Hikes and Walks Near Manchester
Manchester City Centre isn’t somewhere you might associate with peaceful hikes and walks. But there are some pretty impressive routes available within really easy reach of the City Centre. Here are my personal favourites. I’ve focussed on the ones that are accessible from Manchester by train because, well, we don’t always want to drive, fight to park and sometimes it’s nice to have a beer after a hike, eh?
| Hike | Location | Driving Time from Manchester Piccadilly Station | Accessible by Train? |
| Trinnacle Trail | Greenfield (Car park postcode OL3 7NE) | Approx 40 minutes | Yes – trains to Greenfield Railway Station from Manchester |
| Dovestone Reservoir Walks | Greenfield (Car park postcode OL3 7NE) | Approx 40 minutes | Yes – trains to Greenfield Railway Station from Manchester |
| Mam Tor and the Great Ridge | Near Castleton | Approx 50 mins | Yes – trains to Edale from Manchester |
| Marsden Moor and Wessenden Reservoir | Marsden | Approx 50 minutes | Yes – trains to Marsden from Manchester |
| Lyme Park and Disley | Disley | Approx 50 minutes | Yes – trains to Disley Railway Station from Manchester |
| Delamere Forest Walks | Delamere | Approx 50 minutes | Yes – trains to Delamere from Manchester |
Let’s get into the details.
Trinnacle Trail
I’ve written about this one before. I love it.
It combines a waterfall scramble with some scenic reservoir walks and incredible rock formations. Greenfield Train station is walking distance from the start points of this (but allow 30 minutes or so for the walk from the station) or there’s parking in either Dovestone Reservoir car park or Yeoman Hey car park.
Here’s a Tiktok from one of my most recent visits up there (it’s a local beauty spot for me):
@staceyhikes Trinnacle Trail Hike, Dovestone Reservoir, Peak District. 🚗 car park postcode: OL3 7NE A hike around Dovestone Reservoir, Yeoman Hey, Greenfield Reservoir, a mildly scrambly hike up Birchen Clough with its stunning waterfalls and then across the tops past some marvellous rock formations including the Trinnacle. A gorgeous hike! #hiketok #hikinguk #getoutside #walkitoff ♬ Halora – BLUM
You can find several routes in my original post about this below too.
The Trinnacle Trail Near Dovestone Reservoir – Routes and Reviews
The Trinnacle Trail is a hiking route near Dovestone Reservoir in the Dark Peak area of the peak district. It takes its name after the unique three pronged gritstone formation most ascend to see. Here’s our take on it and a few route options.
Dovestone Reservoir Walks
So although the Trinnacle Trail is in the Dovestone vicinity, it seems worth mentioning Dovestone’s Reservoir walks sepatarately here too becaude while the Trinnacle is more of a “hike” (a little bit of elevation gain, some rougher terrain etc), it’s not all “hiking” in this area. There are some stunning walks that can be followed on simple paths that are even pushchair friendly.
Again, my post on Dovestone’s Hiking options has tonnes of routes and suggestions for all abilities and fitness levels.
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Hiking at Dovestone – Routes, Paths and Guide
Dovestone is a beautiful place in the Peak District’s Dark peak, nestled amongst the Saddleworth Hills. But there’s far more for hikers here than reservoir walks. Here’s a hiker’s guide to Dovestone Reservoir and the surrounding hills.
Mam Tor and the Great Ridge
Ok, so Mam Tor comes with a warning! It’s gorgeous, for sure. But it’s so BUSY! It looks a little bit like a festival gathering up there on a weekend sunrise.
But if you can get over mid week, term time, then you can still enjoy this absolute beaut of a spot in relative calm and quiet. And there’s a reason it’s so busy – it’s stunning and accessible.
For me, the highlight isn’t actually Mam Tor itself but is the walk out from Mam Tor to Lose Hill along Great Ridge.
Again there are lots of walking options and hiking routes here in my post below.
Edale train station is the nearest station, with plenty of trains to and from Manchester, and you can access Mam Tor from that side easily. Get a few route options in my post below.
Hiking Mam Tor and the Great Ridge – Routes and Views and How to Avoid the Crowds
So you want to hike Mam Tor? But which route should you take? Where should you park? And what other hills are worth a visit while you are there? Let’s take a look in this guide to hiking Mam Tor.
Marsden Moor and Wessenden Reservoir
This is another local one for me (I really need to write the post up). But essentially you start from Marsden railway station and follow this route:
It’s gorgeous up there and this hike includes waterfalls, reservoirs and rugged moorland all within easy access of Manchester by train and car.
It is rather gorgeous!
Lyme Park and Disley
There are plenty of hiking options in and around Lyme Park. This route starts in Disley and goes over the hills surrounding Lyme Park, with varied scenery and terrain.
If you have time, it’s worth taking a walk through the gardens (free to National Trust members) at Lyme Park too. It’s stunning there.
Delamere Forest
This place is just incredible. With regular trains from Manchester as well as plenty of parking and varied walk or hiking options, it’s a great shout whatever your level of fitness or experience.
This is a personal favourite of mine:
But you can equally head for the Delamere Forest information centre and pick up a map with lots of route information. There’s even a Gruffalo walking trail for the little ones.
Hikes Near Manchester City Centre
This is just 6 options for hikes near Manchester City Centre, accessible by train.
But if you’re happy to travel a couple of hours, the Lake District and Snowdonia are really not too far and offer a wealth of hikes too!
