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North Yorkshire, England
North York Moors: an independent visitor guide
By Jon Cosson · Updated 28 October 2026 · Checked 20 October 2026
Purple heather moorland, ancient forest, steam railways and a rugged coast. Your guide to exploring every corner of the North York Moors.
The North York Moors National Park covers 554 square miles of heather moorland, dales, forest and coast in North Yorkshire, between Thirsk, Scarborough, Whitby and Guisborough. It had 9.8 million visits in 2025, most of them day trips. This guide is written by one person who lives locally in the North York Moors. Each page is checked against official and operator sources, and many pages show the date they were last checked. It is not connected to the National Park Authority or any tourist board.
Plan My Day
Pick what matters to you, from dogs and food to off-road parking and step-free access, and build a day out.
The North York Moors at a glance
- Designated a national park
- 28 November 1952
- Area
- 1,436 km² (about 554 square miles)
- Heather moorland
- About 44,000 hectares, around a third of the park; one of the largest continuous expanses of upland heather moorland in England and Wales
- Highest point
- Urra Moor, 454 metres
- Coastline
- 26 miles
- Residents
- 22,935 at the 2021 Census, according to the National Park Authority
- Market town inside the park
- Helmsley, home of the National Park Authority's headquarters
- National Park Centres
- Sutton Bank and Danby Lodge
- Dark skies
- International Dark Sky Reserve since December 2020, jointly with the Yorkshire Dales
- Heather in bloom
- Usually mid to late August into September. When the heather blooms
Popular right now
- North Yorkshire Moors Railway
- Christmas in the North York Moors
- Whitby at Christmas
- Christmas markets near the moors
- Castle Howard
- Yorkshire Moors weather
- Whitby tide times
Where to start
Start here, then explore by place.
Things to do
What to see and do across the Moors and coast
Map of the North York Moors
Towns, villages and sights on one map
Towns and villages
Where to base yourself and what each place is like
Walks
Routes across the moors, dales and coast
North Yorkshire Moors Railway
Steam trains between Pickering, Goathland and Whitby
Whitby
The abbey, harbour and old town
Robin Hood's Bay
The fishing village on the coast
Helmsley
The market town, castle and walled garden
Pickering
The market town and railway terminus
Goathland
The moorland village and its station
The village and classic-car sister sites linked here are also written by the author of this guide.
Visiting for the festive season? Our guide to the North York Moors at Christmas covers the Santa Express, the Whitby festival and Castle Howard, and when to book each one.
Yorkshire Moors or North York Moors?
Both names describe the same place. The place is widely known and referred to by both names. Yorkshire Moors is in common use, while the national park authority's name is North York Moors. It runs from Helmsley in the west to the cliffs at Whitby and Robin Hood's Bay in the east, with the Hambleton and Cleveland Hills to the north and the Tabular Hills easing down towards Pickering and Thornton-le-Dale in the south.
It holds one of the largest continuous stretches of heather moorland in England. It is spectacular in late August, when the whole plateau turns purple. There are also deep wooded dales, Dalby Forest and ruined abbeys, all of it inside an International Dark Sky Reserve, with a heritage railway that still runs steam through the middle of it all.
This guide is organised the way a visit actually works: pick the things you want to do, find a walk to suit the day, choose a village to base yourself in, then plan the practical bits.
New to the area? Start with where the Yorkshire Moors are, a map and how to get here for location, driving times, trains and buses in one place.
Where to stay in the North York Moors
Self-catering cottages, village inns and farmhouse boltholes right across the moors, from the southern villages to the coast.
Browse places to stayThe big draws
If you only remember five things about the North York Moors, make it these.
The top 10 places to visit
Whitby, Rievaulx, Goathland, Sutton Bank and more. The best of the moors in one list.
North Yorkshire Moors Railway
Steam from Pickering to Whitby via Goathland, one of the busiest heritage lines in the world.
Dalby Forest
Mountain bike trails, play areas, forest drive and the Go Ape treetop course.
Dark sky stargazing
One of the darkest skies in England. The Milky Way is visible with the naked eye.
The moors coast
Whitby, Robin Hood's Bay, Staithes and fossil-hunting beneath the cliffs.
Bangers and Cash at Mathewsons
Bangers & Cash: Mathewsons' museum, the auction dates and every episode, on our Thornton-le-Dale site.
The Hole of Horcum
A vast natural amphitheatre scooped out of the moor, with a superb circular walk.
In season
The North York Moors in autumn
Bracken turning gold and copper, woodland colour into November, the deer rut and fungi, and the return of some of England's darkest skies.
Read the autumn guide When the heather is in bloom
Villages & places
Thornton-le-Dale, Pickering, Helmsley, Goathland, Levisham and Allerston, where to base yourself and what each one is good for.
Explore the villages
Things to do
Steam trains, forest trails, the coast, cycling, stargazing and rainy-day options that don't feel like a compromise.
Things to do in the North York Moors
Where to stay
Self-catering cottages, village inns and farmhouse rooms across the park, from the southern villages to the coast.
Find a place to stayLatest from the Moors
New writing from the guide, touring-journal trips out in the classic cars and news from across the North York Moors.
Yorkshire Moors questions
- Where are the North York Moors?
- In North Yorkshire, between Teesside to the north, Thirsk to the west and Scarborough to the south east, with 26 miles of coast. See the map of the North York Moors.
- Is it the North York Moors or the North Yorkshire Moors?
- The national park's official name is the North York Moors. Many people say North Yorkshire Moors or Yorkshire Moors, and the heritage railway is officially the North Yorkshire Moors Railway.
- How big are the North York Moors?
- 1,436 km2, about 554 square miles.
- What is the highest point on the North York Moors?
- Urra Moor, 454 metres.
- When is the heather in bloom?
- Usually mid to late August into September. Read the heather guide.
- Should I visit the North York Moors or the Yorkshire Dales?
- Choose the North York Moors for coast and heather moorland, or the Yorkshire Dales for limestone country, caves and waterfalls. Compare the North York Moors and Yorkshire Dales.
Sources
North York Moors National Park Authority facts and figures; Campaign for National Parks; National Parks UK; North York Moors Dark Sky Reserve. Checked 20 October 2026.
Visitor figure: North York Moors National Park Authority, STEAM 2025.