Bodmin Moor Walks
This large area of granite moorland in northeastern Cornwall has some good hill climbs, two large lakes, woodland and waterfalls.
Highlights include the climb to Rough Tor and Brown Willy, the two highest points in Cornwall.
Use the links to view full route information including elevation profiles, interactive maps and GPS downloads.
You can also view an overview map of all the routes in the using the Bodmin Moor Walk Map>>
| Route Name | Photo | Distance | Description |
| Brown Willy | 4.3 miles (7 km) | Climb to the highest point on Bodmin Moor on this circular walk in north east Cornwall. The summit stands at a height of 1,378 feet (420 m) making it the highest point in the county as well. There's fantastic views across the moor to the Cornish coast and a number of fascinating historical sites to see on the way. Start the walk from the car park at the end of Roughtor Road, just to the north west of the hills. You then follow paths south east onto the Roughtor Moors and up to Rough Tor. The fascinating site is the 2nd highest point on the moors and includes a logan stone, a neolithic tor enclosure, a large number of Bronze Age hut circles, and some contemporary monuments. After exploring Rough Tor the route branches to the left to visit Showery Tor. The granite Tor is a prominent landmark consists of a natural outcrop enveloped by a giant man-made ring cairn thought to have been a religious focal point. The route then continues the ascent to Brown Willy, crossing the De Lank River on the way. Here you can see a number of Bronze Age cairns including a summit cairn thought to be the resting place of an ancient Cornish king. After exploring the summit and taking in the views the route then descends across the Rough Tor Moors, passing more cairns before returning to the car park. View Full Details>> | |
| Camelford | 9.9 miles (16 km) | This Cornish town sits in a lovely spot in the River Camel Valley, close to Bodmin Moor. View Full Details>> | |
| Cardinham Woods | 4.3 miles (7 km) | This large mixed woodland forest near Bodmin is very popular with walkers and cyclists. View Full Details>> | |
| Colliford Lake | 3.7 miles (6 km) | Enjoy a lovely waterside walk along the shore of this large lake on Bodmin Moor. At over 900 acres it is the largest lake in Cornwall. View Full Details>> | |
| Copper Trail | 60.3 miles (97 km) | Visit some of the most beautiful parts of Bodmin moor on this circular route which takes you on a tour of the historic Cornish Copper mines. The Trail begins at Minions village and visits St. Neot, Bodmin, St. Breward, Camelford, Five Lanes and back to Minions. The first section takes you from Minions and heads towards the delightful village of St Neot, passing the River Fowey and the photogenic Golitha Falls. You continue from St Neot to Bodmin with lovely waterside sections along the River St Neot and past Colliford Lake. Just outside Bodmin there is a peaceful wooded section through Devlock Wood. At Bodmin you join the delightful Camel Trail, following the River Camel to St Breward and onto Camelford. From Camelford you head through Davidstow Moor, passing Crowdy Reservoir, Davidstow Woods and the old WW2 Control Tower. View Full Details>> | |
| Crowdy Reservoir | 2.5 miles (4 km) | This short walk follows a section of the Copper Trail from Crowdy Reservoir to Davidstow Woods on Bodmin Moor. The walk starts from the Crowdy Reservoir car park and follows country lanes past the reservoir to the nearby woods. It's a nice easy short walk with good views across the water to the surrounding countryside. The reservoir and the surrounding Crowdy marsh are also good for birdwatching with gadwall, goldeneye, goosander, mallard, common pochard, shoveler, teal and tufted duck to look out for. You may also see ponies grazing on Davidstow Moor. View Full Details>> | |
| Dozmary Pool | 6.2 miles (10 km) | Visit the mysterious waters of the Dozmary Pool on this easy walk on Bodmin Moor. You can park at the car park at the southern end of Colliford Lake to start your walk. Then follow quiet country lanes north to the small lake. There's lovely views over to Colliford Lake on your left before coming to Dozmary Pool. Here you can look out for wildlife including curlew, dunlin and stonechat. According to legend, the lake is where King Arthur rowed out to the Lady of the Lake and received the sword Excalibur. View Full Details>> | |
| Golitha Falls | 0.6 miles (1 km) | Golitha Falls National Nature Reserve has woodland walking trails taking you through a steep-sided valley gorge. The River Fowey runs through the gorge with a series of spectacular cascades known as Golitha Falls. The reserve is excellent for interesting flora and fauna with diverse plantlife including bluebells, wildflowers, cow-wheat, bilberry and wavy-hair grass. Look out for wildlife including butterflies, bats and birds such as dipper, nuthatch, treecreeper and buzzard. There is a good size car park at Draynes Bridge from which this walk begins. Golitha Falls is located just a few miles north of Liskeard. If you would like to extend your walking in the area then you could head to the nearby Siblyback Lake where you will find a lovely waterside footpath. View Full Details>> | |
| Helman Tor | 2.2 miles (3.5 km) | This circular walk climbs to Helman Tor and then visits the adjacent Breney Common Nature Reserve in Bodmin. You can park at the Helman Tor car park just south of the hill to start your walk. It's a short climb from here to the rocky outcrop which stands at a height of 209 m (686 ft). From here there are fabulous views over the surrounding Cornish coutntryside. After descending from the tor the route then follows the Saints Way long distance trail around Breney Common. The reserve covers over 500 acres with heathland, grassland, wetland, woodland and ponds. It's great for widlife with grazing ponies and the rare Orange Tip butterfly to look out for. Various wildfowl can be seen on the open water too. View Full Details>> | |
| Lanhydrock | 2.5 miles (4 km) | This walk takes you to the beautiful Lanhydrock estate from Bodmin Parkway Train Station. You can catch a train from Truro or St Austell to Bodmin Parkway and then follow footpaths to Lanhydrock. It's a nice two mile walk along the River Fowey and through woodland to the National Trust owned Victorian country house. The estate is very special with wonderful architecture and beautiful gardens. There are 1000 acres of woodland, parkland and gardens to explore on a network of good footpaths. Highlights include the magnolia arch by the thatched cottage and beautiful herbaceous borders. You can also visit the magnificent house and explore the kitchen area, servants' quarters and museum. Although the whole of this route is designed for walkers cyclists can also enjoy a number of trails in the estate. There are easy, moderate and difficult trails to try. Click here to see a trail map or look at the Open Street Map link below which shows the trails marked in blue just to the north of the car park. You can also hire bikes within the estate. To continue your walking in the area head a couple of miles south and you can pick up the Saints Way long distance trail. You can then visit Helman Tor and the Breney Common Nature Reserve where you can enjoy fine views over Bodmin Moor and look out for wildlife including Ponies and the rare Orange Top butterfly. In nearby Bodmin you can pick up the Camel Trail cycling and walking route which will take you along the River Camel on a splendid traffic free path. The Cornish Way cycle route also passes close to the estate. View Full Details>> | |
| Liskeard | 0.7 miles (1.2 km) | This interesting market town is located in the south eastern part of Cornwall. It's one of the oldest towns in the county and worth exploring for its historical interest. For walkers there's numerous trails to try to the north west of the town on Bodmin Moor. View Full Details>> | |
| Lostwithiel | 11.2 miles (18 km) | This Cornish town has a number of interesting local historical sites to visit on foot. There's also waterside trails along the River Fowey, a nearby hill to climb and two nature reserves with good walking trails and lots of wildlife to see. The town is also known as the antiques capital of the county with several pretty shops selling furniture, collectibles, ceramics and other historical pieces. View Full Details>> | |
| Luxulyan Valley | 5.7 miles (9.1 km) | This walk explores the Luxulyan Valley in Cornwall, near the towns of St Austell and Lostwithiel. The area is designated as a World Heritage Site due to the series of 19th century industrial remains that can be found here. View Full Details>> | |
| Mary Michael Pilgrims Way | 275.3 miles (443 km) | This route begins on the Cornish coast, near Land's end, and passes through Cornwall, Devon and Gloucestershire to finish at Glastonbury. However, the vision is to extend the route to the Norfolk coast in the near future. View Full Details>> | |
| Minions Cheesewring | 1.9 miles (3 km) | This circular walk visits the Cheesewring granite tor and the Hurlers stone circle from the Cornish village of Minions. View Full Details>> | |
| Roche Rock | 2.2 miles (3.6 km) | This circular walk visits the geologically significant Roche Rock in Cornwall. The granite outcrop is something of a local landmark, standing at a height of 20-metres (66-feet). View Full Details>> | |
| Rough Tor | 1.9 miles (3 km) | This is a climb to the 1313 ft (400m) summit of Rough Tor on Bodmin Moor. Rough Tor is the second highest point in Cornwall and a popular spot for walkers. View Full Details>> | |
| Siblyback Lake | 3.7 miles (6 km) | Enjoy a walk or cycle on the new waterside path around this beautiful lake and country park in Cornwall. The track runs around the perimeter of the lake and is great for families or anyone looking for a nice easy ride. There are also lovely views of Bodmin Moor and the surrounding Cornish countryside. A cafe overlooking the lake is perfect for rest and refreshment after your exercise. The circular trail runs for a distance of about 3 miles so should take around an hour to complete on foot. Siblyback Lake is located just a few miles north of Liskeard. If you would like to continue your walking in the area then you could visit the splendid Golitha Falls where you will find spectacular waterfalls in a woodland gorge. View Full Details>> |
