Parking
Use Meldon Reservoir Car Park; the route starts here and crosses the dam. The public car park lists toilets, Blue Badge bays, visitor information and four Type 2 charging points; capacity is not stated.
Overview
About Meldon Reservoir and Black Tor Walk
Why go
- Dam and reservoir views lead into a boulder-lined river valley and open tors.
- The dam looks downstream to Meldon Viaduct across the valley.
Heads up
- The steep, rocky moorland climb can be boggy and exposed.
- No food or drinking-water stop is confirmed on the route.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Dartmoor map
Full mapElevation270–443 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 Meldon Reservoir and Black Tor Walk, 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
Meldon Reservoir and Viaduct0:00 / 0:34
“You're approaching Meldon Reservoir, where a high dam holds the West Okement in a steep valley. I'd stop for the view from the dam: the water stretches into open moor, and Meldon Viaduct rises over the valley downstream.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Dartmoor Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- The Stone Beneath the Rails
- The Valley Meldon Changed
- The Oak Wood Above the River
- The Hunting Ground Beyond the Castle
- 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 Meldon Reservoir and Black Tor Walk
What this loop asks of youMeldon Reservoir and Black Tor Walk is a 4.
Meldon Reservoir and Black Tor Walk is a 4.6-mile lollipop loop from Meldon Reservoir Car Park, visiting Black Tor and Longstone Hill before returning along a short shared reservoir-side approach. That is the full outing distance. Allow about three hours: it starts beside the water, follows the West Okement uphill, then crosses open moorland, so this is a proper hill walk rather than a gentle reservoir circuit. The payoff is the contrast between the dam and long water views, a boulder-lined river, and two open moorland summits.
From the reservoir to Black TorCross Meldon Dam first.
Cross Meldon Dam first. It was completed in 1972, and the dam gives you a long view up the reservoir; look downstream for Meldon Viaduct above the valley. Follow the shore to the path junction, then turn inland beside the West Okement. The river threads between granite boulders below the oak canopy of Black-a-Tor Copse. The route leaves the river corridor for a steep, rough climb to Black Tor; the copse and summit are separate places. From the rocky tor, head northeast across the exposed hillside to Longstone Hill, where the views open back toward the reservoir and across the northern moor.
Over the ridge and backFrom Longstone Hill, descend to the reservoir-side junction and retrace the short shared…
From Longstone Hill, descend to the reservoir-side junction and retrace the short shared approach to the car park. The route is a lollipop rather than a perfect circuit. Much of the hillside is uneven and rocky, and ground can turn boggy after rain; the moorland ridge is open and exposed. Pause at the dam on the way out or back for the clearest reservoir-and-viaduct view.
Parking, dogs and range accessStart at the public Meldon Reservoir Car Park.
Start at the public Meldon Reservoir Car Park. It has public toilets, Blue Badge bays, visitor information and four Type 2 charging points; parking capacity is not stated. No food outlet or drinking-water point is confirmed on the route. Part of the walk crosses the Okehampton military training range, which is closed to the public during live firing. Check the firing schedule and do not cross marked boundaries when red flags or night lamps are displayed. Dogs are allowed under Dartmoor’s general rules: keep them under close control, use a short lead on access land from 1 March through 31 July, and put them on a lead near livestock.
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.
