Accessible visits to the North York Moors
Step-free trains and buses, all-terrain scooters to hire, walks without stiles, beach wheelchairs, Changing Places toilets and viewpoints you can reach from the car.
Much of the North York Moors is steep, rough moorland, but a surprising amount is within reach for wheelchair users, people with limited mobility and their companions. This page gathers the practical details in one place. The National Park's Access for all pages have more, and the National Park Centres are happy to help on 01439 772700. Always check with a venue before travelling, as facilities change.
Getting here and around
Esk Valley Railway
Middlesbrough to Whitby, 35 miles through the Esk Valley villages.
Manual and powered wheelchairs can travel, but some stations are not step-free. Call Passenger Assistance on 0800 138 5560 before you go. The Forget Me Not Train is a three-hour round trip for people living with dementia and their carers, running on set dates through the year.
North Yorkshire Moors Railway
Steam trains from Pickering to Grosmont and on to Whitby.
Four of the five stations are accessible; Newtondale Halt is not. Accessible carriages have wide double doors, portable ramps and an accessible toilet. Book a space at least 10 days ahead on 01751 472508. Carers travel free, and free wheelchairs are available at Pickering.
Service buses
Coastliner 840 (Leeds, York, Malton, Pickering, Goathland, Whitby), Arriva X93 (Middlesbrough to Scarborough via Whitby) and the EY 128 (Scarborough to Helmsley).
Most buses are low-floor with a ramp and a wheelchair space. Coastliner access and timetable enquiries: 01653 692556. National Express has an Assisted Travel team on 03717 818181 and supports the Sunflower lanyard scheme.
Moorsbus
Summer weekend and bank holiday buses into the heart of the moors, April to September.
Uses low-floor accessible buses and connects with trains at York, Malton, Thirsk, Northallerton and Danby.
Whitby open-top tour bus
Hop-on hop-off loop from Whitby station to the abbey, mid-March to September.
Wheelchair accessible. The easiest way to reach Whitby Abbey without climbing the 199 steps.
Accessible taxis
Abbey Taxis, Whitby: 01947 606666 or 01947 601212. Esk Taxis, Whitby: 01947 492909 or 01947 605705. Station Taxis, Malton, can be booked online.
Many drivers at the New Quay Road rank in Whitby will carry a folding wheelchair or small scooter in the boot. Agree this with the driver in advance.
Hire a Tramper all-terrain scooter
Trampers are electric off-road mobility scooters that handle mud, grass, cambers and slopes up to 1 in 4. They are run by North York Moors Mobility with Outdoor Mobility. First-time users need a short training session. A single hire costs £3, a two-week taster membership £5, and an annual membership £15, which also covers tramper sites in the Lake District, North Pennines, south-west England and Wales. Riders must be 14 or over and under 25 stone, the top speed is 4mph, and you need a companion who can fetch help. Always book ahead through North York Moors Mobility.
| Where | When |
|---|---|
| Sutton Bank National Park Centre | Two trampers daily, from 11am and 12pm. Volunteer Tramper Buddies can go with you if you have no companion: ask on 01845 597426 before booking. |
| Danby Lodge National Park Centre | Wednesday to Friday at 11am and 2pm, for the grounds and Crow Wood. |
| Dalby Forest | Daily, half or full day. Not part of the membership scheme; book on 01751 460295. |
| Cropton Forest | Daily at 9am and 12pm. |
| Keldy Forest | Daily, 11am to 2pm. |
| Scarborough Castle | Daily at 10.30am and 1.30pm. |
Miles without Stiles walks
The National Park grades its easier routes by gradient and surface. None has stiles, and all suit anyone who wants a gentler walk. Route maps and descriptions are on the Miles without Stiles map.
For all
Gradients no steeper than 1 in 10 on tarmac or fine compacted stone, at least a metre wide with passing places. Fine for pushchairs and people using their own wheelchair.
For many
Similar gradients on rougher stone. Suits assisted wheelchair users and all-terrain buggies.
- Sutton Bank and the Kilburn White Horse
- Rosedale Mineral Railway
- Cawthorn Roman Camps
- Hambleton Drove Road
- Robin Hood's Bay
- Nettledale
For some
Steeper sections and low steps or loose stone up to 10cm. For strong, confident wheelchair users with a helper, or off-road mobility scooters.
- Farndale daffodil walk
- Thornton-le-Dale
- Runswick Bay cliff top
- Clay Bank and Greenhow Plantation
- Rosedale Railway and kilns
- Broxa Forest
- Ingleby Incline
- Sutton Bank access circuit
- Ravenscar
Ten viewpoints you can reach easily
| Viewpoint | What to expect | Nearest accessible toilet |
|---|---|---|
| Sutton Bank | Level path and viewing platform at the "finest view in England", with an accessible trail along the escarpment to the White Horse. | Sutton Bank National Park Centre |
| Cowhouse Bank | Car park view over Bransdale, three miles up the Carlton road from Helmsley. | Helmsley |
| Newgate Bank | Picnic area in the pines above Bilsdale, five miles north of Helmsley on the B1257. | Helmsley |
| Surprise View, Gillamoor | Bench beside the church looking over Douthwaite Dale to Farndale. | Hutton-le-Hole car park |
| Rosedale Bank Top | Beside the old kilns on the mineral railway, with a Miles without Stiles route. | Rosedale Abbey |
| Clay Bank | Car park and picnic area looking out to Roseberry Topping and Captain Cook's Monument. | Chop Gate |
| Runswick Bay bank top | Cliff-top car park with a short level path along the Cleveland Way. | Staithes |
| Whitby Abbey headland | Accessible trail from Abbey Fields along the cliffs, with a ramp down to the holiday park café. | Whitby |
| Blue Bank | Lay-by at the top of the A169 with views over Little Beck to Whitby and the sea. | Whitby |
| Ravenscar | The sweep of Robin Hood's Bay from the cliff top, with a short accessible loop. | Ravenscar |
Accessible attractions
These attractions have worked with VisitEngland on access, and most publish a detailed accessibility guide on their own website.
Castle Howard
Stairlift to the main floor, a free land train from the courtyard that takes wheelchairs, adapted toilets, and free entry for essential carers.
Danby Lodge National Park Centre
Level grounds, a lift to the first floor, a 400m wheelchair trail in Crow Wood, a free wheelchair and scooter to borrow, and a Changing Places toilet.
Sutton Bank National Park Centre
Step-free centre and café, easy-access paths, tramper hire and a Changing Places toilet.
Helmsley Walled Garden
All on one level and almost entirely step-free, with free wheelchair hire (book ahead).
Whitby Abbey
Step-free museum with a lift and hearing loops. Paths are level, but the ruins stand on grass, which is hard going in the wet.
Rievaulx Abbey
Fully accessible visitor centre and museum. Gravel and grass paths on a slope, easiest on a dry day.
Rievaulx Terrace
Level access from the car park, a manual wheelchair and two Batricars to borrow. The Ionic Temple is up steps.
North Yorkshire Moors Railway
Accessible carriages, ramped stations and accessible toilets at Pickering, Grosmont and Goathland.
Dalby Forest
Easy-access trails including the riverside Ellerburn Trail, adapted bikes at the cycle hub, a tramper and a Changing Places toilet.
Ryedale Folk Museum
More than twenty wheelchair-accessible historic buildings and accessible toilets.
Flamingo Land
Most of the zoo is accessible, free wheelchair loan (book on 01653 668140) and free entry for carers.
Scampston Hall and Walled Garden
Flat rolled-gravel garden paths, a step-free ground floor and a Changing Places toilet. Near Malton.
World of James Herriot, Thirsk
Ramped entrance, lifts between floors and level gardens.
Beaches and the coast
Whitby
Blue Flag sands reached by a wheelchair-friendly slope. Whitby Disability Action Group lends a Landeez and a Hippocampe all-terrain beach chair.
Redcar
Free beach wheelchairs, including two Hippocampes, with a hoist for transfers, from the Beach Wheels Redcar and Cleveland project. Book ahead.
Saltburn-by-the-Sea
The Victorian cliff tramway is fully accessible when it is running and leads to the pier and promenade. Check it is open before you travel, as it has had long maintenance closures.
Sandsend
A slipway at the north end gives access to the sand, but it is steep and may not suit wheelchair users.
Changing Places and accessible toilets
Changing Places toilets have a hoist, an adult-sized changing bench and room for carers. Some need a RADAR key or an access code.
- Dalby Forest, Low Dalby courtyard
- Danby Lodge National Park Centre
- Sutton Bank National Park Centre
- Pickering, Eastgate car park
- Great Ayton, Yatton House community centre
- Guisborough, Fountain Street (membership needed)
- Malton, Cauwood Day Centre
- Saltburn, Cat Nab
- Skinningrove beach
- Scarborough, St Nicholas Gardens and North Bay
- Thirsk Leisure Centre
- Whitby Leisure Centre and Whitby Marina
Accessible public toilets in and around the National Park are listed below. All but Grosmont station use the RADAR National Key Scheme. You can buy a key at Danby Lodge and Sutton Bank National Park Centres, Whitby Tourist Information Centre and Scarborough Town Hall on weekdays. National Park toilets open 7.30am to 5.30pm daily, and those at the two National Park Centres open 10am to 5pm. For Whitby and Scarborough, see North Yorkshire Council's list.
| Location | Postcode |
|---|---|
| Chop Gate car park | TS9 7JW |
| Coxwold village hall | YO61 4BB |
| Dalby Forest centre and Staindale Lake | YO18 7LT |
| Danby Lodge National Park Centre | YO21 2NB |
| Goathland car park | YO22 5LX |
| Grosmont (Waterloo) and Grosmont station | YO22 5QE |
| Helmsley: Cleveland Way car park and Borogate | YO62 5AZ |
| Hole of Horcum (Saltergate) | YO18 7NS |
| Hutton-le-Hole car park | YO62 6UB |
| Kirkbymoorside: Town Farm car park | YO62 6AS |
| Low Mill, Farndale | YO62 7UY |
| Newton under Roseberry car park | TS9 6QS |
| Osmotherley: School Lane | DL6 3BE |
| Pickering: Eastgate and Ropery car parks | YO18 7DP |
| Ravenscar: Raven Hall Road | YO13 0NE |
| Robin Hood's Bay: Station car park and the Dock | YO22 4RA |
| Rosedale Abbey: Main Street | YO18 8RA |
| Saltburn: Cat Nab and lower promenade | TS12 1NY |
| Staithes: Bank Top and Bank Bottom | TS13 5BB |
| Sutton Bank National Park Centre | YO7 2EH |
| Swainby: Emmerson Close | DL6 3EH |
| Thornton-le-Dale: Lakeside | YO18 7SD |
Accessible places to stay
These places have been through VisitEngland's accessibility programme, with staff training and an independent access audit. Check your own needs with them directly before booking.
Inn on the Moor, Goathland
Family-run hotel with step-free public rooms and a ground-floor room with a wet room.
Summerfield Farm, Hawsker, near Whitby
Several adapted cottages and a holiday home with abbey views, some with ceiling hoists and wet rooms.
Sunday Cottage, Grosmont
Converted school cottage with an en-suite wet room, height-adjustable bed, ceiling hoist and blue badge parking.
Vale Cottage, Wellspring Farm, near Dalby Forest
Two ground-floor bedrooms, one with a wet room, and a private garden.
For more choice, Visit North Yorkshire lets you filter accommodation by access needs, Euan's Guide has reviews written by disabled visitors, and Tourism for All offers advice. See also our where to stay page.
Information from the North York Moors National Park Authority's Access for all pages, checked in September 2026. Spotted something out of date? Let us know.