Burrator Reservoir Circular Walk & Leather Tor, Dartmoor

Dartmoor has endless scenic walks to explore, and this Burrator Reservoir circular walk that we did fairly recently had so many gorgeous vistas packed into one route. We did go a little off‑piste to get up Leather Tor, but it was 100% worth it for the jaw dropping views across Burrator Reservoir. Plus, it all felt very much part of the adventure and a perfect excuse for soaking up some much needed blues and greens along the way.

We tackled this walk at the start of October, when the trees had turned an autumnal shade of fiery red and there was a blanket of crispy fallen leaves underfoot. It also appeared to be peak acorn dropping season. I have no idea how we both managed to avoid being bonked on the head, because hundreds of acorns were raining down around us.

I feel like this walk can be enjoyed during all seasons, so if you’re visiting Dartmoor be sure to come and enjoy this walk no matter the time of year.

Burrator Reservoir & Leather Tor at a Glance 👀

Walk the Burrator reservoir circular on it’s own, or add in the additional trek up to Leather Tor for epic views
The closest car park is Quarry Car park – PL20 6PE
Uneven terrain makes this route unsuitable for prams
The circular is 3.5 miles and takes 1.5 – 2 hours.
Burrator Reservoir is an easy, mostly flat route

In this article...

Quick Overview of The Burrator Reservoir Walk

For a quick snapshot of what to expect, this walk covers a real mix of terrain. Think earthy, sometimes muddy woodland paths with protruding tree roots, stretches of asphalt road, rocky gravel tracks and if you fancy a wild detour up Leather Tor like we did, then prickly grassland and chunky boulders thrown in for good measure.

The lion’s share of the walk is through shaded woodland, which would be especially lovely on warmer days. It’s worth noting though that this route isn’t suitable for prams, so a baby sling would be the better option here if you’re bringing little ones.

Although there are road sections as part of this circular walk, they’re very quiet and still fairly scenic, but you don’t get those constant open views of the reservoir all the time. On the final section (if walking anti‑clockwise), the road runs parallel to a footpath, so you can choose whether you fancy a roadside stroll or stick to the uneven waterside trail.

Where to Park Near Burrator Reservoir

There are a few different car parks dotted around the circumference of the reservoir, and plenty of people also parked on the side of the road (where it was safe to do so).

We managed to grab the last parking bay in the Quarry car park, which is free and only about a five minute walk from the reservoir bridge. It’s not a huge car park, there’s probably around 20 spaces if people park considerately. So, if you want the best chance of bagging a spot, I’d recommend arriving early.

Don’t worry if that carpark is full, just continue down the road and take a right to drive over the bridge. Follow the road around until it begins to widen, and park somewhere along there – that’s where most cars seemed to park.

Postcode for the carpark: PL20 6PE

Where to Find Toilets

Public toilets are located near the bridge at Burrator Reservoir. They’re in a small toilet block and, while being far from luxury facilities, they’re definitely handy. Especially if you’ve had a bit of a drive to get here.

We didn’t spot any others along the circular route, so I’d recommend pinching your nose and making the most of these just to be on the safe side.

Starting The Reservoir Walk

We walked the circular route in an anti‑clockwise direction, but you can do it whichever way you fancy. After completing it, I can’t really see a huge benefit to one direction over the other. So you do you!

Our route began at the Quarry car park, where we walked downhill towards the Burrator Reservoir bridge. We didn’t cross the bridge, instead we kept left and started the loop from there, keeping the reservoir on our right‑hand side for the entire walk.

Not long into the walk, we spotted what looked like a pretty little waterfall… only on closer inspection we realised that it wasn’t quite the real deal. There’s actually a plastic pipe at the top with water gushing out. Still, pipe or not, it looked surprisingly lovely.

Continue along the road, past the discovery centre until you see a small 5-bar gate ‘Burrator Reservoir’, go through there and follow the path.

Circular Walk & Leather Tor

You can absolutely stick to the reservoir loop, which is beautiful in its own right and reminded me a lot of Wimbleball Lake in Devon. Or, if you’re after some spicy elevation and bigger, better views, you can peel off from the circular route and head up to Leather Tor.

We went a bit rogue here, heading straight through high ferns and scrambling over large boulders, which was actually a lot of fun – but we did find a much simpler way back down. So rest assured, you don’t have to channel your inner mountain goat if you don’t want to (I’ll explain later!)

If you’re sticking purely to the reservoir walk, simply follow the road all the way around or take the footpaths that hug the water more closely. You can mix and match both options along the way.

Signposting isn’t amazing, but it’s easy enough to work out where you’re going. Alternatively, downloading an AllTrails route would remove any guesswork if you’re worried about taking a wrong turn.

How Long is The Circular Route?

This really depends on how often you stop to admire the views, and whether you add in the extra hike up to Leather Tor.

The reservoir circular is around 3.5 miles and takes roughly 1.5 – 2 hours at a leisurely pace. Ours took 3.5 hours, but that included plenty of photo stops, a picnic up Leather Tor, skimming stones, and more than a few wrong turns and backtracks trying to get up Leather Tor… oops.

Burrator reservoir circular walk Dartmoor

Heading up to Leather Tor

If you’re walking anti‑clockwise like we did, you’ll come to a gate marked ‘enclosed dog area’. Head through this gate until you reach another one, where the path splits. From here, you can either:

Go right and continue around the reservoir, or
Turn left and trudge uphill towards Leather Tor.

Take the left option and follow the uphill path. After a short while, you’ll reach an open grassy area with an asphalt road running through it.

This is where we went off‑piste and made the walk far more challenging than it needed to be. We followed a steep trodden track through one of the fields opposite, which eventually spat us out onto another road higher up. To make life easier, you can simply follow the asphalt road uphill (both routes lead to the same place).

You’ll soon spot a small car park (on your right) with a stream running alongside it. This is where we made mistake number two. We turned right, walked past the parked cars, followed a track for too long, decided we’d gone wrong, and then scrambled up huge boulders and through ferns to reach Leather Tor.

You can do this too, it was great fun, but there’s a much simpler route you can take…

Back at the car park with the stream, don’t go right, instead head left through a five‑bar gate. Follow that track until you see a stile on your right‑hand side (it’s a bit sneaky, tucked behind a stone wall). Cross the stile and then simply walk across the grassy field straight towards Leather Tor, which you’ll see clearly from the track.

To return, head back the same way you came, down to the first road you saw. You can then chose to head left and continue the circular loop along the road. Or go all the way back down to where the path originally split (had you not have turned off to head towards Leather Tor) and continue the loop from there.

Places to Eat

We spotted a couple of ice‑cream vans parked at various points around the reservoir, so it’s easy enough to grab a drink or a sweet treat (although probably seasonal) Other than that, we didn’t see anywhere offering anything more substantial.

If you’re planning to be out for a while, make sure you bring plenty of water and some food. We brought a picnic and enjoyed it sitting up on Leather Tor, soaking up the epic views – highly recommended.

Tips for Completing This Walk

Walking boots or sturdy walking shoes are ideal thanks to the uneven terrain. Trainers would be fine in spring or summer, but with all the tree roots and loose stones, I wouldn’t recommend summer sandals or flip-flops.
It was dry when we visited, but I can imagine parts of this route get very muddy after rain.
Allow around three hours, if you’re picnicking or detouring up Leather Tor.
Dogs are allowed, and there’s even a designated dog exercise area along the route.

Walk Difficulty

If you stick to just the circular reservoir route, I’d rate this walk as easy – it’s mostly flat with very little gradient, you just need to watch out for the uneven ground. Adding the hike up to Leather Tor introduces a few inclines, nudging it into moderate territory.

That said, it’s all short‑lived and nothing too taxing… especially if you take the sensible route and not the slightly chaotic one we chose!

Places to Stay

For this walk, we stayed in an amazing Airbnb in Landscove. You can read more about it here, but it was cosy, moody and completely unique.

The closest place to stay would be The Burrator Inn, whilst other nearby places include, Yelverton (12 minutes away) Tavistock (25 minutes away) or the city of Plymouth (40 minutes away).

Review of The Shippon in Landscove Devon — The Shippon in Landscove Devon

Other Dartmoor Walks to Do

If you’re spending a few days exploring Dartmoor, I’d also highly recommend the Hound Tor to Haytor Rocks walk. It’s a gorgeous circular route (or can be shortened to an out‑and‑back if you prefer), taking you across open moorland, along old mining tracks, and up to two of Dartmoor’s most impressive rocky outcrops.

You can read my full Hound Tor to Haytor Rocks guide to find out more.

Final Thoughts

This Burrator Reservoir and Leather Tor walk is a brilliant mix of woodland wandering, waterside views and dramatic Dartmoor scenery. Whether you chose to keep it gentle around the reservoir or add in a bit of adventure with the climb up Leather Tor, it’s a beautiful walk to complete. Even with all the wrong turns and acorn near-misses, this is one Dartmoor walk we’d happily repeat.

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