Walking in Derbyshire
Derbyshire holds most of the Peak District: the gritstone moors of Kinder Scout and the Dark Peak in the north, the limestone dales of the White Peak around Bakewell, and the mill towns of the Derwent Valley, before the land opens out around Derby and the Trent in the south.
Difficulty is shown only where we have graded the route, so choosing a level hides walks not yet graded.
Every walk on this page is plotted on the map above. Zoom, drag or click a pin to explore, or search a town to list its walks.
Choose a starting town
Kinder, Edale & Glossop
Hope Valley & the eastern edges
Buxton, Bakewell & the White Peak
Matlock, Dovedale & the Derwent Valley
- Alfreton1 walk
- Ashbourne14 walks
- Belper19 walks
- Bonsall3 walks
- Brassington3 walks
- Carsington2 walks
- Codnor2 walks
- Crich1 walk
- Cromford42 walks
- Darley Dale4 walks
- Denby2 walks
- Duffield8 walks
- Horsley1 walk
- Matlock16 walks
- Matlock Bath4 walks
- Milford2 walks
- Parwich2 walks
- Pentrich1 walk
- Shipley5 walks
- Shirley1 walk
- South Wingfield1 walk
- Wirksworth5 walks
Derby, Erewash & South Derbyshire
Chesterfield & north-east Derbyshire
Top walks by area
A starting point for each part of Derbyshire: well-documented routes that finish back where they start, between 1 and 12 miles.
Kinder, Edale & Glossop
- Edale & Barber Booth (Flat Valley Walk)Edale · 3.7 mi
- Upper Booth via Swines BackUpper Booth · 4.8 mi
- Rowarth via The Little Mill LoopRowarth · 3.2 mi
- Tintwistle Moor LoopTintwistle · 5.4 mi
- Allport Castle LoopGlossop · 5.6 mi
- Helens Shorted Kinder LoopHayfield · 7.6 mi
Hope Valley & the eastern edges
- Baslow via Little LongstoneBaslow · 9.7 mi
- Ladybower Circular WalkBamford · 3.0 mi
- Robin Hood LoopRobin Hood · 3.6 mi
- Castleton Circular EasyCastleton · 4.6 mi
- Curbar Baslow LoopCurbar · 4.6 mi
- SHILLITO WOOD QUICK LOOPCalver · 4.8 mi
Buxton, Bakewell & the White Peak
- Youlgreave to Bakewell via AlportYoulgrave · 3.3 mi
- Ashford in the Water via SheldonAshford in the Water · 4.3 mi
- Over Haddon via Lathkill and YoulgreaveOver Haddon · 4.6 mi
- Great Longstone Via Monsall Head CircularGreat Longstone · 4.8 mi
- Chatsworth Park via High PathBakewell · 5.1 mi
- Monsal Head LoopMonsal Head · 6.9 mi
Matlock, Dovedale & the Derwent Valley
- Bow Wood & Cromford Loop Short VersionCromford · 3.1 mi
- Tansley LoopTansley · 3.4 mi
- Shipley Park Theme Park LoopHeanor · 3.9 mi
- Markeaton LoopMackworth · 4.4 mi
- Matlock Bath LoopMatlock Bath · 4.4 mi
- Shipley Mapperley LoopShipley · 5.5 mi
Derby, Erewash & South Derbyshire
- Shardlow via Trent Mersey Canal and Great Wilne Circular WalkShardlow · 3.4 mi
- Stanley From White Hart Circular WalkStanley · 3.5 mi
- Spondon-Morley-Chaddesden LoopSpondon · 3.9 mi
- Radbourne Circular WalkMickleover · 4.0 mi
- Short Ockbrook East LoopOckbrook · 4.2 mi
- Dale-Abbey – Ockbrook Loop 1Dale Abbey · 4.3 mi
Chesterfield & north-east Derbyshire
- Holymoorside Circular (inc Old Waterworks)Holymoorside · 5.4 mi
- Whitwell LoopWhitwell · 7.2 mi
- NEDDC – Washland (long Loop)Wingerworth · 2.4 mi
- Barlow via Barlow CommonBarlow · 3.6 mi
- Pleasley via Hardwick Park and NorwoodPleasley · 7.0 mi
- Chatsworth via BaslowWigley · 7.6 mi
Popular in Derbyshire
Know before you go
Practical points for walking in Derbyshire. Rules and timetables change, so check the linked sources before you set off.
Peak District National Park
The Peak District became the UK’s first national park on 17 April 1951. Gritstone moorland of the Dark Peak wraps around the north, east and west, with the limestone dales of the White Peak in the middle and south.
Kinder Scout
At 636 metres, Kinder Scout is the highest point in Derbyshire and the Peak District. The 1932 mass trespass on the plateau helped win the right to roam, and much of it is now cared for by the National Trust.
Pennine Way
The Pennine Way starts in Edale and runs 268 miles to Kirk Yetholm, just over the Scottish border. The full route was declared open on 24 April 1965.
Monsal Trail
A former railway line running about 8.5 miles from Wye Dale, near Buxton, to Coombs Viaduct near Bakewell. Its Monsal Head and Cressbrook tunnels opened to walkers and cyclists in May 2011.
Tissington Trail
Opened in 1971 on the old Ashbourne to Buxton railway, the trail runs 13 miles from Ashbourne to Parsley Hay, where it meets the High Peak Trail.
Derwent Valley Mills
A World Heritage Site since 2001, the valley stretches 15 miles from Matlock Bath to Derby and takes in Richard Arkwright’s first mill at Cromford, along with Belper, Milford and Darley Abbey.
Walking in Derbyshire: questions
How many walks are there in Derbyshire?
We list 1171 walking routes in Derbyshire, starting from 175 towns and villages. The typical route is about 8 miles; 120 are under 4 miles and 378 are 10 miles or more. Every route is free to view.
Which towns have the most walks?
Edale (106), Bakewell (54), Grindleford (47), Castleton (47), Glossop (45) and Bamford (42). Use the town search or the town list on this page to see every walk from a particular place.
Are there short circular walks in Derbyshire?
Yes. 41 routes under 4 miles finish where they start, including Hadfield Circular (1.0 mi), Froggatt Edge Circular Short (1.6 mi), Train Station Loop Plus (2.2 mi) and Dale Farm Very Short Loop Over The Moor (2.4 mi). Choose Under 4 mi and Back to start in the filters above to see them all.
Are there easy walks in Derbyshire?
11 routes are graded easy so far, such as Campsite To Thornbridge (1.6 mi), Over Haddon To Youlgreave (2.2 mi) and Edale & Barber Booth (Flat Valley Walk) (3.7 mi). We are still grading the rest, so many other short routes are gentle too.
Can I take my dog on Derbyshire walks?
Yes, on most routes. Keep dogs on a lead near livestock and on the moors in spring and early summer, when ground-nesting birds are breeding. See Know before you go for more.
Where can I walk up Kinder Scout?
Most of our Kinder Scout walks start from Edale or Hayfield. At 636 metres, Kinder Scout is the highest point in Derbyshire and the Peak District.
Is the Monsal Trail good for an easy walk?
Yes. It follows a former railway for about 8.5 miles between Wye Dale, near Buxton, and Bakewell, so the gradients are gentle. Several of our Bakewell walks use it.
Which long-distance trails pass through Derbyshire?
The Pennine Way, Trans Pennine Trail and Midshires Way all pass through Derbyshire, and each has its own guide on Walking Rambler.