Autumn walks: waterfalls, forests and parkland

Walks for autumn colour and full waterfalls: forests, gorges and glens, arboretums and parkland estates such as Chatsworth and Calke. Below are free walks, each with a map, distance and starting point.

164walking routes
31counties
Freeall routes
A woodland path covered in fallen autumn leaves
Photo: Peter Barr, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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Every walk on this page is plotted on the map above. Zoom, drag or click a pin to explore, or search a county to list its walks.

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Autumn walks by type

A few good places to start for each kind of walk: mostly circular routes of 2 to 12 miles, with no more than two from any one county.

Waterfalls

Gorges and glens

Forests and arboretums

Parks and estates

Walking in autumn

Autumn brings changing leaves, fuller waterfalls after the rain, and quieter paths once the summer holidays are over.

Waterfalls

Waterfalls are at their best after autumn rain. Our list includes Aira Force in the Lake District, High Force in Teesdale, the Ingleton waterfalls in the Yorkshire Dales and Steall Falls in Glen Nevis.

Gorges and glens

Wooded gorges such as Padley Gorge in the Peak District, the Teign Gorge on Dartmoor and Dollar Glen in Clackmannanshire are good places for autumn colour.

Forests and arboretums

Westonbirt, the National Arboretum in Gloucestershire, is known for its autumn colour. Our forest walks include Friston Forest, Bedgebury Forest and Guisborough Forest.

Parks and estates

Parkland estates such as Chatsworth and Calke in Derbyshire, Lyme Park in Cheshire and the Queen Elizabeth Country Park in Hampshire have old trees and open grassland.

Choosing a walk

There are 164 autumn walks on this page, across 31 counties. Of those, 41 are under 4 miles, 61 are 4 to 7 miles, 21 are 7 to 10 miles and 35 are 10 miles or more. 115 bring you back to where you started, while 18 are one-way routes, best paired with a bus or train. The counties with the most are Derbyshire (59), Hampshire (12), West Yorkshire (11). Use the filters above to narrow the list, or search for a county to see every walk there.

How we chose these walks

These are walks whose title names a waterfall, gorge, glen, forest, arboretum, country park, deer park or one of a few well-known parkland estates.

County walking guidesDerbyshireHampshireWest YorkshireCumbriaWest SussexDevonGloucestershireNorth YorkshireKentCornwallStirlingIsle of Wight
More walks by themeCastle walksWaterside walksPub walksSpring walksSummer walksWinter walks

Know before you go

Practical points for autumn walks.

Deer in autumn

Autumn is the deer rut, when stags can be unpredictable. Keep well back from deer in parks, and keep dogs on a lead.

Shorter days

The days get shorter quickly from October, especially after the clocks go back. Check sunset times and allow enough daylight.

Wet leaves

Fallen leaves hide roots and rocks and can be slippery on steps and near waterfalls. Wear boots with good grip.

Autumn walks: questions

How many autumn walks are there?

We list 164 autumn walks across 31 counties. 41 are under 4 miles and 35 are 10 miles or more. Every route is free to view.

Which counties have the most?

Derbyshire (59), Hampshire (12), West Yorkshire (11), Cumbria (10), West Sussex (9), Devon (5). Search a county on this page to see every walk there.

Are there short circular walks?

Yes. 28 routes under 4 miles finish where they start, including Bierley Loop To Wydacombe Inc Waterfall (Isle of Wight, 1.6 mi), Broadmoor via Tillingbourne Waterfall and Friday Street (Surrey, 1.9 mi), Dollar via Dolar Glen (Clackmannanshire, 2.2 mi). Choose Short walks back to start above to see them all.

When is the best time for autumn colour?

It varies from year to year with the weather, but autumn colour in the UK is usually at its best from mid-October to early November.

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