryside, which includes a wildlife park and an Iron Age hill fort. Here you can enjoy impressive panoramic views of Dunster Castle, the Bristol Channel and South Wales, as well as inland the Quantock Hills and rolling Exmoor.

3. Horner wood

Distance: 7.8km (4.8mi)Duration: 2-3 hoursDifficulty: Moderate

Martin Fowler/ShutterstockThe bubbling Horner water

This exceptional walk along a well-maintained bridleway explores the Holnicote Estate and the surrounding 800 hectares of Horner Wood, one of Exmoor's best-preserved ancient oak woodlands and a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest.

Horner Wood is one of the park's best spots for wildlife viewing, with deer, butterflies and birds (including pied flycatchers, wood warblers and woodpeckers) all likely to be seen. The forest is also a refuge for over 400 species of fungi, 200 species of lichen and 14 species of bats.

The final part of the walk follows the River Horner, also known as Horner Water, through the hamlet of the same name, where you can (should) stop for lunch, scones or cake (or all three) at the Horner Tea Gardens.

4. Doone Valley Circuit

Distance: 8.8 km (5.5 miles)Duration: 2 hoursDifficulty: Easy to moderate

Helen Hotson/ShutterstockThe bridge and ford at Malmsmead in the Doone Valley

The mystical Badgworthy Valley - also known as Doone Valley - is home to the evil Doone family in the novel and offers a range of peaceful walks and historic sites. If you've read the book, it's easy to recognize the Exmoor landscape that inspired RD Blackmore's classic story.

When I visited the Doone Valley I completed a route from Cloud Farm Campsite to Malmsmead. The circular route we have chosen takes in the famous valley as well as an extensive loop through the countryside via the hamlet of Oare and the rolling hills of County Gate, where Devon and Somerset meet.

DavidYoung/ShutterstockThe moors above Doone Valley

The National Trust website also recommends a number of alternative walks around the Doone Valley.

5. Dunkery Beacon

Distance: 10 km (6.2 miles)Duration: 2-3 hoursDifficulty: Easy to moderate

DWB Photography/ShutterstockWild ponies on Exmoor

At 519 m (1,703 ft), Dunkery Beacon, at the summit of Dunkery Hill, is the highest point in Exmoor and Somerset. On the way to the summit it is very likely that you will see one or two Exmoor ponies.

According to the Exmoor Pony Society, which was founded in 1921 to preserve the now rare breed of horse, the Exmoor pony is Britain's oldest native pony breed and is considered virtually unchanged from the original wild ponies that roamed Britain thousands of years ago.

Tom Meaker/ShutterstockThe summit of Dunkery Beacon

The top of the hill is marked with a large distinctive cairn and offers phenomenal 360 degree views. On a clear day you can see as far south as Dartmoor, east to the Mendips and Quantock Hills, north across the Bristol Channel to South Wales and west across the checkered fields of North Devon to the rocky outcrop of Hartland Point at the north-western tip of the Devon coast.

6. East Lyn River

Distance: 11km (6.8km)Duration: 3-4 hoursDifficulty: Easy to moderate

alt="Watersmeet in Exmoor National Park">Tom Meaker/ShutterstockThe confluence of the East Lyn River and Hoar Oak Water at Watersmeet

Rising high above Exmoor, the East Lyn River flows along Devon's East Lyn Valley to the charming village of Lynmouth. This popular figure-eight trail begins in Lynmouth and follows the river upstream to Rockford before heading back to the coast.

The path crosses the river at Watersmeet, where the East Lyn and Hoar Oak rivers converge. Watersmeet House has been serving teas here since 1901 and really shouldn't be missed.

The Rockford Inn, tucked away in the remote Brendon Valley, is also an alternative – or additional – midway pit stop.

7. Tarr Steps

Distance: 11.7km (7.3mi)Duration: 3-4 hoursDifficulty: Moderate

Julian Gazzard/ShutterstockTarr steps

The gentle walk along the winding River Barle and through deep woodland is a firm favorite among visitors to Exmoor. The Steps, an ancient bascule bridge built entirely from large stone slabs and boulders, dates back to around 1000 BC. BC and are the longest of their kind in Britain.

According to legend, the huge plates (weighing up to five tons each) were placed by the devil to win a bet with a local giant. The route winds along the river before curving through Withypool and rising to take in magnificent views over Exmoor.

8. Elwill Bay

Distance: 11.9 km (7.4 miles)Duration: 3-4 hoursDifficulty: Medium

Charlesy/ShutterstockView across the moorland towards Elwill Bay

This stunning coastal circular walk follows part of the South West Coast Path before turning inland to the mini-summit of Holdstone Hill (347m/1,139ft).

As well as spectacular sea views over Elwill Bay, the trail passes through enchanting forest, alongside a pretty stream and across fields of heather, which is at its brightest purple in July and August.

Most who complete the walking tour end up at the Hunter’s Inn, which serves a range of hearty pub classics as well as light bites, snacks and hot and cold drinks.

9. Porlock Bay

Distance: 13.6 km (8.5 miles)Duration: 4-5 hoursDifficulty: Moderate

alt="Porlock Bay and heathland on Exmoor">Helen Hotson/ShutterstockSunset over Porlock Bay

The North Devon coast between Lilliputan Harbor at Porlock Weir and rugged Hurlstone Point is a classic clifftop walk. The area is home to a mix of saltwater and freshwater marshes with abundant wildlife, as well as impressive pebble beaches stretching beneath winding cliffs.

The route follows parts of the South West Coast Path and walkers visiting in July and August can expect the moors to be awash in a touch of purple heather.

The prescribed way to mark the completion of the walk is to relax on the Porlock Weir Hotel's terrace overlooking the waters of the bay.

10. Two Moors Trail

Distance: 36km (22.4mi)Duration: 2-3 daysDifficulty: Difficult

Peter Turner Photography/ShutterstockThe Two Moors Way crosses Exmoor and Dartmoor

The Two Moors Way is an unofficial long-distance footpath that crosses Exmoor and Dartmoor. It's a different approach to the coast-to-coast experience as the trail traverses 188km (117 miles) from the North Devon coast to the South Devon coast.

The Exmoor part of the trail roughly dissects the national park, which runs between Lynmouth on the North Devon coast and the village of Hawkridge, one of the oldest communities on the moor. This section is usually divided into three manageable day hikes ranging from 10km to 20km in length.

The course naturally showcases the best of Exmoor as it traverses the park, passing the Doone Valley and the Tarr Steps along the way. The path then leaves Exmoor and continues south across Dartmoor via Ivybridge to Wembury on the South Devon coast.

Main image: HELEN HOTSON/Shutterstock

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