Two Moors Way
A 21st Century trail for Dartmoor
Two Moors Way is one of Dartmoor’s great routes.
It crosses open moor, working landscapes, villages, valleys and places shaped by thousands of years of human life. It is already loved by walkers. But it could do more.
Dartmoor Futures is working with Dartmoor National Park Authority and partners to explore what a 21st-century trail could look like on Dartmoor.
Not a heavily built route.
Not a visitor product dropped onto the landscape.
A trail that helps people move through Dartmoor with more care, confidence and connection.
The question
How can a long-distance trail give back to the place it passes through?
This project is part of our wider work on regenerative recreation: how people enjoy Dartmoor while also contributing to its long-term health.
For Two Moors Way, that means thinking about the whole experience:
how people find and follow the route
how the trail connects with nearby towns and villages
how it supports local businesses and communities
how it shares Dartmoor’s stories without cluttering the landscape
how it improves access where the land allows
how it encourages care for paths, habitats and working landscapes
What we are doing
We are helping develop the vision, partnerships and delivery framework for the Dartmoor section of Two Moors Way.
The work will look at practical improvements such as signage, accessibility, route information, volunteer involvement and priority infrastructure.
It will also ask a bigger question: what kind of trail does Dartmoor need now?
One that respects its wildness.
One that supports local value.
One that helps visitors understand where they are.
One that is cared for by the people who use it.
What we are learning
Trails shape how people experience a place.
They influence where people go, what they notice, how long they stay and how they connect with local communities.
Two Moors Way gives us a practical way to test how recreation can become more generous: better for visitors, better for communities, and better for Dartmoor itself.
Partners
This work is being developed with Dartmoor National Park Authority and wider partners including the Two Moors Way Association, Exmoor National Park Authority, Devon County Council, local communities and volunteers.
Dartmoor Futures’ role is to support the vision, partnership development, delivery framework and learning.