Parking
Start at Station Car Park on Station Road in Robin Hood's Bay, YO22 4TG. Toilets are at the start and finish.
Overview
About Robin Hood's Bay and Maw Wyke
Why go
- Dramatic clifftop views and a sheltered inlet
- Flat old-railway return
Heads up
- Unfenced cliff edges and one steep climb
- Cinder Track shared with cyclists and horse-riders
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the North York Moors map
Full mapElevation0–127 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 Robin Hood's Bay and Maw Wyke, 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
Robin Hood's Bay0:00 / 0:38
“Up ahead is Robin Hood's Bay, where a tight knot of cottages and narrow alleys tumbles steeply down to the sea.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf North York Moors Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- The Lifeboat That Came by Road
- An Ammonite Is a Clock
- How Bay Town Hid Its Cargo
- The Limpet's Return Trip
- 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 Robin Hood's Bay and Maw Wyke
The route in briefA complete circular walk of 6 miles / 9.
A complete circular walk of 6 miles / 9.8 km, starting and finishing at Station Car Park in Robin Hood's Bay. Official time is about 4 hours. Difficulty is moderate: mostly easy going, with one steep climb. Distances here follow the full loop, not a one-way line.
SequenceFrom the car park, follow the well-signposted Cleveland Way north along the cliffs.
- From the car park, follow the well-signposted Cleveland Way north along the cliffs.
- Pass Ness Point, with its jagged coastal rocks and long history of maritime danger.
- Continue to Maw Wyke, a sheltered inlet, reached after a steep climb through the caravan park.
- Return inland on the flat Cinder Track, the old Whitby to Scarborough railway line, back to Robin Hood's Bay.
Footing, exposure and shared useThe outbound clifftop path is unfenced with steep drop-offs, so keep well back from the edge…
The outbound clifftop path is unfenced with steep drop-offs, so keep well back from the edge and supervise children closely. No stiles are reported. The single steep climb comes through the caravan park before Maw Wyke. The Cinder Track return is flatter and shared with cyclists and horse-riders, so expect to walk with awareness of others on that section.
What you see along the wayA replica rocket post recalls historic cliff rescues on this stretch of coast.
A replica rocket post recalls historic cliff rescues on this stretch of coast. Jet was once mined along the cliffs, and spoil-heap mounds and miners' tracks are still visible. Maw Wyke is a regular nesting site for kittiwakes, which use the cliffs in spring and early summer to breed and rear young. Also watch for herring gulls, fulmars and cormorants.
PhotographyThe exposed coastal section and the Maw Wyke inlet provide the defining views of the walk.
The exposed coastal section and the Maw Wyke inlet provide the defining views of the walk. Spring and early summer bring the kittiwake activity on the cliffs.
Access, parking and facilitiesStart and finish at Station Car Park, Station Road, Robin Hood's Bay, YO22 4TG.
Start and finish at Station Car Park, Station Road, Robin Hood's Bay, YO22 4TG. Toilets are at the start and finish. Robin Hood's Bay and Ravenscar are both noted for refreshments.
DogsDogs are welcome on this route.
Dogs are welcome on this route. Keep them on a short lead along the unfenced clifftops for safety, and use a lead on the Cinder Track when cyclists or horse-riders pass.
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.
