Parking
Start at Dovedale Car Park (OS grid reference SK 1465 5095); Blue Badge parking is available. At the entrance, follow the pedestrian road marked with a vehicle restriction sign to the riverside path.
Overview
About Dovedale Access for All
Why go
- Firm riverside access to the dale’s famous stepping stones
- Blue Badge parking at the start
Heads up
- Very short route; it does not continue to Milldale
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Peak District map
Full mapElevation144–168 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
5 active Peak District alerts
- ClosureA54 Cat and Fiddle road closureThe A54 Macclesfield Main Road (Cat and Fiddle) is fully closed to all traffic from 27 July through 30 October 2026 during phase 1 improvement works.Official details
- ClosureHooks Carr (Stanage Popular) car park closureHooks Carr (Stanage Popular) car park will be partially or fully closed from 6 October for four weeks.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Peak District Tour Guide
Your drive to Dovedale Access for All, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Peak District 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
Dovedale Stepping Stones and Thorpe Cloud0:00 / 0:33
“Up ahead is Dovedale, where a short riverside walk leads to the stepping stones beneath Thorpe Cloud.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Peak District Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- The Coins in Reynard's Kitchen
- Ilam Park and Holy Cross Church
- The River's Hidden Crayfish
- The Spires Above Dovedale
- 298 audio storiesacross Peak District’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Red Deer, Red Fox, Eurasian Otter, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 88 trails, 76 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 Dovedale Access for All
What this route gives youDovedale Access for All is a 0.
Dovedale Access for All is a 0.8-mile out-and-back from Dovedale Car Park to the River Dove’s famous Stepping Stones, 640 m each way. You return by the same riverside line; it’s a good short choice if you want the dale’s main river view without committing to the longer walk to Milldale. The trail is graded Access for All, designed for pushchairs and unassisted wheelchair users, with a firm surface and gentle gradients.
Follow the riverFrom the car park entrance, take the road marked by the vehicle-restriction sign and stay on…
From the car park entrance, take the road marked by the vehicle-restriction sign and stay on the riverside path to the stones. It’s short and easy to follow, with the Dove beside you and Thorpe Cloud’s limestone slopes beyond. The stones mark the turnaround. From the near bank, frame them with the river and hill behind. Izaak Walton and Charles Cotton helped make Dovedale famous for fishing.
Make the returnAllow around 30 minutes for the round trip and a pause at the stones. Dogs are welcome on leads.
Allow around 30 minutes for the round trip and a pause at the stones. Dogs are welcome on leads. The stone crossing is separate from this route and uneven underfoot; the accessible walk ends before it, so don’t count on the stones to reach the other bank.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Peak District
248 sightingsRed DeerMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
36 sightingsRed FoxMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
15 sightingsEurasian OtterMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
51 sightingsPeregrine FalconMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
47 sightingsEuropean Fallow DeerMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
54 sightingsWestern Roe DeerMost seen around 7 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Peak District. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
