How to Walk Haytor Rocks and Hound Tor Circular, Dartmoor

Dartmoor National Park in Devon is full of scenic walking trails, but the Haytor Rocks and Hound Tor circular walk needs to be scribbled onto your shortlist. Especially if you want a hike that offers plenty of scenic variety along the way, plus you’ll get to see the two most popular and dramatic granite tors in Dartmoor.

The landscape changes drastically on this circular route. Offering a mixture of exposed open moorland, dense fern valleys, ancient woodland, trickling streams and obviously the prominent rocky outcrops to clamber up. You might even see some charming wild Dartmoor ponies along the way too!

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Where to park for the Haytor Rocks circular

There are a few different carparks you can use for this walk, each one will just slightly alter where you begin the circular route. Where we parked definitely saved the best tor till last though!

If you want to do the same, then try and park at the Haytor visitor centre. I will say though, the carpark here is pretty small so unless you arrive super early, you’ll be lucky to get a space. Thankfully there’s another carpark just a stones throw away, which is where we ended up parking. Then we just walked back down the road to begin the walking route. It’s probably worth mentioning that there’s some toilets at the visitor centre too.

The address for the information centre is: Haytor Vale, Newton Abbot TQ13 9XT

You’ll need to pay for your parking on the RingGo app, and the location numbers are displayed on short posts at the carpark entrance.

When we visited in August there was an option of 3 hours or all day parking for £5.50. We went for all day just to play it safe, and allow us plenty of time to really explore the area on this walk without feeling rushed.

How long does the Haytor circular walk take?

Depending on your fitness levels and how many pit-stops you want to take, I would allow a good 3 hours to complete this walk. You’ll probably want to give yourself a bit of extra time though. One to soak in the incredible views, and two, to climb up the 3 fascinating stony tors you’ll meet along the way!

How hard is this Dartmoor circular walk?

This is roughly a 5 mile walk that’s mostly flat. However, it does come with a couple gentle inclines and one fairly savage incline about halfway around! Because of that, I would class this route as moderate.

To reduce the chance of twisting an ankle I recommend wearing some walking boots, or at least trainers that have lots of grip. This isn’t one to do in your flip flops or summer sandals! You’ll want to bring plenty of water and a few snacks along with you too.

Is the path easy to follow?

Signage is pretty non-existent around Dartmoor National Park, and getting lost here can be easily achieved. Some parts of this walk you’ll see visible clearings, trodden paths or old mining tramway lines to follow. Yet, other sections of this walk are less obvious and more complicated.

Hopefully this blog post keeps you on the right path, but I’ll leave my Alltrails route linked too. That way, you can download my exact route and follow the navigation as you go.

It’s also never a bad idea to have a power bank with you, or a map and compass just in case.

Where to start the Haytor Rocks and Hound Tor circular

Although we’ve parked near the base of Haytor Rocks, we are actually saving this towering tor until the end and doing an anti-clockwise route. Starting at the visitor centre, cross the road and follow the grassy path that cuts its way through the moors (keeping Haytor Rocks to the left of you)

When we did this walk in August, the fields looked stunning as they were covered in a blanket of pink heather and prickly yellow gorse which smelt like coconut. It didn’t take long for the busyness of visitors to dwindle as we began to venture further away from Haytor Rocks.

After a while you will begin to follow the historic tracks of an old granite tramway which was built in 1820. Constructed from the material it would carry, this long standing track continues for a whopping 18 miles. Once used to move granite from Haytor quarry all the way to Stover canal where it was distributed all across England.

Cross the track, walk past these rocks and continue heading to Smallacombe rocks which you can see jutting out into the skyline.

Granite tramway in Dartmoor Haytor Quarry

Smallacombe Rocks

Out of all the granite outcrops you will encounter on this walk, Smallacombe Rocks is the smallest. Which also makes it far less busy!

These rocks are easy to climb and offer gorgeous views above the fern covered valley you’re about to head into.

Getting to the ancient woodland & Becka Brook

Take the steep and narrow path down from Smallacombe rocks, which takes you between the ferns. Follow this downhill track all the way and eventually you will arrive in an ancient, moss covered woodland in the belly of the valley.

There are lots of different paths in the woodland, but follow your ears towards the sound of moving water where you’ll find a pretty stream called Becka Brook. Cross the medieval clapper bridge, head through the wooden gate and get ready for a steep uphill walk back out the other side of the valley. This is the most challenging section of the entire walk, just take your time and pause to enjoy the extensive views behind you!

Hound Tor

Once you’ve made it to the top, you’ll see another wooden gate and a nice little spot to sit and take a well deserved rest! From here, you’ll be able to see the impressive Hound Tor in the distance, just make your way through the ferns to get there.

When we visited we had to take a slight detour due to erosion protection. There was a small laminated poster asking walkers to turn left and head towards Hound Tor on a slightly different path.

You may notice a sudden influx of visitors in this area. Simply because Hound Tor has it’s own carpark, so a lot of people will do the short walk up from the carpark, rather than the the entire circular.

This tor is a popular spot for families, and you’ll also see people rock climbing and bouldering with their crashmats out. Definitely take a walk around and clamber up this impressive rock formation. It would be a good spot to stop for a picnic too.

(Hound Tor also marks the furthest point on your circular walk, from here you begin to head back towards Haytor)

Emsworthy Mire

From Hound Tor you want to follow the open path that cuts across the moor towards Haytor Rocks (which you can see in the distance). We went through a wooden gate, where the path once again became narrow and we began to head back downhill. Some of the hedges were covered in pretty bright red berries when we visited.

You’ll cross a different part of Becka Brook using a chunky stone footbridge. Head back up the other side of the hill which is once again covered in ferns. The fairly steep path continues and zig-zags its away up the hill, where it passes beside a huge rocky formation.

We took a slight right bend around the rock formation, where you’ll see a few different path options here. We kept right and headed up over the grassy moor.

Haytor Rocks

You will see the imposing 457 meter tall Haytor Rocks standing proud. Haytor Rocks is split into two rock formations, both of which are very popular. The larger rock was swarmed with people when we visited, so we just went up the slightly smaller one.

Top tip: Much like Hound Tor, Haytor has it’s own carpark so expect it to be busy

A handrail was installed into Haytor Rock during the 19th century, but the handrail was removed in 1960 due to rusting. Today only the metal rungs remain, but they still help aid you to the top!

From the top you can see panoramic views all across Dartmoor, stretching all the way to the South Devon coastline!

We then walked back down to Haytor Rocks carpark and grabbed a well deserved Mr Whippy sundae from the ice-cream van. Before doing the final stretch back to our carpark which was the next one along.

Download my Hound Tor to Haytor Rocks walking route

If you feel more comfortable following along with an interactive trail, then why not download my AllTrail route. At least you’ll know that you’re on the same path as me and not getting lost! I’ll leave it linked below.

Places to stay nearby

We stayed at a charming Airbnb in Ponsworthy called The old Mill Annex. It’s a tiny 550 year old listed property that provided the perfect Dartmoor bolthole for two. If you think that sounds like your kind of place, I have a full review of it here! If you’re needing something bigger, Dartmoor has plenty of accommodation options, take a look!

Outside of The Old Mill Annex in Dartmoor Ponsworthy Review

Places to eat near Haytor

One of the closest and very popular options is to visit Ullacombe Farm in Bovey Tracey. This cafe serves up mouth watering burgers, tasty ‘Big Barn’ breakfasts and delicious cream teas to name a few. You can even get a roast dinner here on Sundays. As it is popular, booking is advisable!

Address: Ullacombe Farm, Haytor Road, Bovey Tracey, Newton Abbot, TQ13 9LL

Or slightly further away (around a 15 minute drive) you could go to Cafe on the Green in Widecombe. Which is where we went for breakfast, but they also have a delicious cake selection for an after walk reward! If you do come to Cafe on The Green for breakfast, make sure to get the mini hash-brown bites. They are SO good!

Address: Widecombe-in-the-Moor, Dartmoor National Park, TQ13 7TA

Best time to visit?

We loved all the colours along with the warm dry weather when we visited in the middle of August. If you visit in spring though, you might catch it covered in a thick blanket of vibrant bluebells! With its exposed moorland, this walk might not be such fun during the harsher winter months.

The tors are super busy during the weekends. If you’re able to, try and visit during the week when it a little quieter.

Conclusion

This is such an enjoyable circular walk that has a little bit of everything, including the iconic Dartmoor ponies! As mentioned, this trail isn’t signposted so you will need to have a good understanding of where you’re heading. I hope you have the best time and enjoy this stunning walking route in Dartmoor National Park.

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