Parking
Start at Goathland Station. The National Park car park (YO22 5LX) and pay-and-display parking on Beck Hole Road serve the village; the station-to-station format works well with a heritage-railway return.
Overview
About Goathland to Grosmont Rail Trail
Why go
- Gentle downhill profile from Goathland
- Heritage railway return option
- Railway and ironstone history along the route
Heads up
- Point-to-point logistics
- Uneven surfaces and short road sections
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the North York Moors map
Full mapElevation36–150 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
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 Goathland to Grosmont Rail 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
Goathland Village and Station0:00 / 0:30
“You're coming up on Goathland, where sheep graze the village common and the station sits a short walk downhill.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf North York Moors Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Goathland’s Two Railway Routes
- Fylingdales’ Vanished Golf Balls
- Twelve Oaks for Goathland
- Goathland Before the Cameras
- 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 Goathland to Grosmont Rail Trail
The routeThis is a point-to-point trail, normally walked one way from Goathland Station to Grosmont…
This is a point-to-point trail, normally walked one way from Goathland Station to Grosmont Station. The signposted distance is 3.5 miles (about 5.5 km), and mapped route geometry measures a little under that at 3.4 miles along the full connected line. It can be walked in either direction, and the heritage railway makes an easy return leg.
Sequence and payoffStart at Goathland Station, pick up the signed trail through the village, then follow the…
Start at Goathland Station, pick up the signed trail through the village, then follow the course of the old railway. The path passes through and beside Beck Hole, then continues through woodland and open countryside in the Esk Valley before finishing at Grosmont Station. The line you are walking is George Stephenson's original 1836 railway route, so the payoff is a mix of quiet valley scenery and visible transport history, including heritage bridges and remains linked to ironstone mining and ironworking.
Difficulty and timeEasy overall, roughly 3 out of 10.
Easy overall, roughly 3 out of 10. The walk is gentle and mostly downhill from Goathland, dropping from around 145 metres near the start to about 36 metres near Grosmont. Allow about 1 hour 45 minutes one way with ordinary stops for photos, longer if you linger at Beck Hole or the heritage features.
Footing and hazardsUneven gravel and track surfaces along the old line
- Uneven gravel and track surfaces along the old line
- A short flight of steps on the route
- Brief sections of village road walking
- Some route-finding attention needed where the trail passes through the villages
- Slippery ground after wet weather, so sturdy footwear is sensible
Access and parkingThe main access point is Goathland Station.
The main access point is Goathland Station. In Goathland there is the National Park car park at YO22 5LX, and pay-and-display parking on Beck Hole Road. The station-to-station format works well if you walk one way and ride the heritage railway back.
DogsDogs are allowed on the rights of way here but must be kept under close control, with care…
Dogs are allowed on the rights of way here but must be kept under close control, with care taken around livestock. From 1 March to 31 July, guidance for relevant moorland areas is to use a lead shorter than 2 metres because of ground-nesting birds.
Best useA relaxed heritage and valley walk, at its best when paired with a train ride.
A relaxed heritage and valley walk, at its best when paired with a train ride. Clear weather opens up the valley views, while the woodland and bridges photograph well in softer morning or late-day light. It suits families and casual walkers.
If you want something differentIf a waterfall matters more to you than railway history, the Mallyan Spout walk from Goathland…
If a waterfall matters more to you than railway history, the Mallyan Spout walk from Goathland is the more relevant alternative in the same village.
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.
