Bousdale Beck Trail

This is a continuous circular walk of about 2.75 miles (4 km), waymarked in yellow, starting and finishing at the Guisborough Forest and Walkway Visitor Centre. Most people take around 1.5 hours. A short link path from the visitor centre takes you onto the loop proper, and the yellow markers are the navigation aid to follow at junctions.

From the visitor centre the route climbs fairly quickly through beech woodland, then settles onto forest track and forest roads that carry you through varied forest habitats before dropping back to the start. The hard work is front loaded, so once you are up, the rest is steady walking rather than repeated ups and downs.

Rate it moderate, largely because of the steep opening ascent, with roughly 130 metres of climb overall. There is nothing technical about it. If you are happy with one sustained pull uphill at the beginning, the remainder is straightforward, though steep inclines feature along the way.

Expect forest track and forest road underfoot, with the route roughly 90% off road. Because these are working forest routes, vehicle use is possible on the shared forest roads, so walk expecting occasional vehicle activity and obey any signs you meet on site.

The reward is views over Guisborough and beyond from the higher ground, plus the change in character as you move from beech woodland into the wider mix of forest habitats and back again.

A good choice for a half morning or an afternoon leg stretch when you want a real climb without committing to a moor day. If you would rather have less distance and less ascent, the nearby Bousdale Circular is the shorter, gentler option.

Start from the Guisborough Forest and Walkway Visitor Centre. The car park is large and is managed by Redcar and Cleveland Council, and there are no designated accessible parking spaces. Dogs are allowed throughout the forest, but keep yours close and under close supervision, particularly on the sections shared with vehicles, and follow the signs on site.