Hiking

“Spend more time in the WILD”

— Abbey Barnes

Easy (Low Elevation & Well-Paved Paths)

Ideal for beginners, multi-day introductory long-distance walks, or those seeking flat, scenic river and coastal walking.

1. Thames Path

  • Distance: 185 miles (298 km)

  • Location: England (Gloucestershire to Greater London)

  • Useful Info: Follows the River Thames from its rural source in the Cotswolds all the way to Woolwich in London. Extremely flat, easy navigation, rich in historic towns (Oxford, Windsor), cozy riverside pubs, and excellent public transport links.

2. Yorkshire Wolds Way

  • Distance: 79 miles (127 km)

  • Location: England (Hessle to Filey)

  • Useful Info: Quiet, rolling chalk hills, dry valleys, and peaceful woodland. The gentlest of northern trails, featuring art installations along the route and ending at the dramatic Filey Brigg coastline. Typically completed in 5–6 days.

3. Peddars Way and Norfolk Coast Path

  • Distance: 158 miles (254 km)

  • Location: England (Suffolk to Norfolk)

  • Useful Info: Combines an ancient Roman road with flat, scenic coastal walking past salt marshes, sandy beaches, and pine forests. Highly accessible with minimal elevation changes.

4. Hadrian’s Wall Path

  • Distance: 84 miles (135 km)

  • Location: England (Coast-to-coast: Wallsend to Bowness-on-Solway)

  • Useful Info: Crosses northern England alongside the ancient UNESCO Roman frontier. Features iconic landscapes (Sycamore Gap area), well-preserved forts (Vindolanda, Housesteads), and moderate terrain. Completed in 6–8 days.

Moderate (Rolling Hills)

Requires good general fitness for moderate daily elevation gains and undulating countryside paths.

5. Cotswold Way

  • Distance: 102 miles (164 km)

  • Location: England (Chipping Campden to Bath)

  • Useful Info: Traces the Cotswold escarpment with panoramic views across the Severn Vale. Highlights include picture-postcard honey-stone villages, ancient hill forts, and ending at Bath Abbey. Expect continuous short, steep climbs.

6. The Ridgeway

  • Distance: 87 miles (140 km)

  • Location: England (Wiltshire to Buckinghamshire)

  • Useful Info: Known as Britain’s oldest road, used for over 5,000 years. The western section follows high, open chalk ridges past prehistoric monuments (Avebury, Uffington White Horse), while the eastern half passes through woodland in the Chilterns.

7. South Downs Way

  • Distance: 100 miles (161 km)

  • Location: England (Winchester to Eastbourne)

  • Useful Info: Follows chalk ridges through the South Downs National Park, ending at the iconic Seven Sisters sea cliffs. Permitted for walkers, cyclists, and horse riders across its entire length.

8. North Downs Way

  • Distance: 125 miles (201 km)

  • Location: England (Farnham to Dover)

  • Useful Info: Passes through Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, woodlands, and chalk hills, ending at the White Cliffs of Dover. Follows the historic Pilgrims’ Way to Canterbury Cathedral.

9. Cleveland Way

  • Distance: 109 miles (175 km)

  • Location: England (Helmsley to Filey)

  • Useful Info: Split into two distinct landscapes: wild heather moorland in the North York Moors National Park followed by dramatic, windswept coastal cliffs past Whitby and Robin Hood’s Bay.

10. Speyside Way

  • Distance: 85 miles (137 km)

  • Location: Scotland (Buckie to Newtonmore)

  • Useful Info: Tracks the River Spey from the Moray Firth into the Cairngorms National Park. Famous for passing world-renowned malt whisky distilleries. Terrain is mostly gentle track and former railway lines with mild hill climbs.

11. Great Glen Way

  • Distance: 79 miles (127 km)

  • Location: Scotland (Fort William to Inverness)

  • Useful Info: Cuts through the Scottish Highlands along the Great Glen fault line, linking Loch Lochy, Loch Oich, and Loch Ness. Highly accessible, with a parallel official Canoe Trail along the Caledonian Canal.

Tier 3: Challenging & Strenuous (Remote Moors, High Mountain Passes & Epic Distances)

Designed for experienced hikers. Features remote exposure, boggy moorlands, extreme steep terrain, or substantial lengths.

12. Pennine Way

  • Distance: 268 miles (431 km)

  • Location: England & Scotland (Edale to Kirk Yetholm)

  • Useful Info: “The Backbone of England.” Opened in 1965 as the UK’s first National Trail. Very strenuous with exposed moorland, severe weather, boggy ground, and landmark sights like Malham Cove, High Force, and Cross Fell. Takes 2–3 weeks.

13. South West Coast Path

  • Distance: 630 miles (1,014 km)

  • Location: England (Minehead to Poole Harbour)

  • Useful Info: The UK’s longest single National Trail. Covers Somerset, Devon, Cornwall, and Dorset coasts. Cumulative elevation gain equals climbing Mount Everest nearly four times (~115,000 ft) due to continuous cliff-top descents and ascents.

14. West Highland Way

  • Distance: 96 miles (155 km)

  • Location: Scotland (Milngavie to Fort William)

  • Useful Info: Scotland’s premiere long-distance route. Takes walkers past Loch Lomond, across Rannoch Moor, up the Devil’s Staircase, and into the shadow of Ben Nevis. Demands endurance and proper gear for Highland weather.

15. Offa’s Dyke Path

  • Distance: 177 miles (285 km)

  • Location: Wales / England Border (Chepstow to Prestatyn)

  • Useful Info: Follows the 8th-century earthwork structure constructed by King Offa. Features frequent steep ascents through the Black Mountains, Shropshire Hills, and Clwydian Range. Highly rewarding, remote border country walking.

16. Coast to Coast Path (Wainwright Route)

  • Distance: 197 miles (317 km)

  • Location: England (St Bees to Robin Hood’s Bay)

  • Useful Info: Crosses three National Parks (Lake District, Yorkshire Dales, North York Moors). Involves steep mountain passes, rugged fell walking, and navigation over remote moorland.

17. Pembrokeshire Coast Path

  • Distance: 186 miles (299 km)

  • Location: Wales (St Dogmaels to Amroth)

  • Useful Info: Winds past dramatic sea cliffs, hidden coves, and rugged headlands within Wales’s coastal national park. Cumulative ascent exceeds 35,000 feet, making it physically taxing despite being coastal.

18. Glyndŵr’s Way

  • Distance: 135 miles (217 km)

  • Location: Wales (Knighton to Welshpool via Machynlleth)

  • Useful Info: Named after the 15th-century Welsh prince Owain Glyndŵr. Extremely quiet and remote, traversing mid-Wales hills, farmland, and moorland with frequent steep elevation changes and trickier navigation.

19. Southern Upland Way

  • Distance: 214 miles (345 km)

  • Location: Scotland (Portpatrick to Cockburnspath)

  • Useful Info: Scotland’s coast-to-coast route and one of its most remote trails. Features long stretches between settlements across exposed, boggy hills, requiring strong wilderness navigation and endurance skills.

20. Pennine Bridleway

  • Distance: 205 miles (330 km)

  • Location: England (Derbyshire to Cumbria)

  • Useful Info: Specifically designed for off-road cyclists, horse riders, and walkers. Navigates rough Pennine tracks, limestone valleys, and old packhorse routes with sustained climbing across two major loops (Mary Towneley Loop & Settle Loop).

21. King Charles III England Coast Path

  • Distance: ~2,700 miles (4,345 km) when fully connected

  • Location: England Coastline

  • Useful Info: Currently opening in continuous sections around the entire coast of England. Difficulty varies by section, but as a complete effort, it represents an unprecedented, highly rugged coastal challenge.

National Trails
Scroll to Top