Parking
Dowlow is the Buxton-side start; public parking there was not verified. Chargeable car parks are listed at High Peak Junction/Cromford Wharf, Black Rocks and Middleton Top. Arrange return transport for the full point-to-point walk.
Overview
About High Peak Trail
Why go
- The old railway links cuttings, a stone causeway and open Derbyshire Dales views.
- Cycle hire at Middleton Top and Parsley Hay supports shorter outings.
Heads up
- At 17.5 miles one way, it takes a full day and needs return transport.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Peak District map
Full mapElevation114–377 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 High Peak Trail, 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 area
The Bat That Skims the Water0:00 / 0:27
“At dusk beside a river or still pool, watch for a bat flying just above the water. It could be a Daubenton's bat, sometimes called the water bat.”
Plays on the road 0.6 km from the trailhead in the Parkwolf Peak District Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- The Burials on Cronkston Low
- Why Stilton Isn't Made in Stilton
- Two Rooms Beneath Five Wells
- Chrome Hill and Parkhouse Hill: The Dragon's Back
- 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 High Peak Trail
The routeThe High Peak Trail is a 17.
The High Peak Trail is a 17.5-mile, one-way point-to-point walk along the former Cromford and High Peak Railway, from Dowlow near Buxton to High Peak Junction at Cromford. Allow roughly 7.5 to 8 hours for the full walk. It is a traffic-free route for walkers and cyclists, and the old rail corridor makes for a long crossing rather than a steep summit hike.
What you’ll seeThe railway opened in 1831 to carry minerals and goods between the Cromford Canal and Peak…
The railway opened in 1831 to carry minerals and goods between the Cromford Canal and Peak Forest Canal; it was bought for conversion to a trail in 1971. Between Middleton Top and Parsley Hay, the route climbs the short, sharp Hopton incline, crosses a long stone causeway and passes through craggy cuttings. Views open across the Derbyshire Dales, with wildflowers in spring and summer.
Make it workThis is one way, so arrange transport back between Dowlow and High Peak Junction.
This is one way, so arrange transport back between Dowlow and High Peak Junction. Cycle hire is available at Middleton Top and Parsley Hay. Chargeable parking is listed at High Peak Junction/Cromford Wharf, Black Rocks and Middleton Top; parking at Dowlow was not confirmed. Take extra care where the trail crosses the A5012 east of Newhaven.
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.
