The background
Led by a local wildlife expert and offered through all seasons you’ll experience the natural beauty of the spring bluebells through the lushness of summer and glowing autumn leaves to the stark beauty of winter. Be surprised and delighted by the variety of natural habitats and wildlife that exists around this small market town.
2 Hour Guide
Take a guided walking ‘taxi’ through the surprisingly wild Dartmoor woodlands of Okehampton – ending up in this Devon market town where you can choose to visit a range of interesting shops and attractions, or stop and find refreshment at the friendly cafes or pubs. The beautiful woods through which you will walk are home to scarce mammals including woodland bats and dormice and the lichen clad trees stand over mossy carpets where clusters of ferns grow, capturing the ancient atmosphere of ‘temperate rainforests’.
Half day experience or full day experience
Head out on foot to the edge of Dartmoor with its immense views. We leave the route flexible – changing it with the seasons – but expect wild woodlands that provide a treasure-trove of wildlife habitats, rushing rivers as they tumble from the moor and you’ll even discover the origins of Okehampton at medieval or iron age settlements.
Suitable for
This adventure is perfect for individuals and small groups and families with children aged 5+.
Time / Length
We run this experience in any season and it is available as a two hour experience, a half day or a full day.
Bespoke
We can arrange our Wild Dartmoor Wildlife Walks on a bespoke basis for your group and can adapt based on your preferences. Walk options can be adapted for any age.
Charity
We make a donation per booking to Moor Trees – an independent charity dedicated to restoring native woodland on Dartmoor and in South Devon.
Your guide
As well as a a passionate conservationist, your guide is a qualified walk leader and has trained and supervised young people on moorland expeditions across the high moor and led many educational walks.
What to bring
Sturdy walking boots, waterproof jacket and trousers (whatever the forecast), drinks and a snack or lunch (depending on length of experience chosen).
Meet your guide
Local to Okehampton, Matt Parkins is a woodland naturalist who is passionate about the conservation of the beautiful, wooded valleys around Dartmoor. The focus of his work is on the restoration of woodlands that have, for many years, been used and changed by human activity. Matt loves Dartmoor and he feels compelled to take on the quest of learning more about the multitude of species that make Dartmoor their home and the complex interactions between them. This is the knowledge and experience that he enjoys sharing with others including on our Wild Dartmoor Wildlife Walks.
Experience Location
This experience starts at Okehampton Railway Station – the start and end of The Dartmoor Line. Information, timetables and tickets can be found here: https://dartmoorline.com/
Opened in 1871 Okehampton became an important junction with lines to Padstow and Bude as well as Plymouth. Closed under the Beeching cuts in 1972, it reopened in late 2021 as The Dartmoor Line – a 15 1⁄2-mile (24.9 km) line running through gentle Devon countryside.
Booking this Experience
This experience has a minimum group size of one. If you would like to arrange for a group larger than six, then please let us know. The cost of this experience is £XX per adult and £XX per child.
To arrange your experience please get in touch using the form below and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.