Walking Routes From Happy Hiker

The Happy Hiker website provides free simple to follow directions for various walking routes, including GPS downloads and gives basic advice on a variety of walking issues. Go to My Walks

Walks will be added frequently as I undertake them. Keep checking the site for updates. Save to favourites/bookmarks to make checking easier.

New walks added:

11 June2013 - Grassington to Appletreewick (via Thorpe), Yorkshire Dales.

12 June 2013 - Ilkley to Burley-in-Wharfedale, West Yorkshire.

If you are having a walking holiday and need somewhere to stay, find self catering and B&B accommodation where walkers are welcome in Accommodation For Walkers.

There are hundreds of walking sites in the UK providing walking routes in every area. Because one of my principles is that I have actually walked all the routes I describe and because I only started detailing them for this website at the start of 2011, clearly I cannot compete in coverage or quantity with the larger, longer established walking sites. What I have tried to do is ensure accuracy in the routes I describe, so that others can also enjoy them and make it clearly identifiable where they start, parking availability, what maps you need and strategic Ordnance Survey reference points along the way.

I am fortunate enough to live on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales National Park and within easy reach of the Lake District, two of the very best areas for walking in the UK. Not surprisingly therefore, Yorkshire Dales walks and Lake District walks tend to be the focus of my hiking activities. I add walks in other areas as the fancy takes me or according to where I go on holiday. There are walks in Cornwall, Derbyshire, Devon, the North York Moors, Northumberland, Pembrokeshire, Shropshire and general Yorkshire areas outside the National Parks.

I am often asked for advice on a host of walking issues so I have also included my take on practical advice on a variety of things such as navigating with map and compass (see Finding Your Way) and choosing equipment.

Although to enjoy safe and comfortable walking a certain amount of expenditure on equipment is necessary, once this is purchased it is essentially a free pastime apart from any transport costs. It is beneficial to physical and mental health and leaves you feeling generally uplifted hence the title of this walking website.

I am not normally in the business of recommending any brands in particular just general principles to follow. Where brands are mentioned, these are mainly by way of illustration.

Having said that, Britain is very fortunate in having the best mapping resource in the world, namely maps produced by the Ordnance Survey (OS). The best resource you can have for walking is a 1:25000 scale OS map. See the Finding Your Way page. They give information on many more walking routes in an area than any book of equivalent cost. They can be folded to show the area of your walk and protected inside a map case. Some think they are expensive but in reality they cost less than a couple of rounds of drinks for two. Looked after they can last years and are very good value for money. The Ordnance Survey have on line ordering service.

Amazon also sell OS maps and in my experience, orders have sometimes arrived in the next day's post and are usually at lower cost than OS themselves or retail outlets. A direct link to the relevant map is shown with each walk or see full 1:25,000 Ordnance Survey map range.

Above all, enjoy your walking and discovering some wonderful corners of this green and pleasant land. For each walk I describe, I have included photos I took along the way.

All information on this site is given in good faith and no liability is accepted in respect of any damage, loss or injury which might result from acting on it.