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Moderate Hiking Trails near Manchester

45 routes near Manchester qualify, ranked below by how much walkers rate them. They average 11.8 km and 259 m (850 ft) of ascent.

That is 26 percent of the 174 routes we map near Manchester. They are shorter than the local average, 11.8 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, 259 m (850 ft) against 562 m (1,844 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.

Trails

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

GM Ringway Stage 1

England · United Kingdom

Distance
11.9 km
/ 7.4 mi
Elevation gain
263 m
Typical duration
2 hr 53 min
Moderate

GM Ringway Stage 19

England · United Kingdom

Distance
15.1 km
/ 9.4 mi
Elevation gain
332 m
Typical duration
3 hr 38 min
Moderate

GM Ringway Stage 2

England · United Kingdom

Distance
10.7 km
/ 6.7 mi
Elevation gain
236 m
Typical duration
2 hr 35 min
Moderate

GM Ringway Stage 20

England · United Kingdom

Distance
12.9 km
/ 8.0 mi
Elevation gain
283 m
Typical duration
3 hr 6 min
Moderate

GM Ringway Stage 3

England · United Kingdom

Distance
12.0 km
/ 7.5 mi
Elevation gain
265 m
Typical duration
2 hr 54 min
Moderate

GM Ringway Stage 4

England · United Kingdom

Distance
13.1 km
/ 8.2 mi
Elevation gain
289 m
Typical duration
3 hr 10 min
Moderate

GM Ringway Stage 5

England · United Kingdom

Distance
13.3 km
/ 8.3 mi
Elevation gain
292 m
Typical duration
3 hr 12 min
Moderate

GM Ringway Stage 6

England · United Kingdom

Distance
14.1 km
/ 8.8 mi
Elevation gain
310 m
Typical duration
3 hr 24 min
Moderate

GM Ringway Stage 7

England · United Kingdom

Distance
14.9 km
/ 9.2 mi
Elevation gain
327 m
Typical duration
3 hr 35 min
Moderate

Monsal Trail

England · United Kingdom

Distance
14.4 km
/ 8.9 mi
Elevation gain
316 m
Typical duration
3 hr 28 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
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
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
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
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
Moderate

Lyme South Perimeter Walk

England · United Kingdom

Distance
10.9 km
/ 6.8 mi
Elevation gain
240 m
Typical duration
2 hr 38 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
Pennine Bridleway Interim Route for WalkersEngland13.0 km287 m3 hr 9 minModerateApril to October
Pennine Way (Standedge to Warland Reservoir)England12.8 km281 m3 hr 5 minModerateApril 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
Peak District Boundary Walk Stage 10England15.2 km333 m3 hr 40 minModerateApril to October
Peak District Boundary Walk Stage 12England10.3 km227 m2 hr 29 minModerateApril to October
Peak District Boundary Walk Stage 14England12.6 km277 m3 hr 2 minModerateApril to October
Peak District Boundary Walk Stage 15England13.5 km296 m3 hr 15 minModerateApril to October
Peak District Boundary Walk Stage 18England14.1 km310 m3 hr 24 minModerateApril to October
Peak District Boundary Walk Stage 3England13.8 km304 m3 hr 20 minModerateApril to October

If you only have time for one, start with Pennine Bridleway Interim Route for Walkers, Pennine Way (Warland Reservoir to Calder Valley), Pennine Way (Standedge to Warland Reservoir). 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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