Parking
Main car park at Sutton Bank National Park Centre, just off the A170, postcode YO7 2EH. Follow the signed paths out of the car park to join the route.
Overview
About Gormire Lake from Sutton Bank
- Circular loop starting and finishing at the Sutton Bank National Park Centre main car park.
- 4.06 miles / 6.53 km is the stored distance, measured as the complete walked loop including the shared return approach.
- Route information for this walk gives roughly 800 ft (242 m) of ascent and about 2 hours 20 minutes of walking.
- Surfaces are mainly paths, footways and bridleways.
Why go
- Escarpment views over the Vale of York
- A lake-and-woodland loop with varied scenery
Heads up
- Steep descent and sustained climb
- Fiddly route-finding at woodland junctions
From the centre you gain the escarpment quickly and follow the ridge on the Cleveland Way, passing viewpoints that look down on Gormire Lake and out along Whitestone Cliff. This is the open half of the walk, with long views west across the Vale of York.
Parkwolf’s verdictThe sequence and the payoffMap & elevation
The route
Loading the North York Moors map
Full mapElevation149–310 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 Gormire Lake from Sutton Bank, 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
Sutton Bank0:00 / 0:36
“Sutton Bank is coming up, where the moorland plateau ends abruptly above the Vale of York.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf North York Moors Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Kilburn White Horse
- Why the White Horse Needs Whitening
- The Fort Beneath the Gliders
- Why Gormire Lake Sits Below the Cliff
- 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 Gormire Lake from Sutton Bank
Difficulty and footingShort in distance but not flat: the steep descent to the lake and the sustained woodland climb…
- Short in distance but not flat: the steep descent to the lake and the sustained woodland climb back account for most of the effort.
- Expect uneven and steep sections underfoot, especially on the descent and the return climb.
- Best treated as a walk where the climbing, not the mileage, sets the pace.
Exposure and route-findingThe ridge section includes exposed viewpoints and cliff edges around Whitestone Cliff.
- The ridge section includes exposed viewpoints and cliff edges around Whitestone Cliff. Keep back from the edge and supervise children closely.
- The woodland and bridleway sections have some confusing junctions, and it is easy to take the wrong branch on the way to or from the lake. Carry a map or GPS track and check junctions rather than following the most worn line.
PhotographyThe strongest positions are the ridge viewpoints above Gormire Lake and along Whitestone Cliff,…
The strongest positions are the ridge viewpoints above Gormire Lake and along Whitestone Cliff, where the lake sits below the escarpment with the Vale of York beyond. Shoot from established viewpoints rather than moving toward the edge for a cleaner angle.
AccessStart from the main car park at Sutton Bank National Park Centre, just off the A170, postcode…
- Start from the main car park at Sutton Bank National Park Centre, just off the A170, postcode YO7 2EH.
DogsDogs may use public rights of way on this route.
- Dogs may use public rights of way on this route.
- In moorland areas they must stay on rights of way and should be kept on a lead or to heel.
- Seasonal nesting and livestock controls apply, so keep close control and follow any local signage in place at the time of your visit.
The sequence and the payoffThe route then drops steeply off the escarpment through woodland and onto bridleways to reach…
The route then drops steeply off the escarpment through woodland and onto bridleways to reach the lake itself, where a partial lakeshore circuit gives an enclosed, wooded contrast to the ridge. A steady climb back up through woodland leads over Sutton Brow and returns you to the centre.
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.
