Kildale Moor Walk

A circuit of 8.7 miles (about 14 km), measured as the full loop rather than one way, typically taking 3.5 to 5 hours with about 4.25 hours a fair planning figure. Difficulty is moderate, 5 out of 10, and most of that comes from footing and navigation rather than steepness.

From the roadside access on Potter's Side Lane near the Commondale side, the walk climbs straight onto open moorland and stays high for a long stretch, crossing rugged ground with broad views. It works its way toward the wooded Guisborough Woods area, then turns back southwest over the moor and drops gradually to the start. Climb and descent come as a series of steady moorland pulls and rolls, not one big ascent, so the effort is spread across the day.

Expect rough, uneven moorland underfoot with wet and boggy patches that are the defining feature of the walk. In winter those sections turn slow and genuinely arduous. The high ground is exposed, with little in the way of shelter once you are up on the moor, so wind and weather are felt directly. Waterproof boots earn their keep here.

This is the honest weak point. Route signage is poor, and while the loop is continuous on the ground, junctions on open moorland are easy to misread. Carry a map and compass or a GPS track and know how to use them. If you would rather follow a line of waymarkers without thinking, pick a different walk.

Drive east from Kildale on Potter's Side Lane for about 3.7 miles to the roadside parking access, which is where the loop begins and ends.

Pets are allowed, but the moor is not a free-roaming space. North York Moors National Park Authority guidance is that dogs must stay on public rights of way across most moorland, must be kept under control around livestock, and must be on a lead shorter than 2 metres from 1 March to 31 July to protect ground-nesting birds, as well as near farm animals.