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While taking long walks to bask in the beautiful surroundings is the most logical alternative, there are other methods to keep kids engaged. UK national parks are a wonderful experience for outdoor-loving families, with sky-high peaks, endless moors, magnificent coastline, and unknown backwaters.
Exploring Britain’s different sceneries not only allows you to appreciate how incredible these natural settings are but also lets you forget about the tensions of daily life. Here are the best national parks you could visit with your family in the UK.
South Downs National Park
The South Downs, UK’s latest national park, is among its most famous, given its closeness to London. The park runs from Winchester to Eastbourne and is only an hour’s trip from London if you refer to the GPS on your phone. The South Downs Way connects everything, a fabulously picturesque hiking and bicycling track dotted by a series of quaint old pubs. You may easily spend an evening through rolling lush greenery, ancient woodlands, and along the world-famous white cliffs.
Cairngorms National Park
The UK’s largest national park is host to the country’s most rugged mountains: five of Scotland’s six tallest peaks may be discovered here. The Cairngorms Mountain range, situated in the centre of the Highlands, maintains enormous expanses of pristine wilderness and is among the coldest spots in the country. Its summits are covered with snow for most of the year, and you can also ski during wintertime. Its old Caledonian pinewoods are home to red squirrels, red deer, and endangered woodland grouse.
Peak District National Park
The Peak District, the United Kingdom’s very first national park, celebrated its 70th birthday in 2021. It is a breathtakingly wild pocket of nature tucked between Manchester and Sheffield in the United Kingdom’s midsection. It is also famed for everything from beautiful limestone valleys to majestic stately mansions. This includes the Chatsworth House, widely known as “The Palace of the Peaks.”
The national park is divided into two sections: the Dark Peak, which is taller and wilder, as well as the White Peak, which is famous for its deep valleys and gorges. Castleton caves, the only area in the globe where the mineral Blue John is mined, are part of the latter’s complex of caverns and caves.
Yorkshire Dales
The Yorkshire Dales is among the most well-known National Parks in the United Kingdom. It encompasses thousands of miles of hills, moors, valleys, and towns that give it its lovely character. While the hillsides are ideal for picnics, there are many other natural wonders to behold. For example, you can explore Malham Cove and the Aysgarth Falls, as well as several medieval castles and abbeys.
However, the Yorkshire Dales is not just beautiful during the day; it is also a certified Dark Sky Reserve, making it ideal for stargazing at nightfall. In addition, the park hosts a Dark Heavens Festival each year to honour the beautiful skies.
North York Moors National Park
It is a photographer’s dream location due to its deep, endless fields of heath, stately old abbeys, and historical religious places. Next, seek Hayburn Wyke, a hidden rocky cove with its cascading waterfall nestled among deer-filled woods on the fringe of the lovely, foggy moors.
Not only that, mountain bikers, hikers, and aquatic sports fans alike enjoy the rolling hills, forested dales, and stunning shoreline of North York Moors National Park. So, remember to bring along an action cam to record every part of your adventure around the park.
Pembrokeshire Coast National Park
Britain’s Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, its own entirely coastal national park, is a breathtakingly wild, wind-sculpted region of southwest Wales. The 186-mile Pembrokeshire Coast leads the park’s crumpled shoreline, providing stunning vistas and plenty of opportunities to see indigenous marine species. This includes dolphins, seals, and basking sharks.
Milford Haven offers a diverse range of boat cruises to the exciting islands that loom just beyond the horizon. A journey to the puffin colony on Skomer as well as a tour to the operating Cistercian abbey on sacred Caldey Island are both recommended.
Snowdonia National Park
If you are searching for an adventure, Snowdonia National Park is where to go. It is Wales’ biggest National Park and home to Mount Snowdon, its highest peak. Each year, over 350,000 people climb the mountain. Many more come for the large expanse landscapes and vistas that extend as far as Ireland. A vast network of intriguing walking paths, over 100 lakes, and other steep hills such as Tryfan and Cader Idris may all be found in the area.
Dartmoor National Park
Devon’s bleakly stunning broad terrain is hard to top due to the immense sky and dramatic sunsets. This mountainous moorland is known for wild ponies with thick coats, shiny manes, and unusual stone sculptures. An old granite tower has weathered the test of time, surviving centuries of rainfall and storms. It is perfumed with gorse during springtime, whereas it is scented with bracken in the summer, and the river valley oak trees sport auburn coats in the autumn.
