Where can I find some of the best hiking in the Peak District?
The Peak District is one of the best places to go hiking in the UK. Photo: iStock
Hiking in the Peak District should be on every walker’s bucket list. Alongside hiking in the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales, it is a stunningly beautiful place to explore on foot.
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Most of the Peak District is in northern Derbyshire, but it also includes parts of Cheshire, Staffordshire, Yorkshire and Greater Manchester. It’s so close to northern cities that the area receives millions of visitors each year.
Here are some excellent hikes to be found in the Peak District. Tug on those hiking boots and head for the hills.
Hiking Mam Tor at sunrise with clouds rising over the hills. Photo: iStock
MAM TOR
Mam Tor (which means ‘Mother Hill’) is one of the most famous hills in the Peak District. It’s an easy hike on good solid paths with a couple of steeper climbs. You’ll be rewarded with one of the most spectacular views when you reach the top over the Edale Valley. This hike is 3 miles long and should take you around two hours to complete.
Find a route guide for Mam Tor here
KINDER SCOUT
Kinder Scout is the highest gritstone peak in the Peak District. It’s the first stage of the Pennine Way, a 267 mile trail that starts in the Peaks and ends in Scotland. This hike is for experienced hikers as it starts with a tough uphill ascent in Edale village. Still there’s a reason Kinder Scout is one of the most loved peaks in the Peak District. This particular route is 7.5 miles long, taking around three hours to complete.
Find a route guide for Kinder Scout here
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Dovedale is a beautiful place to go hiking in the Peak District. Photo: iStock
DOVEDALE TO WOLFSCOTE DALE
Dovedale is one of the most beautiful valleys in the Peak District. There are a number of hikes you can take through Dovedale – from easy to more challenging hikes. The route below is one of the more difficult routes, starting in Ilam through Dovedale, Milldale to the amazing Wolfscote Dale. Once you are past the popular sections, the crowds will disperse and it’ll just be you and the countryside. At 13 miles long, it will take around six to seven hours to hike.
Find a route guide for Dovedale to Wolfscote Dale here
TISSINGTON TRAIL
If you are looking for a relatively flat hike, head for the Tissington Trail. It runs alongside an old railway, so it’s accessible for everyone, including those that prefer cycling. This route is an 8 mile walk from the village of Tissington to Alsop en le Dale, dotted with Norman churches and remnants of the old railway. You’ll be treated to great views of the surrounding limestone countryside.
Find a route guide for the Tissington Trail here
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Hike the Roaches, a famous ridge in the Peak District. Photo: iStock
THE ROACHES
The Roaches are one of the coolest geographical features in the Peak District. It is a ridge that runs north of Leek and the Tittesworth reservoir before descending down into a woodland filled with beech and oak trees. Inside this wood, you’ll find Lud’s Church, a high moss-covered gorge where Sir Gawain and the Green Knight from Arthurian legend are said to have fought. Keep your eyes peeled for peregrine falcons. This hike will take you around four and a half hours to cover 8.6 miles.
Find a route guide for The Roaches here
BAMFORD
For a easy mellow hike, try the Bamford walk. It’s a relatively easy hike with a climb towards Bamford Moor. Start at the Ladybower Reservoir and pass through the villages of Bamford and Thornhill. If you like birds, this is a hub for wood warblers, blue tits and pied flycatchers. You’ll be hiking just over 5 miles through this beautiful stretch of the Peaks.
Find a route guide for Bamford hike here
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Eyam in Derbyshire is famous for isolating itself during the plague in the 1600s. Photo: iStock
EYAM
Eyam is a historic plague village which sounds kind of gruesome, but it’s actually fascinating. The brave villagers of Eyam prevented the plague from spreading to the rest of the north of England by isolating themselves, even though it meant 260 out of the 350 villagers ended up dying. This strenuous 9 mile hike starts and finishes at Eyam, crossing over moorland and fields.
Find a route guide for the Eyam hike here
PENNINE WAY
Looking for an extreme challenge? As mentioned above, the Pennine Way is a 267 mile-long hiking trail that starts in the Peak District and ends in Scotland. You can hike it in sections or if you would prefer to take on a serious endeavour, spend three weeks hiking the entire trail. It’s an infamously difficult hike but definitely one for the bucket list.
Find out more about the Pennine Way here
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