Spring is so nearly here, with the lengthening days, signs of daffodils, lambs and foals appearing and Easter at the end of March. Now is a wonderful time to enjoy this beautiful National Park and the surrounding areas.
Let’s start with accommodation
Regardless of your requirements, taste, or budget, you’ll find somewhere perfect to stay for your Dartmoor holiday or mini break whether you’re coming alone with your dog or as part of a family group. From hotels to tree houses, camping to self-catering, yurts, farms, or B&B we have what you need.
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What’s On during Spring and Easter 2024?
Listed below are just a few of the many fun events happening in during Spring and Easter, check our What’s On page for details and more events.
What’s On page
16 March, House of Marbles
This year’s brilliant new theme will be Sherlock Holmes and The Case of The Hound of the Baskervilles.
18 March, Canonteign Falls
Devon’s hidden gem on the edge of Dartmoor, is thrilled to announce the reopening of its beautiful waterfalls and lakes on March 18th!
29th – 14th April – embark on an exciting Easter egg hunt amidst fairies and ferns!
29 March – 1 April, Alder Vineyard
Tours, East cakes, live music
Come and join our family in the vines at Alder this Easter weekend (Fri 29th – Mon 1st April).
2 March 11:00 am Wildwood Arts
April 7 (Sunday) 4:00 pm
Six great westcountry artists exhibition.
6 April, Dartmoor Zoo
Saturday 4th May
Saturday 6th July
Roar and snore at Dartmoor Zoo
Camp INSIDE the zoo itself and find out what life is like between dusk and dawn, when many residents come out to play. With an evening tour and a twilight tour, you’ll be able to meet all the diurnal and nocturnal animals.
Guided Tours & Walks
Dartmoor is full of surprises and unexpected hidden gems, but often you need to be with someone who knows the secrets, or you may well miss out!
As the moor has so many diverse landscapes a knowledgeable guide can create a tailor-made itinerary for you so that you don’t miss the things you are most interested in.
Maybe archaeology is your passion, or you love hearing the myths and legends that abound on the moor … perhaps you’ve always wanted to see the beautiful wild Dartmoor ponies or explore an ancient woodland.
Book a Guide or Tour
Explore the Tors
We’ve listed five of Dartmoor’s famous tors that are well worth a visit, and you can use our handy map to plan your days!
Map of Dartmoor
Bowerman’s Nose
Despite there being more than 160 tors on Dartmoor, few are as distinctive or instantly recognisable as Bowerman’s Nose, a tall stack of rock about a mile from Hound Tor and close to the village of Manaton. With its passing resemblance to a capped man or a man with a large nose, the stack has inspired one of Dartmoor’s most well-known legends: Bowerman the Hunter
Brent Tor
Brent Tor is unusual for many reasons; it’s a unique example of a tor made of basaltic lava as opposed to granite, but more famously the tor is surmounted by the Church of St Michael de Rupe (known colloquially as Brentor Church), which serves the parish of Brentor.
Pew Tor
While it’s easier to reach than most tors, Pew Tor has a big summit with plenty of exposed granite to climb around on. It’s also in a great location for linking up walks with other nearby peaks, including Cox Tor, Feather Tor, Heckwood Tor and Kings Tor.
Great Links Tor
This prominent tor on Dartmoor’s north-western flank is visible for miles around. Standing on one of the highest points on Dartmoor at 1,939ft above sea level, Great Links Tor is dominated by a monolithic outcropping of granite some 40ft high.
Haytor
Standing proudly on the south eastern edge of the moor, Haytor (often referred to as Haytor Rocks) offers spectacular views across Dartmoor and the south Devon coast.
You can get off the beaten track and explore Haytor Quarry, seeing the unique granite tramway that transported granite from the high moor to the port at Teignmouth by following the Templer Way walk.
Cycle ride
Our pick of the cycle rides this spring is the Wray Valley Trail, it’s a great way to explore the Wray Valley, following in the footsteps of the Victorians who built the Newton Abbot to Moretonhampstead railway in 1866.
The 11km, mainly traffic free, route links Bovey Tracey to Moretonhampstead. It follows the line of the old railway, which was closed to passengers in 1959, taking you through the National Trust Parke Estate and past the picturesque villlage of Lustleigh.
Many more routes on our Cycling Pages
Marvellous Maps!
- Walking & Cycling Routes
- Dartmoor Overground
- Dartmoor Tors
- Scratch & Track
Read more
NEW! – Dartmoor Online Shop
Welcome to the online Dartmoor Shop, your gateway to a world of Dartmoor literature and knowledge with Walking Books, Dartmoor Maps and Posters, and the new Hiking Badges. Badges are woven from recycled yarn and easy to apply with an iron on backing.
So, there’s a lot to choose from in our ever-growing online shop! Books with lots of different Dartmoor walks to try, or you can discover the history of tin mining on the moor.
Would you like to find out about the aircraft that were lost in crashes on Dartmoor during World War Two, maybe you’d like to learn about the wildflowers that thrive here or sign up to subscribe to the popular Dartmoor News magazine by walking guide Paul Rendell.
We have books about the tors of Dartmoor, and a fascinating guide to the moorland’s ancient monuments, plus one about Burrator Reservoir.
Read about the Dartmoor Perambulation, the Dartmoor Way cycling & walking route, and the Two Moors Way … there’s a great deal to enjoy!
Visit the shop
Special offers on Dartmoor accommodation
There’s usually a fantastic deal to be had, so keep an eye on our Special Offers page… Read more