Brimham Rocks boundary walk
Yorkshire
Enjoy a circular walk around the boundary of Brimham Rocks and discover panoramic views of the Yorkshire countryside. This route passes through woodland, farmland and open moorland, offering a glimpse of the rock formations that give Brimham Rocks their name along the way.
Near to
Brimham RocksStart point
Brimham Rocks car parkTrail information
Boggy terrain
Large sections of south moor (between stops 2 and 4) are wet and boggy making the paths extremely difficult to pass during the winter months.
Total stages: 6
Total stages: 6
Start point
Brimham Rocks car park
Stage 1
From Brimham Rocks car park, walk to the back right corner of the car park and join the short wood chipped track. At the end of this track turn right and head until you reach a fingerpost. At the fingerpost follow the sign straight on for the Nidderdale Way, hugging the wall to your right. In about 350m the ground will dip down sharply to a farm track with a gate on your right. Turn left here, following the red arrow to the road about 30 paces away.
Stage 2
Cross over the road following the red arrows and through the gate onto South Moor. Follow the narrow path, caution it is rutted in places and can become overgrown with heather in the summer. Keep heading up the path roughly 650m until you come to a larger track with a waymarking post. Turn right, following the red arrow. You are now back on the Nidderdale Way. After 400m you will head through a copse of silver birch trees. Emerging from the trees you come to a gate, stile and a National Trust boundary sign.
Stage 3
At the waymarking post, follow the red arrow to the left. Head down this path, eventually reaching a wall on your right-hand side. Continue to follow the red arrows, hugging the wall on your right-hand side until you come to a spring. Continue over the boardwalks, curving round to the left until you see a National Trust diversion sign. Here the path diverges from what is shown on the map to avoid a boggy area of the moor. This is a temporary diversion until a permanent solution is put in place. Follow the waymarkers with red arrows up the hill until you reach the post on the far side (it should look exactly the same as the initial bog diversion sign). Take the path to your left following the red arrows. You will come to a boggy section with a waymarker post, follow the red arrow onto the path on the right. Head up this path around 200m until you reach a gate onto the main road.
Stage 4
Go through the gate and head across the road. Go through the next gate following the red arrow. You are now on North Moor. Follow the path, climbing over the fallen tree and continue for around 400m until you reach a waymarking post. Turn to you right and head down the hill, following the curved path to the left. Once the path straightens you should see a fence line in front of you, though this may be obscured by trees in the summer. Head towards the fence line on the path for around 50m until you reach a gate. Head through the gate and turn left onto a farm track.
Stage 5
Head down the farm track for roughly 750m. The National Trust boundary is to your right, overlooking a farmyard. At 750m you will come to a stile, head over and follow the red arrow to the right.. Continue down this path for 500m until you reach a stile.
Stage 6
Once over the stile, follow the path round to the left, passing Druid’s Cave Farmhouse on the right. Continue down this track for 500m and you will come to the same fingerpost for the Nidderdale Way in stage 1. Turn left to head back towards the car park.
End point
Brimham Rocks car park
Trail map
Brimham Rocks boundary walk map | © Crown copyright and database rights 2026 Ordnance Survey
More near here
Circular walk at Brimham Rocks
This short walk will show you the highlights of Brimham from the dramatic rock formations, to the heather moorland.
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Get in touch
Brimham Moor Road, Summerbridge, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, HG3 4DW
Our partners
We’ve partnered with Cotswold Outdoor to help everyone make the most of their time outdoors in the places we care for.
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Explore dramatic moorland rock formations
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Looking for some refreshment during your visit to Brimham Rocks? You can find a selection of food and drinks at the refreshment kiosk open open every day 10am - 4pm. Every bite of a sausage roll or crunch of an ice-cream cone helps to protect this special place.
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