National parks are the best that the UK has to offer in terms of natural landscapes. They were established in 1951, modelled after the American national park system, to protect landscapes from encroaching industrialisation and preserve natural beauty. British national parks allow access for everyone to explore and ensure that these places of spectacular beauty remain for generations to come. For the adrenaline junkie and gentle rambler alike, discover our top five picks of best national parks for your next getaway.
Dartmoor National Park
The Dartmoor National Park in Devon is remarkable for its tors. These ancient granite cliff faces, most notably Haytor and Hound Tor, contrast with valleys and moorlands for spectacular views. Dartmoor prioritises nature conservation, protecting wildlife reserves where visitors can encounter butterflies, wildflowers, and birds. Besides curlews, cuckoos and otters, lucky visitors will also spot some of the park’s 1,500 wild ponies and horses. Dartmoor also boasts the rare Celtic rainforest, a carbon retaining forest hosting native flora and fauna.
National park visitors will enjoy a host of outdoor activities like cycling, climbing, horse riding, walking, camping, and wild swimming. The Dartmoor National Park offers free audio walks on their website – pre-recorded audio guides that allow visitors to listen and learn while exploring local trails. For those who love wild camping, there’s no better place than Dartmoor. It’s the only English national park where wild camping is permitted. Want some tips for wild camping and car camping? Check out our guide here.
Dartmoor’s man-made history is as important to the land as its natural history. Offering a variety of mediaeval villages, bronze age settlements, and some stone circles, it piques the imagination. The more recent history of mining landscapes leaves its trace in ruinous stone buildings and steam powered railways. A wonderful way to see the national park is aboard the South Devon heritage steam railway.
Peak District National Park
The Peak District is the UK’s first national park, established in 1951. This district, so aptly named, is known for its sweeping landscapes, limestone and moorland. These features are contrasted by the three dramatic peaks: the Dark Peak, the White Peak, and the South West Peak. Conservation is ever in mind for the Peak District with large swathes of the park being protected nature reserves. Pay a visit to learn about the ongoing stewardship and education of nature preservation.
The varied landscape of the park lends itself to outdoor activities. Part of the Pennine Trail even intersects through the park. Particularly splendid views of the surrounding countryside along this route are found at Kinder Scout, the district’s highest plateau. The park also offers Ranger-led guided walks, allowing you a deeper appreciation for the nature and heritage of the park.
The steep limestone cliffs make it a climber’s paradise with over 10,000 recorded climbs! Which one will you discover? For a more serene adventure, take to the area’s designated dark sky sites to enjoy star gazing at its best.
The villages and estates of the Peak District are essential to any visit. The village of Castleton date back to the 12th century. It offers access to the Peak Cavern, Treak Cliff, Speedwell, and Blue John caves. There are even the Peveril Castle ruins not far away.
The de facto capital, Bakewell, may sound familiar, being the birthplace of the Bakewell tart. Time your visit to this sweet village to attend their Monday market, a tradition dating back 1,000 years!
The village of Hartington, like Bakewell, is also home to a regional food: Stilton cheese! Only a small portion of creameries hold the license to produce it, so be sure to visit one. If you want to visit an estate, there can be no better example than Chatsworth Estate. This manor house has been inspiring visitors, like Jane Austen. Learn more about Chatsworth (aka Pemberley) here.
Yorkshire Dales National Park
The Yorkshire Dales’ iconic landscape is the picture perfect image of the English countryside. The vibrant green pastures are full with sheep happily grazing among iconic drystone walls. The rugged limestone hills are offset with blooming purple moorland in late summer.
There are walks of every kind: riverside, waterfall, Pennine trail chain, and rambles. Among the most popular are Simon’s Seat, Attermire Scar, Janet’s Foss, and Aysgarth Falls. There are plenty of climbing opportunities, such as Malham Cove. Like many other national parks, there are great routes of cycling, mountain biking, and wild swimming. For the adrenaline seeker, try caving! One of the most well known and impressive, Gaping Gill, belongs to an intricate cave system connecting with 2,500 other chambers.
Above ground, take to a heritage steam train to enjoy the landscape as the Victorians did. The Settle-Carlisle line takes you over the stunning Ribblehead Viaduct that enhances the rolling countryside, rather than take away from it. When the sun sets, wherever you are in the dales, you’ll get a wonderful view of the night sky as the whole national park is a designated dark sky reserve. The popularity of dark sky locations is ever increasing, being one of the top travel trends for 2024.
Quaint dales villages are a must-visit, such as Grassington, the backdrop for the most recent adaptation of All Creatures Great and Small. Another area, Wensleydale, produces the dairy delicacy of wensleydale cheese. Did you know that it almost went out of production? Thanks to the popularity of Wallace and Gromit and their penchant for the regional cheese, it continues to be an important part of Yorkshire’s heritage and commerce. Stop by the Hawes-based creamery for a sample and to learn more about the manufacturing process.
Looming ruins like Fountains Abbey and Bolton Castle allow you to step back in time. To travel back even further, the Neolithic Gamelands Stone Circle adds to the texture of folklore traditions and mythology.
Lake District National Park
The extremely popular Lake District national park has lots of well-rated accommodation, but don’t let the fact that it’s the UK’s most visited national park put you off. Also being one of England’s largest national parks, there are plenty of opportunities for quiet and solitude. The multitude of stunning lakes offset by towering mountains carved by glacial movements made it a UNESCO world heritage site in 2017. As the large appeal is the lakes (no surprise, given its name), the best way to take in the scenery is by kayak, paddleboard, wild swimming, boat, or Victorian steam yacht.
Scafell Pike is the tallest peak in England. At 978-metres tall, it is a popular destination for walkers, climbers and hikers. The dramatic landscape inspired many romantic era writers like Wordsworth, Lord Byron, and Beatrix Potter, to more recent artists like Taylor Swift in her song “the Lakes.”
Visitors can visit the homesteads of these romantic minds. Beatrix Potter’s cottage, Hill Top, is as it was when she originally lived there. You’ll learn how the region has a lot to thank her for as Potter almost single-handedly saved the region’s native Herdwick sheep.
Wander the storybook villages like the ever popular Bowness-on-Windermere, Ambleside, Keswick, Kendal, and Grasmere. When visiting Grasmere, be sure to grab a few packages of the famous Grasmere gingerbread, a recipe that’s remained unchanged since 1854.
Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park
As of 2022, the Snowdonia National Park Authority agreed to revert back to using the region’s Welsh names. What was previously Snowdonia National Park is now the Eryri National Park and Mount Snowdon is now Yr Wydffa. This is an important step in the park’s commitment to preserving the Welsh language and heritage. The national park is known for its nine mountain ranges and 15 stunning peaks. On clear days, you can see right across to Ireland from the peaks! The park is exceptional in its diversity of alpine forests, Celtic rainforest, mountain peaks, lakes, rivers, and coast. The reason for its unique landscape is due to tectonic plate movement, volcanic activity and glacial carvings over millennia. The result is a home for biodiverse wildlife from wild ponies, wild mountain goats, peregrines, owls, newts, badgers, to otters, kingfishers, dolphins, seals, porpoise and freshwater mussels.
The land’s diversity allows for wonderful walking, water activities, and climbing. Similarly to the Lake District, Eryri is popular amongst hikers, but proves a greater challenge as it has a harsher, more jagged terrain. The highest mountain, Yr Wydffa (Mount Snowdon), is a challenge even for seasoned hikers at 1,085 metres. If you want the breath-taking views without the breathlessness, board the Victorian train to the summit.
Eryri national park has two UNESCO world heritage sites. The first being Gwynedd’s castles and town walls built by King Edward I, and the second, the Slate Landscape. This landscape was integral to the region’s local trade. Venture into charming cobbled towns like Betws-y-Coed where the use of natural materials in its establishment make it look like it has always belonged among its natural surroundings of the Gwydyr alpine forest, waterfalls, and lakes.
For a beach vibe, venture to the harbour and seaside towns of Aberdovey and Barmouth. These dramatic natural and man-made landscapes have the spirit of something ancient–no wonder that many Welsh folktales and mythology are based in this region.
Adventure awaits!
National parks offer so much for visitors. The landscape, wildlife, and rich regional heritage also means that no two parks are the same. With 15 parks to choose from, we’ve selected the best national parks (in our opinion), to help you explore your next nature escape. Whether you’re craving a coastal retreat, a serene mountain top to climb, lakes to reflect, or villages that reflect regional heritage and histories, these five national parks have it all.
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