Why Haytor?
There are over 160 named tors on Dartmoor, but Haytor stands above them all in the public imagination. Visible from the Devon coast on clear days, its profile is unmistakeable — two stacked masses of granite rising side by side, with a natural rock bridge at the top of the main tor that makes it instantly distinctive. It is a landmark in the original sense of the word: a thing that tells you where you are.
The reason Haytor is so visited is also the reason it works so well as a first Dartmoor walk: it is genuinely straightforward. The main car park sits at about 400m elevation, meaning the climb to the 457m summit involves only modest ascent. The paths are clear and well-walked. There is nothing technically difficult about reaching the top. And yet the views — east to Torbay and the coast, west into the heart of the moor, north towards Dartmoor's highest ground — are spectacular enough to reward walkers of every experience level.
📍 Getting to Haytor Car Park
From Bovey Tracey on the A382, follow the B3387 west towards Widecombe-in-the-Moor. Haytor car park is signed on the right after about 4 miles, just past the village of Haytor Vale. Postcode: TQ13 9XT. Pay and display — the Dartmoor National Park car park takes cards and coins. Multiple parking areas exist along this road; the main lower car park is closest to the tor. In summer arrive by 9am to guarantee a space on peak days.
The Walk — Route Overview
There are several ways to walk Haytor, from a 20-minute out-and-back to the summit to a longer circular taking in the quarry, granite tramway, and the broad sweep of Haytor Down. Below are two described routes: the classic short walk, and the recommended circular.
Route 1: The Short Walk to the Summit
⛰️ Haytor Summit — Short Route (1.5 miles · 45–60 minutes · out and back)
From the main car park, head north-west across open moorland on the well-worn path directly towards the visible tor. The path is broad and clear — you can see your destination the whole way. The ground is firm grassland and moorland turf, with some rocky sections near the tor.
Arrive at the base of Haytor Rocks — the tor is actually two separate outcrops. The left (western) one, Haytor West, is the taller and the one most people climb. The right (eastern) is smaller and slightly more accessible.
The main route up the western tor requires some easy scrambling — handholds and footholds are plentiful and the rock is grippy when dry. The top is broad and flat with room for many people. Take care in wet conditions; wet granite is slippery. An iron ringbolt at the top marks the trig point equivalent. The views from here are extraordinary.
Retrace your route back across the moorland to the car park. Simple, direct, hard to get wrong.
Route 2: The Haytor Circular (Recommended)
🗺️ Haytor Circular via Quarry & Granite Tramway (3.5 miles · 2 hours · circular)
As Route 1 above — head to the tor and climb to the top. Take in the views, note the position of the quarry to the north-west and the obvious granite tramway rails running across the moor below.
From the summit, descend north-west to the conspicuous quarry works below. Haytor Quarry operated from the 1820s to 1858 and the evidence is remarkable: cut granite faces, circular working areas, spoil heaps and the beginnings of the tramway network. The quarry is open and freely accessible.
Pick up the granite tramway — stone rails laid in the turf — and follow them east. The tramway is one of the oldest railway lines in England (predating steam) and used horses to haul granite downhill to the Stover Canal at Teigngrace. The stone rails are still in place, worn smooth and moss-covered. Follow them for about a mile across open moorland.
Leave the tramway where it bears south, and head south-east across Haytor Down, with views back to the two tors. The path curves south and back to the car park across open moorland, completing the circular.
🧭 Navigation Note
The circular route on Haytor Down requires some basic navigation — there is no single well-defined path across the down, and the ground can look similar in all directions. Keep the tor visible behind you (to the west) and bear south-east. On a clear day this is straightforward; in mist or low cloud, use a compass bearing south-east to find the road and car park. OS grid reference for the main car park: SX 764 773.
The Granite Tramway — Dartmoor's Hidden Railway
One of the most extraordinary things about the Haytor walk is something most visitors don't notice until they're standing on it: the granite tramway, a railway from 1820 made not from iron but from granite. L-shaped grooves were cut into long slabs of rock and laid in the turf as rails, with horse-drawn wagons running along them, carrying quarried granite down from the moor to the Stover Canal at Newton Abbot, from where it was shipped by barge and sea.
The granite the tramway carried built Haytor's reputation — London Bridge (rebuilt 1831), the British Museum's colonnade and many other significant Victorian buildings used Haytor granite, hauled down this improbable Dartmoor railway. The tramway operated for less than 40 years before the railway superseded it, and was then simply abandoned in place. You can follow sections of it today almost exactly as they were laid in 1820.
What to Expect at the Top
The summit of Haytor is a broad, flat-topped granite platform. On clear days the views are among the best in Devon:
- East: Torbay — the curved bay with Torquay and Brixham clearly visible. On exceptional days, Portland Bill (Dorset) appears on the horizon
- South-east: The English Channel and the coast between Teignmouth and Dartmouth
- West: The interior of Dartmoor — Rippon Tor, Hound Tor, the distinctive outline of Buckland Beacon
- North-west: The high northern moor — Yes Tor and High Willhays on the horizon on the clearest days
- North: The Teign valley, Exeter and on exceptional days, Exmoor's ridge line above the Bristol Channel
The scramble to the top involves about 10 metres of easy climbing — sturdy footwear is recommended. The rock is grippy when dry but very slippery when wet. Children should be supervised near the edge. The eastern (smaller) tor is generally easier to access.
📸 Photography Tips for Haytor
- Sunrise: The tor faces east — sunrise shots with the moor glowing orange are exceptional, and you'll have it almost to yourself
- Mist: When low cloud sits below the summit, Haytor appears to float — an extraordinary effect, typically early morning in autumn
- Golden hour: Late afternoon light on the west face of the tor creates dramatic shadows on the granite
- Winter: Frost on the granite and snow on the moor transforms the view — go on a clear day after a cold night
Parking at Haytor
There are three parking areas along the B3387 near Haytor, all managed by Dartmoor National Park:
| Car Park | Distance to Tor | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Haytor Lower (main) | 0.5 miles | Largest, pay and display, café van in season. Best for the standard walk. |
| Haytor Upper | 0.3 miles | Smaller, closer to the tor, fills fast on summer mornings |
| Haytor Vale village | 0.7 miles | Small roadside parking near the Rock Inn pub |
On summer weekends and bank holidays, all car parks can fill by 10am. Arrive early (before 9am) or later in the afternoon (after 4pm when families leave). There is a fee at the main car parks — Dartmoor NPA accepts cards.
Dogs at Haytor
Dogs are welcome across all of Haytor Down and the open moorland on and around the walk. Dartmoor is open access land and dogs are explicitly permitted. The only caveats are standard Dartmoor ones: keep dogs on leads if there is livestock nearby (Dartmoor ponies, sheep and cattle graze the moor freely), and be aware that the scramble to the summit is not suitable for dogs that aren't confident climbers. Many dogs make it to the top happily; some find the exposed ledges more difficult. There are no restrictions — use your judgment based on your dog.
Family Notes
Haytor is genuinely one of Dartmoor's best family walks. The short version (out and back to the summit) is achievable for children from about 5 years old with reasonable fitness. The open moorland on the approach is safe, the paths are clear, and the reward at the top — scrambling on big rocks — is exactly the kind of thing children remember for years.
- Pushchairs: not suitable for the main rocky path to the tor, but the lower car park area and the tramway section are accessible on firm ground
- Toilets: no toilets at the car park — use facilities in Bovey Tracey before visiting
- Café: an ice cream and snack van operates at the lower car park in season
- The Rock Inn in Haytor Vale does good pub food and is child-friendly
Extending the Walk — Nearby Routes
Haytor works well as a standalone walk or as a base for a longer Dartmoor day combining multiple destinations:
Hound Tor
Continue west across open moorland from Haytor to Hound Tor — a full morning or afternoon circuit combining both the moor's most dramatic tors. About 7 miles combined.
Grimspound
The Bronze Age village at Grimspound is within reach of an extended Haytor day — experienced walkers can combine both in a longer moorland circuit of around 10 miles.
Becka Falls
From Manaton village (3 miles west), Becka Falls is a pretty woodland waterfall walk suitable for young families — a good contrast to the open moorland of Haytor.
Rippon Tor
A quieter tor than Haytor but with equally good views — combine both for a 5-mile circuit taking in the contrast between the two outcrops' different characters.
When to Walk Haytor
| Season | Conditions | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| Spring (Mar–May) | Variable, can be excellent. Gorse blazing gold. Fewer crowds. | ⭐ Excellent |
| Summer (Jun–Aug) | Warm and often clear. Very busy at weekends. Parking pressure. | ⭐ Good — go early |
| Autumn (Sep–Nov) | Best photography light, mist and atmosphere. Fewer people. | ⭐⭐ Outstanding |
| Winter (Dec–Feb) | Cold, sometimes snow. Dramatic views. Very quiet. Dress warmly. | ⭐ Excellent if prepared |