Things to Do
Things to do in the North York Moors
Steam trains, forest trails, some of the darkest skies in England and a coastline of fossils and fishing villages. Here's what's genuinely worth your day.
Start here
The North York Moors packs an unusual variety into a small area. In a single day you can ride behind steam from Pickering, walk a moorland edge, and eat chips on a harbour wall at Whitby. Distances look small on the map but the roads are slow and beautiful, so plan around two or three anchors a day rather than six.
The most reliable all-weather days out are the North Yorkshire Moors Railway and Dalby Forest. The most memorable are the ones the weather has to co-operate with: a clear night under the Dark Sky Reserve, or the heather in flower in late August.
Basing yourself in the south of the park — around Thornton-le-Dale, Pickering or Allerston — puts the forest, the railway and the coast all within easy reach.
Guides to each day out
North Yorkshire Moors Railway
Pickering to Whitby by steam, via Levisham, Goathland and Grosmont.
Dalby Forest
The Great Yorkshire Forest — bike trails, walking, the forest drive and play areas.
Dark sky stargazing
Where to go, when to go and what you can see in the Dark Sky Reserve.
Bangers and Cash: Mathewsons
Visiting the Thornton-le-Dale classic car auction house from the TV series.
The coast
Whitby, Robin Hood's Bay, Staithes, Runswick Bay and the Cleveland Way clifftops.
Cycling
Forest singletrack, quiet moorland lanes and the Cinder Track to the coast.