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Moderate Hiking Trails in England

There are 466 hikes in England in our database that fit. They average 10.0 km and 220 m (722 ft) of ascent.

That is 22 percent of the 2,073 routes we map in England. They are shorter than the local average, 10.0 km against 21.7 km, which is what makes this a practical shortlist for a half day. They also climb less than the area average, 220 m (722 ft) against 476 m (1,562 ft), so they suit a recovery day or a group with mixed fitness.

Moderate routes are the sweet spot for most regular walkers: enough climbing to feel like a proper day out, never enough to turn into an ordeal. These lean toward the demanding end, so plan for a full day and check the forecast before you commit. A good share of them are loops, so you can park once and finish where you started.

Trails

Moderate

E2 (Humber Bridge)

England · United Kingdom

Distance
7.2 km
/ 4.5 mi
Elevation gain
158 m
Typical duration
1 hr 44 min
Moderate

London LOOP (Section 22)

England · United Kingdom

Distance
7.2 km
/ 4.5 mi
Elevation gain
159 m
Typical duration
1 hr 45 min
  • River
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Capital Ring (Section 01)

England · United Kingdom

Distance
10.0 km
/ 6.2 mi
Elevation gain
219 m
Typical duration
2 hr 24 min
  • Castle and ruins
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

London LOOP (Section 1)

England · United Kingdom

Distance
13.4 km
/ 8.4 mi
Elevation gain
296 m
Typical duration
3 hr 15 min
  • River
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

London LOOP (Section 23)

England · United Kingdom

Distance
7.5 km
/ 4.6 mi
Elevation gain
164 m
Typical duration
1 hr 48 min
  • River
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Broxbourne Woods NNR Trail

England · United Kingdom

Distance
15.4 km
/ 9.6 mi
Elevation gain
340 m
Typical duration
3 hr 44 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

London LOOP (Section 2)

England · United Kingdom

Distance
11.4 km
/ 7.1 mi
Elevation gain
251 m
Typical duration
2 hr 45 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

London LOOP (Section 4)

England · United Kingdom

Distance
14.2 km
/ 8.8 mi
Elevation gain
312 m
Typical duration
3 hr 25 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

London LOOP (Section 5)

England · United Kingdom

Distance
10.2 km
/ 6.3 mi
Elevation gain
223 m
Typical duration
2 hr 27 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Happisburgh Circular Walk

England · United Kingdom

Distance
12.1 km
/ 7.5 mi
Elevation gain
265 m
Typical duration
2 hr 55 min
  • Coastal
  • Waymarked 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
Moderate

Capital Ring (Section 03)

England · United Kingdom

Distance
13.5 km
/ 8.4 mi
Elevation gain
297 m
Typical duration
3 hr 15 min
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Capital Ring (Section 04)

England · United Kingdom

Distance
6.7 km
/ 4.2 mi
Elevation gain
147 m
Typical duration
1 hr 37 min
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Capital Ring (Section 05)

England · United Kingdom

Distance
9.0 km
/ 5.6 mi
Elevation gain
198 m
Typical duration
2 hr 10 min
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Capital Ring (Section 06)

England · United Kingdom

Distance
11.1 km
/ 6.9 mi
Elevation gain
244 m
Typical duration
2 hr 41 min
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Capital Ring (Section 08)

England · United Kingdom

Distance
8.1 km
/ 5.0 mi
Elevation gain
177 m
Typical duration
1 hr 57 min
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Capital Ring (Section 09)

England · United Kingdom

Distance
8.9 km
/ 5.5 mi
Elevation gain
196 m
Typical duration
2 hr 9 min
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Capital Ring (Section 10)

England · United Kingdom

Distance
10.1 km
/ 6.3 mi
Elevation gain
221 m
Typical duration
2 hr 26 min
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Capital Ring (Section 11)

England · United Kingdom

Distance
8.4 km
/ 5.3 mi
Elevation gain
186 m
Typical duration
2 hr 2 min
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Capital Ring (Section 12)

England · United Kingdom

Distance
8.8 km
/ 5.5 mi
Elevation gain
193 m
Typical duration
2 hr 7 min
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Green Link Walk (Section 1)

England · United Kingdom

Distance
7.3 km
/ 4.6 mi
Elevation gain
162 m
Typical duration
1 hr 46 min
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Green Link Walk (Section 2)

England · United Kingdom

Distance
7.9 km
/ 4.9 mi
Elevation gain
174 m
Typical duration
1 hr 55 min
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Green Link Walk (Section 4)

England · United Kingdom

Distance
7.2 km
/ 4.4 mi
Elevation gain
158 m
Typical duration
1 hr 44 min
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Jubilee Greenway (section 3)

England · United Kingdom

Distance
7.5 km
/ 4.7 mi
Elevation gain
166 m
Typical duration
1 hr 49 min
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Jubilee Greenway (section 4)

England · United Kingdom

Distance
6.7 km
/ 4.2 mi
Elevation gain
147 m
Typical duration
1 hr 37 min
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Jubilee Greenway (section 5)

England · United Kingdom

Distance
6.8 km
/ 4.2 mi
Elevation gain
150 m
Typical duration
1 hr 39 min
  • Waymarked route

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
Aira Force and Gowbarrow Park Trail, Ullswater ValleyEngland6.8 km151 m1 hr 39 minModerateApril to October
E2 (Humber Bridge)England7.2 km158 m1 hr 44 minModerateApril to October
King Charles III England Coast Path: South Hayling to East Head: Avoidance of Itchenor FerryEngland13.0 km285 m3 hr 8 minModerateApril to October
South West Coast Path (Section 13: Tintagel to Port Isaac)England14.8 km326 m3 hr 34 minModerateApril to October
South West Coast Path (Section 20: Hayle to St Ives)England11.1 km243 m2 hr 40 minModerateApril to October
South West Coast Path (Section 22: Pendeen to Sennen Cove)England14.9 km327 m3 hr 35 minModerateApril to October
London LOOP (Section 22)England7.2 km159 m1 hr 45 minModerateApril to October
Capital Ring (Section 01)England10.0 km219 m2 hr 24 minModerateApril to October
Bradenham Countryside Trail, BradenhamEngland7.8 km172 m1 hr 53 minModerateApril to October
London LOOP (Section 1)England13.4 km296 m3 hr 15 minModerateApril to October

If you only have time for one, start with Aira Force and Gowbarrow Park Trail, Ullswater Valley, E2 (Humber Bridge), South West Coast Path (Section 22: Pendeen to Sennen Cove). 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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