Best walks in Devon

The county of Devon is located in south-west England and borders Cornwall, Somerset and Dorset. Head to its northern coastline and you'll meet the Bristol Channel and the Atlantic Ocean, go south and you'll meet the English Channel.

From dramatic coastal hikes to fossil hunting and national park walks, Devon has something for everyone. Discover the county on foot with our pick of the best day walks and hiking routes in Devon.

Step off the ferry and take a stroll along Devon’s South West Coast Path to the lush gardens of a 20th-century estate, home to exotic ferns, trickling water features and woodland glades.

Route details

• 11.3km/7 miles
• 4 hours
• Moderate/hard

Map and route

Wistman’s Wood is an easy walk on a waymarked path in the middle of Dartmoor National Park. Creep beneath the trees' lichen-covered boughs in a woodland that has remained unspoilt for hundreds of years.

Route details

• 4.5km/2.8miles
• 2.5 hours
• Easy/moderate

Map and route

Rising high above Exmoor, the East Lyn River flows through the East Lyn Valley in Devon to the picturesque village of Lynmouth. This beautiful six-mile walk begins at Lynmouth in the Exmoor National Park and follows the East Lyn River upstream to Rockford before heading back to the coast.

Route details

• 11km/6.8 miles
• 4 hours
• Moderate

Map and route

River near Burrator Reservoir ©GettyRich in history and legend, Dartmoor National Park offers an exhilarating challenge for walkers and some of the most dramatic views in England.

Route details

• 7.1km/4.4 miles
• 2.5 hours
• Moderate

Route and map

Explore mysterious remains left by our distant ancestors on wild and beautiful Dartmoor with a walk from Great Staple Tor to White Tor.

Route details

• 10.3km/6.4 miles
• 3.5 hours
• Moderate/hard

Map and route

Take an autumn walk from Castle Drogo through Piddledown Common and Fingle Wood a see one of England’s largest woodland restoration projects.

Route details

• 6.9km/4.2 miles
• 2 hours
• Moderate

Map and route

Ghosts, witches and dragons: walkers looking for some scary stories should head for Dartmoor. This moderate walking route takes in a host of Dartmoor's famous tors – Saddle, Haytor, Howell Tor and Hound Tor.

Route details

• 8.5km/5.2 miles
• 3 hours
• Moderate

Map and route

Gutter Tor cloudscape ©GettyThe hills, moorlands and coastlines of Devon’s landscape have long provided inspiration for Britain’s authors, poets and playwrights, from Agatha Christie and Arthur Conan Doyle to Thomas Hardy and Jane Austen. Discover the landscape that inspired Michael Morpurgo's War Horse with this four-mile walk from Gutter Tor to Higher Hartor Tor in Dartmoor National Park.

Route details

• 6.4km/3.9 miles
• 2.5 hours
• Easy/moderate

Map and route

Lydford Gorge ©GettyStretching for 1½ miles, the steep-sided Lydford Gorge is a spectacular chasm in the hills. At one end lies the impressive Devil’s Cauldron whirlpool, while the 30m (100ft)-high White Lady waterfall is at the other.

Route details

• 4.2km/2.6 miles
• 1.5 hours
• Easy

Map and route

In May, this east Devon reserve hums with signs of deepest spring – songbirds wheel from tree to tree, invertebrates chatter from within the heath and adders bask in the warming sun.

If you’ve built up a thirst walking from Branscombe along Devon’s coastal cliffs and beaches to Beer, then you’re in luck – the tiny seaside village has a handful of traditional pubs, perfect for a well-earned pint.

Route details

• 4.8km/3 miles
• Easy/moderate
• 2 hours

Route and map

Explore South Devon on this two-hour walk along beautiful coastlines, semi-ancient woodlands and spot grey seals in the calm waters of Fishcombe Cove.