Parking
Waterfall car park at Lydford Gorge; parking is free. Three accessible spaces are listed, long-vehicle spaces are limited, caravans are unsuitable, and overnight parking is not allowed.
Overview
About Lydford Gorge Railway Path
Why go
- Deep, dripping cuttings along a disused railway line.
- A compact loop with a distinct woodland return.
Heads up
- The woodland return is steep, narrow and uneven.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Dartmoor map
Full mapElevation161–202 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
2 active Dartmoor alerts
- CautionDartmoor military firing restricts accessDo not cross the Okehampton, Willsworthy or Merrivale training-range boundaries when warning signals are displayed.Official details
- CautionAccess restriction at Huccaby FarmAccess to CROW Access Land at Huccaby Farm in the West Dart River Valley is subject to a current restriction notice.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Dartmoor Tour Guide
Your drive to Lydford Gorge Railway Path, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Dartmoor National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
Recorded for this trailhead
Whitelady Waterfall from the Waterfall Entrance0:00 / 0:25
“You're approaching Lydford Gorge's Waterfall entrance, where the walk descends to the thirty-metre Whitelady Waterfall.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Dartmoor Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Lydford Gorge: Devil's Cauldron
- Lydford's Prison and Parliament
- The Watchmaker's Words
- The River’s Old Cauldrons
- 298 audio storiesacross Dartmoor’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Western Roe Deer, Red Fox, European Rabbit, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 54 trails, 59 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Lydford Gorge Railway Path
A short railway-line loopLydford Gorge Railway Path is a 1-mile (1.
Lydford Gorge Railway Path is a 1-mile (1.6 km) loop from the Waterfall entrance, along a disused Great Western Railway line to the bird hide and back through woodland. Allow about 30 minutes. It’s a short, gentler choice than the separate Waterfall Trail.
Cuttings and the way backFrom the picnic area, take the gated path, follow the sharp right bend and keep right at the…
From the picnic area, take the gated path, follow the sharp right bend and keep right at the junction. The old railway path is mostly level after its initial slope. It passes a wild pond before entering deep rock cuttings, where water drips down the faces for much of the year. For a clear gorge photo, look right before the trees have their full canopy. Continue to the bird hide and old railway building, then retrace the short spur and take the woodland return. The fence posts are old rails; the railway reached Lydford in 1865. For an easier outing, turn back at the bird hide and retrace the path. The woodland return is steep, narrow and uneven.
At the Waterfall entranceAccess is through the National Trust gorge entrance as part of a Lydford Gorge visit.
Access is through the National Trust gorge entrance as part of a Lydford Gorge visit. The free car park has three accessible spaces, limited long-vehicle parking and no overnight parking; caravans are unsuitable. The tea-room serves takeaway drinks, snacks and bakes, and toilets are in the car-park building. Dogs are welcome on a short lead and must stay out of the river. The woodland return isn’t suitable for buggies, pushchairs or bikes.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Dartmoor
32 sightingsWestern Roe DeerMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
10 sightingsRed FoxMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
37 sightingsEuropean RabbitMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
19 sightingsGrey HeronMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
34 sightingsGreat Spotted WoodpeckerMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
20 sightingsCommon RavenMost seen around 8 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Dartmoor. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
