Parking
Start at Bickley Gate car park, reached via Dalby Forest Drive. Follow the purple markers with white arrows; the visitor centre is not this trail’s starting access.
Overview
About Deepdale Habitat Trail
Why go
- Quiet woodland nature reserve
- White Beck and birch valley scenery
Heads up
- Steeper gradients and uneven surfaces
- Not suitable for wheelchairs or pushchairs
Deepdale is a nature reserve sometimes called the Forest in Miniature, because the woodland features packed into this small valley are repeated across the wider Dalby Forest. The payoff is the habitat itself rather than a big viewpoint: a steep-sided wooded dale, the beck at the bottom, and stands of naturally regenerated birch on the return leg. It is a quiet, close-in walk, so expect texture and detail instead of open moorland panoramas.
Parkwolf’s verdictWhat makes it worth doingMap & elevation
The route
Loading the North York Moors map
Full mapElevation148–197 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Best time to go
Safety
8 active North York Moors alerts
- ClosureHawnby Bridleway 110 closurePublic Bridleway 25.122/110/1 in Hawnby is closed to pedestrians, cyclists and equestrians because its bridge is unsafe. - The closure is between grid references SE 5309 9073 and SE 5335 9097.Official details
- ClosureWest Ayton Footpath 1 closurePublic Footpath 1 in West Ayton (Forge Valley) is temporarily closed because its boardwalk is unsafe. - The closure is between SE 9860 8494 and SE 9839 8712.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
North York Moors Tour Guide
Your drive to Deepdale Habitat Trail, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for North York Moors 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
Bickley Gate and Deepdale0:00 / 0:32
“You're approaching Bickley Gate, a Dalby Forest trailhead for the small valley of Deepdale.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf North York Moors Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- The Forest Eye
- The Workers Who Planted Dalby
- The Dragonfly's Empty Skin
- Why Langdale Lost Some Trees
- 298 audio storiesacross North York Moors’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Eurasian Otter, Red Deer, Grey Seal, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 126 trails, 65 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 Deepdale Habitat Trail
The route in briefA circular loop of 1.3 miles (2.
A circular loop of 1.3 miles (2.1 km) starting and finishing at Bickley Gate car park on Dalby Forest Drive, waymarked with purple markers and white arrows. From the car park the path drops into Deepdale, works around the head of the valley, crosses White Beck, then climbs back through natural birch woodland to close the loop. Allow about 40 minutes at a steady walking pace, longer if you stop to look at the woodland closely.
Difficulty and footingDifficulty: 3/10. Easy in distance, but not a smooth or level stroll.
Difficulty: 3/10. Easy in distance, but not a smooth or level stroll.
- Some steeper gradients on the way down into the valley and on the climb back out.
- Uneven natural surfaces throughout, with roots, stones and dips.
- A crossing of White Beck at the valley head, so waterproof footwear is sensible.
- Not suitable for wheelchairs or pushchairs. If you need wheels, the easier surfaced family trails nearer the Dalby Forest visitor centre are the better choice.
Practical notesStart point: Bickley Gate car park, reached from Dalby Forest Drive.
- Start point: Bickley Gate car park, reached from Dalby Forest Drive.
- Dogs are welcome throughout Dalby Forest, subject to the site guidance for the forest.
- Bring boots you do not mind getting wet, and plan for the loop to take longer than the short distance suggests if the ground is soft.
- Keep to the purple waymarked route rather than linking into the longer forest cycling routes, which are separate and much bigger days out.
Wildlife
Wildlife in North York Moors
15 sightingsEurasian OtterMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
10 sightingsRed DeerMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
79 sightingsGrey SealMost seen around noonSighting map
26 sightingsWestern Barn OwlMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
33 sightingsEuropean BadgerMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
10 sightingsMute SwanMost seen around noonSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across North York Moors. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
