Sutton Bank National Park Centre

Be honest with yourself about the White Horse. The gravel approach is gentle and misleads people; actually getting down to see the figure properly involves steep steps, and it is a real climb back.

• Level, accessible path from the Centre to the escarpment edge, suitable for wheelchairs and buggies.
• Walks south along the escarpment towards the Kilburn White Horse, with views opening the whole way.
• Sutton Bank lies on the Cleveland Way National Trail, so longer linear days are easy to piece together.

This is a proper cycle hub rather than a car park with a bike rack. Waymarked trails run from the family-friendly green Cliff trail through blue Fort and Drovers trails to the red Paradise trail, with gravel explorer routes for longer days, a purpose-built pump track, a skills area, a bike wash, and an independent bike hire and repair operator on site.

For younger children the outdoor play area is built from natural materials: treehouses, a stone castle, three roundhouses, a large sandpit, a mud kitchen and logs to clamber over. It is a good place to let children burn off energy while someone queues for coffee. Dogs are welcome on short leads.

Paid parking annoys some visitors, and opinions on café value and service are mixed rather than uniformly warm. Trails can be wet and muddy after rain, especially the wooded sections, so bring proper footwear or expect a dirty bike. Some paths are shared and some are for walkers only, including the White Horse path, so follow the signed route-sharing rules to avoid friction. On a low-cloud day the famous view simply is not there, so keep the plan flexible.

Inside there is a shop, an exhibition on the River Rye, and food and drink, plus information staff who can match a route to your group. Gliders launched from the airfield behind often work the updraught along the edge, which gives the view something to watch rather than just admire.