Plan your visit

Roads and moorland safety

Before setting off, check webcams by place, read where to check Whitby tides for beach walks, and see the barbecue, campfire and wildfire guidance.

• Moorland safety and wildfire guidance
• The North York Moors without a car: trains, buses and car-free days
• Parking: car parks, charges, Blue Badge and EV charging
• Caravans and motorhomes: road restrictions and planning

Getting here

See buses to and from Whitby for routes from York, Scarborough, Middlesbrough and the coast, with live timetable links.

By car, the A64 from York and the A170 through Pickering are the main routes into the southern Moors. By train, the nearest stations are Malton, Scarborough and York; the scenic Coastliner bus links Leeds, York, Malton, Pickering and Whitby, and from Malton bus 840 runs to Pickering for the steam railway. In summer the seasonal Moorsbus reaches many spots car-free. (Check current timetables.)

When to go

Every season has its moment: spring for lambs and blossom, summer for long days and, in August, the moors turning purple with heather, autumn for forest colour, and winter for crisp walks and some of England's darkest, clearest skies. For a full season-by-season breakdown, see our guide to the best time to visit the North York Moors. For the colour, the deer rut and the returning dark skies, see the North York Moors in autumn.

With dogs

This is wonderful dog country, miles of moor, forest and beach, and plenty of dog-friendly pubs and cottages, but the moors are grazed, so keep dogs on leads around sheep, especially in lambing season. See our full guide to the North York Moors with dogs, which covers the lead rules, the dog-friendly walks and beaches, and village-by-village notes. Travelling as a family? See the North York Moors with kids.

A few ideas

Pair Dalby Forest with the Bridestones; ride the steam railway to Goathland and walk to Mallyan Spout; combine Pickering's castle and church with the Hole of Horcum; or run down to Whitby for the abbey and fish and chips, our food and drink guide covers the pubs, tea rooms and farm shops worth planning around. Then find a base: see where to stay.

Ready-made itineraries

For a relaxed two-day route that ties together a market-town base, the steam railway, a classic moorland walk, Dalby Forest and the coast, and for a broader range of trip ideas, see our North York Moors itineraries.