Things to Do
Dalby Forest
Dalby Forest is the North York Moors' great all-rounder — 8,500 acres of Forestry England woodland on the southern edge of the National Park, a few minutes from Thornton-le-Dale and Pickering. Walkers, world-class mountain bikers, families and stargazers all find their day here.
Placeholder photograph — real imagery to follow.
Getting there and the forest drive
Access is via the Dalby Forest Drive, a scenic toll road running the length of the forest; you pay a toll to enter by car at either end, with no extra charge to park at the fourteen car parks along the route. The main Visitor Centre at Low Dalby (The Courtyard) is the natural first stop, with a café, a shop of local products, a bike shop and craft workshops. (Check the current toll and opening times with Forestry England.)
Mountain biking and cycling
Dalby is one of England's premier mountain-biking centres — it hosted rounds of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup in 2010 and 2011 — with graded trails from green family loops to a demanding red route of around 21 miles. Gentler trails start at the Visitor Centre; the trickier ones deliberately begin from Dixon's Hollow, which also has a bike park. No bike? The Dalby Forest Cycle Hub hires them out, and the Moor to Sea cycle network runs through the forest.
Walking and family trails
Miles of waymarked walking trails suit every level, and families are especially well served: the Gruffalo orienteering course, the Stick Man and seasonal trails, the Grandfather Oak playground at the Visitor Centre, and the Enchanted Forest wild play at Adderstone Field. Look out for the sculptures dotted through the trees. There's a free timed 5k parkrun every Saturday at 9am from Low Dalby.
Go Ape and the activity centre
For a dose of adrenaline, Go Ape's treetop courses swing you through the canopy, and the Dalby Activity Centre offers archery, laser tag and paintball — handy for a group or a rainy afternoon.
Stargazing
Dalby is a designated Dark Sky Discovery Site, dark enough to see the Milky Way with the naked eye, with observatories on site hosting stargazing evenings. See our dark-sky stargazing guide.
Make a day of it
With a café, playgrounds and trails for every pace, Dalby rewards a full day. It's about ten minutes from Allerston, an easy morning-to-dusk outing from a local base.