Discover Dartmoor

There are wild places all over Britain, but nowhere quite like Dartmoor.

At first glance, Dartmoor can seem like a landscape of open hills and rugged granite. Spend a little longer here, though, and you begin to discover its remarkable variety. Vast open moorland gives way to peaceful river valleys, ancient woodlands, hidden waterfalls and some of the last remaining temperate rainforests in Britain.

A stone wall with layered, irregularly shaped rocks under a blue sky with a few clouds.

Granite Giants

Perhaps the most iconic feature of Dartmoor are its granite tors. These dramatic piles of weathered rock rise unexpectedly from the hills, each with its own distinctive character. Standing on a tor, with uninterrupted views stretching on for miles in every direction, it’s easy to feel as though you’re surrounded by a great ocean of land.

Sunset over grassy fields with large standing rocks and a partly cloudy sky.

A Landscape of Ancient People

Dartmoor’s story stretches back thousands of years. Scattered across the moor are prehistoric stone circles, mysterious stone rows and the remains of ancient settlements. Long before written history, people lived, farmed and gathered here, leaving behind traces that still shape the landscape today. Walking among these monuments offers a rare opportunity to connect with a landscape that has changed remarkably little over millennia.

A lush green forest scene with a small stream running over moss-covered rocks and surrounded by dense foliage.

England’s Hidden Rainforest

Tucked away in Dartmoor’s steep river valleys are fragments of one of Britain’s rarest habitats: temperate rainforest. Thanks to the mild climate and frequent rain, these ancient woodlands are cloaked in vibrant mosses, lichens and ferns, creating an almost magical landscape. Walking beneath their twisted oak trees, it’s easy to feel as though you’ve stepped into another world.

Purple flowers growing on a hillside with green grass and trees, and rocky formations in the background.

Dartmoor Through the Seasons

Dartmoor is also a place of extraordinary wildlife and seasonal beauty. In spring, the valleys are carpeted with bluebells and wild garlic. Summer brings purple heather, golden gorse and warm evenings beneath expansive skits. Autumn transforms the woodlands into rich shades of gold and copper, while winter reveals a quieter more dramatic landscape of frost, mist and, occasionally, snow. No two visits to Dartmoor are ever quite the same, with each season revealing a different side of this remarkable landscape.

A landscape scene with a green tent in the foreground, grassy terrain, and a single leafless tree under a blue sky with some clouds and contrails from airplanes.

Sleeping Under the Skies

One of the things that makes Dartmoor truly unique is that it is the only place in England where wild camping is legally permitted in designated areas of open moorland. Sleeping beneath the stars, waking to the sound of birdsong and watching the sun rise over the tors is an experience unlike any other.

Whether you’re seeking adventure, tranquillity or simply a chance to slow down, Dartmoor offers something increasingly rare: space. Space to breathe, to think, to notice, and to reconnect with the natural world and with yourself.

It’s a landscape that reveals itself slowly - and once it gets under your skin, it’s very hard to leave behind.