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Hiking Trails Under 10 km near Manchester

60 routes near Manchester qualify, ranked below by how much walkers rate them. They average 4.0 km and 88 m (289 ft) of ascent, with the longest running to 9.6 km.

That is 34 percent of the 174 routes we map near Manchester. They are shorter than the local average, 4.0 km against 25.5 km, which is what makes this a practical shortlist for a half day. They also climb less than the area average, 88 m (289 ft) against 562 m (1,844 ft), so they suit a recovery day or a group with mixed fitness.

Half-day routes: long enough to feel like a proper walk, short enough to leave the afternoon free. Most of these are on the gentler end, which makes the list a good starting point if you are new to the area.

Trails

Easy

Peak Pilgrimage

England · United Kingdom

Distance
1.7 km
/ 1.1 mi
Elevation gain
37 m
Typical duration
25 min
  • Mountain
  • Pilgrimage route
Moderate

Sefton Coastal Path

England · United Kingdom

Distance
7.3 km
/ 4.5 mi
Elevation gain
160 m
Typical duration
1 hr 45 min
  • Coastal
Easy

Peak Forest Tramway Trail

England · United Kingdom

Distance
3.5 km
/ 2.2 mi
Elevation gain
77 m
Typical duration
51 min
  • Mountain
  • Forest
Easy

Lime Avenue Ponds Walk

England · United Kingdom

Distance
3.1 km
/ 1.9 mi
Elevation gain
68 m
Typical duration
45 min
  • Lake
  • Forest
Easy

Paddock Cottage Walk

England · United Kingdom

Distance
2.8 km
/ 1.8 mi
Elevation gain
62 m
Typical duration
41 min
  • Forest
  • Alpine meadow
Easy

A walk to The Cage, Lyme

England · United Kingdom

Distance
2.2 km
/ 1.3 mi
Elevation gain
48 m
Typical duration
31 min
  • Mountain
Easy

Buxton Heritage Trail

England · United Kingdom

Distance
3.5 km
/ 2.2 mi
Elevation gain
77 m
Typical duration
51 min
  • Mountain
Easy

Derwent Dam Black Route

England · United Kingdom

Distance
3.9 km
/ 2.4 mi
Elevation gain
86 m
Typical duration
56 min
  • Mountain
Easy

Derwent Dam Green Route

England · United Kingdom

Distance
6.2 km
/ 3.9 mi
Elevation gain
137 m
Typical duration
1 hr 30 min
  • Mountain
Easy

Derwent Dam Red Route

England · United Kingdom

Distance
1.6 km
/ 1.0 mi
Elevation gain
35 m
Typical duration
23 min
  • Mountain
Moderate

Pen-Den Trail

England · United Kingdom

Distance
8.5 km
/ 5.3 mi
Elevation gain
186 m
Typical duration
2 hr 3 min
  • Mountain
Easy

Chevin Geology Trail

England · United Kingdom

Distance
4.7 km
/ 2.9 mi
Elevation gain
103 m
Typical duration
1 hr 8 min
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Railway Children Walk

England · United Kingdom

Distance
8.0 km
/ 5.0 mi
Elevation gain
176 m
Typical duration
1 hr 56 min
  • Waymarked route
Easy

St Andrew's Trail

England · United Kingdom

Distance
1.0 km
/ 0.6 mi
Elevation gain
22 m
Typical duration
14 min
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

The Steel Cotton Rail Trail

England · United Kingdom

Distance
8.0 km
/ 5.0 mi
Elevation gain
176 m
Typical duration
1 hr 56 min
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Riverside Way

England · United Kingdom

Distance
5.3 km
/ 3.3 mi
Elevation gain
117 m
Typical duration
1 hr 17 min
  • River
Moderate

A Walk to the Forest

England · United Kingdom

Distance
8.3 km
/ 5.1 mi
Elevation gain
182 m
Typical duration
2 hr
  • Forest
Easy

Booth's Wood Loop

England · United Kingdom

Distance
1.7 km
/ 1.0 mi
Elevation gain
37 m
Typical duration
24 min
  • Forest
Easy

Heritage Time Trail

England · United Kingdom

Distance
3.1 km
/ 1.9 mi
Elevation gain
68 m
Typical duration
45 min
  • Forest
Easy

Valley Woodland Trail

England · United Kingdom

Distance
1.9 km
/ 1.2 mi
Elevation gain
41 m
Typical duration
27 min
  • Forest
Easy

Young Woodland Loop

England · United Kingdom

Distance
1.0 km
/ 0.6 mi
Elevation gain
23 m
Typical duration
15 min
  • Forest
Moderate

Arley Hall Circular Walk

England · United Kingdom

Distance
8.4 km
/ 5.2 mi
Elevation gain
185 m
Typical duration
2 hr 2 min

The shortlist, side by side

The ten highest scoring routes on this page, so you can compare effort before opening any of them.

Distance, ascent, walking time and difficulty for the top routes
RouteDistanceAscentTimeDifficultyBest season
Padley Gorge and Burbage Brook Walk, Longshaw EstateEngland3.4 km74 m49 minEasyApril to October
Peak PilgrimageEngland1.7 km37 m25 minEasyApril to October
E2 connector hiking trailEngland1.4 km31 m21 minEasyApril to October
Pennine Way (Warland Reservoir to Calder Valley)England8.7 km190 m2 hr 5 minModerateApril to October
Sefton Coastal PathEngland7.3 km160 m1 hr 45 minModerateApril to October
Views and Woodlands Walk at Longshaw, Longshaw EstateEngland9.3 km204 m2 hr 14 minModerateApril to October
Gritstone Trail (River Dane - Rushton Spencer)England2.2 km48 m32 minEasyApril to October
Crags Constitutional Walk, Hardcastle CragsEngland2.7 km60 m39 minEasyApril to October
Derwent Valley and Reservoir Walk,England7.4 km163 m1 hr 48 minModerateApril to October
Hinkley Wood Route, Ilam ParkEngland0.7 km16 m10 minEasyApril to October

If you only have time for one, start with Padley Gorge and Burbage Brook Walk, Longshaw Estate, Peak Pilgrimage, Pennine Way (Warland Reservoir to Calder Valley). Those are the routes people come back to. Every route on this page links through to a full guide with the map, elevation profile, seasonal advice and what to bring.

Frequently asked questions

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