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The UK’s best family hiking spots

Lizz Banks
Authored by Lizz Banks
Posted: Wednesday, October 5, 2022 - 16:21

The UK’s best family hiking spots:

Rank Hiking spot Country % of hikes below 10 km % of 'kid-friendly' walks Number of family-friendly campsites % of child-friendly restaurants Family-friendly hiking score/10
1. New Forest National Park England 72% 27% 48 81% 8.51
2. Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Wales 49% 26% 95 62% 7.30
3. Exmoor National Park England 61% 16% 40 78% 6.71
4.  Lake District National Park England 43% 8% 124 66% 6.05
5. Snowdonia National Park Wales 46% 7% 132 61% 5.93
6. North York Moors National Park England 40% 13% 73 72% 5.86
7. Wendover Woods England

58%

 

27% 8 54% 5.75
8. South Downs National Park England 50% 17% 45 58% 5.35
9. The Broads National Park England 67% 19% 48 41% 5.29
10. Dartmoor National Park England 62% 9% 27 66% 5.15

The New Forest National Park beats all of the other locations on the list for most factors looked at, earning it a 8.51/10 family-friendly hiking score. Over a quarter of all walks in the park are kid-friendly. There are 48 family-friendly campsites around the New Forest and of all the restaurants in Lyndhurst, 81% are child-friendly.

Pembrokeshire Coast National Park is the second best place in the UK to go walking as a family, with a total score of 7.30/10 and over 600 miles of public footpaths. Almost half of all walks in Pembrokeshire Coast National Park are shorter than 10km, making them suitable for juniors, and 26% of all walks are kid-friendly.

Exmoor National Park concludes the UK’s top three spots for a family day out with a 6.71/10 family-friendly hiking score. Over 60% of all hikes in Exmoor National Park have a length of 10km or less, making them perfect for juniors. 78% of all restaurants in Exmoor National Park are child-friendly, making it the ultimate location for family meals.

Hiking spots for more adventurous families:

Rank Hiking spot Country % of hikes below 10 km % of 'kid-friendly' walks Number of family-friendly campsites % of child-friendly restaurants Family-friendly hiking score/10
1. Northumberland National Park England 39% 12% 11 45% 3.11
2. Isle of Skye Scotland 61% 9% 13 51% 4.02
3. Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park Scotland 45% 13% 11 58% 4.16
4. Yorkshire Dales National Park England 29% 4% 51 74% 4.28
5. Brecon Beacons National Park Wales 43% 6% 50 65% 4.49

Walks in Northumberland National Park are on a more challenging side, making it a perfect choice for more experienced hikers, while still being family-friendly over a third (39%) of walks in are below 10 km long, meaning there are plenty of opportunities for more adventurous families and adolescents, and almost half of restaurants are child-friendly in Northumberland National Park.

The Isle of Skye attracts tourists from all over the world thanks to its fishing villages, unique landscapes and mountain peaks. 61% of all hikes in the Isle of Skye are 10km or less. There are 13 family-friendly campsites in the area, including Skeabost View Pods Skye, which is the ideal spot for families who love glamping or the idea of staying in a pod with internet access, and over half (51%) of all restaurants are child-friendly.

In Loch Lomond and The Trossachs, 45% of all hikes are 10km or less in length. 58% of all restaurants in the national park are child-friendly, making it easy to find a spot for a perfect post-hike family lunch.

Further findings:

  • Snowdonia National Park in Wales has more family-friendly campsites than any other area, totalling up to 132.
  • New Forest National Park offers the most kid-friendly food options: 81% of all restaurants in Lyndhurst, in the New Forest National Park are considered child-friendly. 

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