Walking
Northern Dartmoor offers a wealth of walking that is easily accessible from Okehampton.
The moor is characterised by open rolling countryside of heather clad hills and lofty tors where buzzards soar and ponies roam.
Many routes are available in the area. These range from short walking routes in Okehampton itself including the town trail, Children’s Trail and nature trail, to rambles including the Okehampton Countryside walks. These are a variety of walks, mostly circular, based on Okehampton and offering a flavour of the local countryside, including the moorland fringes. Devon County Council provides an interactive map of public footpaths and bridleways throughout the county.
We have a comprehensive range of guides to these, other local walks and some of the longer distance routes which include:
The West Devon Way
Connecting Okehampton to Tavistock and on to Plymouth, this 36 mile route takes in moorland, superb river valleys and quiet rural lanes, skirting the western edge of Dartmoor for most of its length. A parallel bus service allows a whole range of options to be walked.
The Two Castles Trail
A route of 24 miles between the imposing Norman fortresses at Okehampton and Launceston, it passes through a variety of attractive landscapes as well as highlighting other sites of historical significance along the way. This trail also have a parallel bus service.
The Tarka Trail
A grand 180 mile figure of eight route inspired by Henry Williamsons famous book “Tarka the Otter”. Okehampton is at the southern limit of the trail, which can be followed into North Devon in either direction.
The Dartmoor Way
A circular route of some 90 miles around Dartmoor, connecting the five towns of Okehampton, Moretonhampstead, Ashburton, Buckfastleigh and Princetown, which passes through a variety of stunning scenery.
The Two Moors Way
Reached by linking paths from Okehampton, this route of just over 100 miles crosses both Dartmoor and Exmoor, as well as the quiet unspoiled landscape between them. It runs from Lynmouth on the North Devon coast, to Ivybridge on the southern edge of Dartmoor. From Ivybridge further paths lead to Plymouth and the south coast to give a complete coast to coast walk.
Bus Walks
Many walks link to bus services and full details, together with many suggested walks, are in the Dartmoor Public Transport Guide.
Free Guided Walks
The Dartmoor National Park Authority and the Okehampton Chamber of Trade run an extensive and varied programme of guided walks throughout the year. A large proportion of the guided walk start points are accessible by public transport and walks are free if you show your ticket to the guide.