Who manages Dalby Forest?

Dalby Forest is managed by Forestry England (formerly the Forestry Commission), which acquired the land around Low and High Dalby in 1919 and began planting in the 1920s. It was once the Royal Hunting Forest of Pickering.

What is the North Riding Forest Park?

It's the group of Forestry England forests on the North York Moors — Dalby, Cropton, Langdale and Wykeham. Dalby is the best-known and most visitor-focused of them, with the Forest Drive, trails, cycling and Go Ape.

Where can you hire bikes at Dalby Forest?

At the Dalby Forest Cycle Hub at Low Dalby, which hires mountain bikes, e-bikes, children's bikes and trailers, with a workshop and bike wash on site. Book ahead in school holidays.

How much does it cost to park at Dalby Forest?

Since February 2025 Dalby has charged by the hour rather than a flat daily toll, with the first 30 minutes free. Rates change, so check Forestry England's Dalby parking page before you travel.

Do you have to pay to walk or cycle into Dalby Forest?

No — the charge is for motor vehicles using the Forest Drive and its car parks. Arriving on foot, by bike or on horseback is free.

Is there a cheaper option if you visit Dalby often?

Yes — Forestry England sells a Dalby Forest household membership as well as a national membership that covers Dalby and other forests. Confirm current prices on the Forestry England site.

Which Dalby Forest bike trail should I ride?

Ellerburn (green) is the short, gentle family loop from the Courtyard; Adderstone (green) is a longer easy route; the Jubilee Blue steps things up; the Red Route is the long expert classic; and the UCI World Cup black trail and Jerry Noddle at Dixon's Hollow are for confident riders.

Is there a Go Ape at Dalby Forest?

Yes — Go Ape Dalby is a treetop high-ropes course with two levels, plus zip lines, Tarzan swings and an aerial obstacle course. It sits within the forest alongside the Dalby Activity Centre, which runs archery, laser tag, paintball and bushcraft.

Is there a playground at Dalby Forest?

Yes — there is an adventure play area beside the visitor centre at Low Dalby, plus Gruffalo orienteering, Go Ape and the Dalby Activity Centre nearby at Adderstone.

Can you go stargazing at Dalby Forest?

Yes — Dalby has held Milky Way class Dark Sky Discovery status since 2013, and Scarborough & Ryedale Astronomical Society runs free public stargazing nights at its Low Dalby observatory, usually 8pm on the first Friday of October, November, December, February and March.

Are dogs allowed in Dalby Forest?

Yes — dogs are welcome throughout the forest. Keep them close around the car parks, play areas, bike trails and any livestock.

Things to Do

Dalby Forest

Dalby Forest, near Pickering, is the North York Moors' great outdoor playground. Around 8,500 acres of woodland and moor-edge on the doorstep of Thornton-le-Dale and Pickering, criss-crossed with walking and cycling trails and packed with things to do, from gentle family strolls to world-class mountain biking, treetop adventures and some of the darkest skies in the country.

Forestry England and the North Riding Forest Park

Dalby is managed by Forestry England (the former Forestry Commission), which took on the land around Low and High Dalby in 1919, once the Royal Hunting Forest of Pickering, and planted the forest from the 1920s. Today it's the best-known part of the North Riding Forest Park, the group of Forestry England forests on the North York Moors that also takes in Cropton, Langdale and Wykeham. At around 8,500 acres, Dalby is the one set up for a day out, with the Forest Drive, waymarked trails, graded mountain biking, Go Ape and the visitor centre at Low Dalby.

Getting there and the Forest Drive

Dalby is reached by the Dalby Forest Drive, a toll road that winds through the forest from the Thornton-le-Dale/Low Dalby end. You pay per vehicle to drive in, check the current toll and payment methods on the Forestry England website, and there are car parks and picnic stops dotted all along it. The main visitor centre at Low Dalby has trail information, a café, a shop and the cycle hub, and is the natural place to start.

Walking trails

There are thirteen waymarked walking trails to suit every pace, from the accessible 1.5-mile Ellerburn Trail to the six-mile Bridestones Trail out to the extraordinary weathered rock formations on the moor above, see our Bridestones walk guide for the route. Look out for the carved wooden sculptures dotted through the trees, and for families there are the Gruffalo and Stick Man trails with games and characters to find along the way.

A shaded forest trail winding through ferns and mixed woodland at Dalby Forest — A shaded walking trail through Dalby Forest.

Cycling and mountain biking

Dalby is one of the best cycling destinations in the North of England, with graded trails from gentle green routes to demanding red and black mountain-bike runs, and smooth forest roads for easier family pedalling. You can hire bikes from the Dalby Forest Cycle Hub, join the long-distance Moor to Sea Cycle Network, or come along to the weekly parkrun. Check trail status and hire on the Forestry England site before you travel, and see our cycling guide for routes beyond the forest.

Go Ape at Dalby Forest

For a bigger thrill, Go Ape Dalby sends you swinging through the treetops on zip lines, Tarzan swings and an aerial obstacle course, with two levels of course to choose from. Alongside it, the Dalby Activity Centre runs archery, laser tag, paintball and bushcraft. For courses, age and height limits and booking, see our full guide to Go Ape Dalby Forest.

Adventure and family days out

With the play areas, picnic spots, Staindale Lake, the Crosscliff viewpoint over the moors and the Gruffalo trail, it's an easy full day with children. (Barbecues and campfires aren't permitted anywhere in the forest.) More ideas in our guide to the Moors with kids.

Dark skies and stargazing

Dalby is a Milky Way–class Dark Sky Discovery Site, one of the darkest places in the country, and home to the Dalby Observatory, which hosts stargazing events. On a clear night the Milky Way is visible to the naked eye, and autumn and winter are the best times to come: see the North York Moors in autumn and our dark-sky stargazing guide.

Wildlife

The forest is a stronghold for red squirrels, and home to roe deer, badgers, and rarer birds like nightjars and crossbills. That wildlife was the subject of Channel 5's Secret Life of the Forest (2023), filmed across Dalby, Cropton and Langdale. If you're walking with a dog, be tick-aware in the warmer months and check them over afterwards.

Make a day of it

Dalby sits right beside pretty Thornton-le-Dale and a short drive from Pickering and the Hole of Horcum, so it slots easily into a wider day out: see plan your visit for the practicalities.

Where to stay

With this much to do, Dalby rewards more than a flying visit: see where to stay for a base nearby. Planning to stay under canvas? See our guide to camping near Dalby Forest.

Dalby Forest postcode & how to get there

The postcode for the visitor centre at Low Dalby is YO18 7LT. The main entrance is signed off the A170 at Thornton-le-Dale, about a mile and a half north of the village, follow the brown tourist signs rather than trusting a sat-nav to the last turn, because forest postcodes cover a huge area and mobile signal inside the valley is poor. There is a second gate at Bickley, reached over the moor road from Langdale End and the Hackness/Scarborough side, which is the quieter approach if you are coming from the coast.

Rough drive times: Thornton-le-Dale 5 minutes, Allerston about 10, Pickering 15, Scarborough and Malton around 30–40 depending on which gate you use.

Parking charges & the Forest Drive toll

The Forest Drive is a toll road for motor vehicles, and the charge also covers parking in the forest car parks. Since 1 February 2025 Dalby has moved from a flat daily fee to an hourly parking charge, with the first 30 minutes free. Rates and payment methods change, so check the Forestry England Dalby Forest parking page on the morning you travel rather than relying on a figure quoted anywhere else.

Walking, cycling or riding in is free. The charge applies to vehicles.
Frequent visitors: Forestry England sells a Dalby Forest household membership plus a national membership covering Dalby and other forests, worth it after only a handful of visits. Confirm current prices with Forestry England.
Opening hours are seasonal, the gates open early and close around dusk, which is much earlier in winter. If you are staying for a stargazing event, check the evening arrangements first so you are not caught behind a closed gate.

Which Dalby Forest car park?

All the car parks along the Forest Drive are covered by the same parking charge, so pick the one closest to what you came to do.

Low Dalby (the Courtyard), the hub: visitor centre, café, shop, toilets, the cycle hub and the adventure play area. Start here if it's your first visit, or for the Ellerburn, Jubilee Blue and Red trails.
Adderstone Field, a big open field car park about five miles along the drive, used for events, picnics, group meets, the parkrun and the green Adderstone cycle route.
Staindale Lake (Low Staindale), lakeside picnicking, an easy accessible circuit and the usual start for the Bridestones walk. Accessible toilets here.
Crosscliff, the big view over Bridestones Moor and the Tabular Hills. Limited spaces; no facilities.
Dixon's Hollow, the bike-park end of the forest, and the start and finish of the black-graded riding.
Ellerburn, quiet parking near Ellerburn hamlet and Thornton Beck at the southern edge.

Facilities at the smaller car parks are minimal, some have no toilets at all.

Mountain biking: the graded trails

Dalby is one of the finest mountain-biking destinations in the north of England and hosted UCI Mountain Bike World Cup cross-country racing. Trail distances are quoted differently across guidebooks and apps, and Forestry England is gradually rolling out a new grading system, so treat lengths as approximate and check the boards at Low Dalby before you set off.

Ellerburn Trail (green), the short, gentle, multi-use family loop from the Dalby Courtyard. The most popular route in the forest, and fine with young children.
Adderstone cycle trail (green), a longer easy route from Adderstone Field, with a longer option out to the Crosscliff Wood viewpoint. Manageable with tag-alongs and trailers.
Jubilee Blue Trail (blue), the natural step up: from Low Dalby through Snever Dale and Flax Dale, with a steep zigzag descent.
Red Route (red), the classic long, fast, flowing Dalby day out from Low Dalby via Adderstone and the Crosscliff viewpoint. Commonly quoted at somewhere around 20+ miles; allow most of a day.
UCI World Cup Trail (black), the technical world-class course from Adderstone Field via High Staindale, finishing near Dixon's Hollow, and taking in Medusa's Drop.
Jerry Noddle (expert), fast, flowing singletrack from near Dixon's Hollow car park, also featuring Medusa's Drop.
Dixon's Hollow bike park & skills area, jumps, drops and northshore for confident riders.

Bike hire, including e-bikes, children's bikes and trailers, plus a workshop and bike wash, is available on site at the Dalby Forest Cycle Hub at Low Dalby, with other hire operators nearby, book ahead in school holidays. More routes across the National Park are in our cycling guide.

Mountain biker riding narrow singletrack through the conifers at Dalby Forest — Singletrack in the conifers at Dalby Forest.

Play areas & family days out

Adventure play area, Low Dalby. Beside the visitor centre and café, so you can sit with a coffee while they burn off the car journey.
Gruffalo Orienteering, a 12-marker map-reading trail; pick up the map and certificate from the visitor centre for a small charge. Forestry England rotates its character trails, so ask what is running when you arrive.
Go Ape Dalby, treetop high ropes with two levels of course, plus zip trekking and Segway sessions. Book in advance.
Dalby Activity Centre, archery, laser combat, paintball, bushcraft and orienteering near Adderstone.
Dalby Forest parkrun, free, timed 5km at Adderstone Field on Saturday mornings.
Sculptures and art, dotted through the trees along the easy walking trails; good bribery for tired legs.

A family with two young children walking a waymarked woodland trail in Dalby Forest — Family trails through the woods at Dalby Forest.

Walking & wildlife

Beyond the bikes, Dalby is laced with gentle waymarked walking and running trails, from lakeside strolls at Staindale to the weathered sandstone outcrops of the Bridestones on the moor above. It's a haven for wildlife, listen for churring nightjars on summer evenings, and look out for crossbills, deer and birds of prey. More routes across the park are in our walks section.

The observatory & stargazing

Dalby has held Milky Way class Dark Sky Discovery status since January 2013, and the wider National Park is an International Dark Sky Reserve. The Scarborough & Ryedale Astronomical Society keeps observatories at Low Dalby and runs free public stargazing nights, traditionally at 8pm on the first Friday of October, November, December, February and March, check the society's events page for the current schedule and any booking requirement. The forest also hosts StarFest, the annual star camp that began at Adderstone Field, and events during the National Park's Dark Skies Festival each February. See our dark-sky stargazing guide and what's on for dates.

Planning your day

A half day covers the visitor centre, the play area and an easy trail; a full day lets you add a bike ride or Go Ape and still get to Crosscliff for the view. Dogs are welcome, the Low Dalby and Low Staindale facilities are accessible, and the Forest Drive makes a fine leg of a classic-car outing. It's an easy base to reach, with cottages around Allerston, Thornton-le-Dale and Pickering just minutes from the entrance, see our where to stay guide.

Dalby Forest FAQs

Who manages Dalby Forest?: Dalby Forest is managed by Forestry England (formerly the Forestry Commission), which acquired the land around Low and High Dalby in 1919 and began planting in the 1920s. It was once the Royal Hunting Forest of Pickering.
What is the North Riding Forest Park?: It's the group of Forestry England forests on the North York Moors — Dalby, Cropton, Langdale and Wykeham. Dalby is the best-known and most visitor-focused of them, with the Forest Drive, trails, cycling and Go Ape.
Where can you hire bikes at Dalby Forest?: At the Dalby Forest Cycle Hub at Low Dalby, which hires mountain bikes, e-bikes, children's bikes and trailers, with a workshop and bike wash on site. Book ahead in school holidays.
What is the postcode for Dalby Forest?: Use YO18 7LT for the Dalby Forest Visitor Centre at Low Dalby. The main entrance is signed off the A170 at Thornton-le-Dale; there is a second gate at Bickley, near Langdale End, on the northern side.
How much does it cost to park at Dalby Forest?: Since February 2025 Dalby has charged by the hour rather than a flat daily toll, with the first 30 minutes free. Rates change, so check Forestry England's Dalby parking page before you travel.
Do you have to pay to walk or cycle into Dalby Forest?: No — the charge is for motor vehicles using the Forest Drive and its car parks. Arriving on foot, by bike or on horseback is free.
Is there a cheaper option if you visit Dalby often?: Yes — Forestry England sells a Dalby Forest household membership as well as a national membership that covers Dalby and other forests. Confirm current prices on the Forestry England site.
Which Dalby Forest bike trail should I ride?: Ellerburn (green) is the short, gentle family loop from the Courtyard; Adderstone (green) is a longer easy route; the Jubilee Blue steps things up; the Red Route is the long expert classic; and the UCI World Cup black trail and Jerry Noddle at Dixon's Hollow are for confident riders.
Is there a Go Ape at Dalby Forest?: Yes — Go Ape Dalby is a treetop high-ropes course with two levels, plus zip lines, Tarzan swings and an aerial obstacle course. It sits within the forest alongside the Dalby Activity Centre, which runs archery, laser tag, paintball and bushcraft.
Is there a playground at Dalby Forest?: Yes — there is an adventure play area beside the visitor centre at Low Dalby, plus Gruffalo orienteering, Go Ape and the Dalby Activity Centre nearby at Adderstone.
Can you go stargazing at Dalby Forest?: Yes — Dalby has held Milky Way class Dark Sky Discovery status since 2013, and Scarborough & Ryedale Astronomical Society runs free public stargazing nights at its Low Dalby observatory, usually 8pm on the first Friday of October, November, December, February and March.
Are dogs allowed in Dalby Forest?: Yes — dogs are welcome throughout the forest. Keep them close around the car parks, play areas, bike trails and any livestock.