Quick Answer
Bodmin Moor is an 80 square mile granite moorland in north-east Cornwall. The main things to do are walk to the Cheesewring near Minions, climb Rough Tor and Brown Willy (about 4.5 miles as a loop), see the woodland waterfalls at Golitha Falls, and stop at Jamaica Inn. Route lengths vary between guides, fog and weather change quickly, and cattle, sheep and ponies graze the open moor.
Key Takeaways
- The published lengths for the same walk differ, sometimes by a mile or more. We give a spread and the source for each, and you should check your route against a current map.
- Parking is free at Rough Tor and Minions according to two guides, but Cardinham Woods charges every day, from £2.50 to £8.00 for a car. Golitha Falls is free but asks you to buy from the cafe.
- Fog is the main hazard on the high tors. One guide says plainly “Do not go up in fog.”
Landscape: what Bodmin Moor is
Bodmin Moor covers about 80 square miles (208 square kilometres) of granite moorland in north-east Cornwall, according to Wikipedia and a holiday-company guide from Cornish Horizons. It is part of the Cornwall National Landscape, and most of it is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, says Wikipedia. Landowners include the National Trust, the Ministry of Defence and the Forestry Commission.
The two high points are Brown Willy, the highest in Cornwall, and Rough Tor, just below it. Brown Willy is given as 420m by Cornish Horizons and 417m by Wikipedia, so treat the height as about 420m. Rough Tor is about 400m.
It is a working landscape. Cornish Horizons says tens of thousands of sheep and cattle graze there, along with around 1,000 free-roaming ponies, and Wikipedia gives about 1,000 horses and ponies. Cornish Horizons adds that most of the moor is privately owned with public rights of way across much of it, and that off-road driving is not permitted. It is a holiday-company guide, so check rights of way against an Ordnance Survey map.
Bodmin Moor circular walks at a glance
The table gives the figures each source states. Where a time is blank, none was given.
| Walk | Distance | Time | Start | Source |
| Rough Tor and Brown Willy loop | 4.5 miles (7.2km) | About 2 hours | Rough Tor car park | Proper Cornwall, 2022 |
| Rough Tor only | About 2km each way | 30 to 40 minutes up | Rough Tor car park | Go South West England, 2025 |
| Minions, Hurlers and Cheesewring | 3.8 miles | Not stated | Minions | iWalk Cornwall, updated 5 October 2026 |
| Minions Cheesewring circular | 1.9 miles (3km) | Not stated | The Hurlers car park | GPS Routes |
| Golitha Falls | 1.9 miles | About 47 minutes | Draynes Wood car park | Walking World |
| Crowdy Reservoir | 2.5 miles (4km) | Not stated | Crowdy Reservoir car park | GPS Routes |
Minions, the Hurlers and the Cheesewring
The Cheesewring is a granite rock stack on Stowe’s Hill, close to Minions. GPS Routes describes a 1.9 mile circular route from The Hurlers car park, past the Pipers, north to Cheesewring Quarry, then south to the Hurlers stone circles. iWalk Cornwall (updated 5 October 2026) describes a longer 3.8 mile route rated moderate, warns of an embankment of loose rocks on top of Stowe’s Hill, and says the open moor sometimes has no distinct path. The Happy Hiker (walked in September 2016) describes 4.5 miles and warns of a quarry edge away from the marked path.
How long to walk up Cheesewring Bodmin? None of the pages we read states the time from the car park to the Cheesewring. Because the loops range from 1.9 to 4.5 miles, allow longer for the longer ones, and leave time for the Hurlers.
The Minions Heritage Trail walking map PDF is the other thing readers ask for. We found no official PDF. A written guide called “Bodmin Moor walk” appears in search results from Discovering Britain, but we did not open it, so we cannot say whether it covers Minions. Use the route pages above and an Ordnance Survey map until you have a source you trust.
Golitha Falls
Golitha Falls is an ancient-woodland gorge beside the River Fowey. Walking World (a commercial site) lists a 1.9 mile walk taking about 47 minutes with 20 metres of height gain, moderate grade, and says it sits “on the edge of Bodmin Moor”. Forest Holidays, which sells nearby accommodation, describes a shorter walk of about a mile that takes longer because of uneven ground, with two marked routes. So the Golitha Falls to Bodmin Moor walk distance depends on which route you take, between about 1 and 1.9 miles.
Forest Holidays says the Draynes Wood car park (PL14 6RY) is free but that Inkie’s Smokehouse asks visitors to buy something from it or the shop next door. It also lists toilets in the car park. Expect rocks and tree roots.
Cardinham Woods
Cardinham Woods is a Forestry England woodland. It is separate from the moor proper: its page says it is “just 10 minutes outside bustling Bodmin” and does not describe a connection to Bodmin Moor, so we found no Cardinham Woods to Bodmin Moor loop. It has five waymarked trails (distances not given), a cafe and the postcode PL30 4AL. Dogs are welcome but must stay in sight.
Parking charges apply 24 hours a day, 7 days a week: £2.50 early bird (exit before 10.30am), £3.50 up to 1 hour, £5.00 up to 2 hours, £6.50 up to 4 hours and £8.00 all day. Members park free. The page also notes disruption to two trails from 21 September to 16 October, without giving the year, so check before you go.
Crowdy Reservoir bird watching walk
For a Crowdy Reservoir bird watching walk, GPS Routes lists an easy 2.5 mile (4km) walk along country lanes from the Crowdy Reservoir car park (PL32 9QJ, which the site says may be approximate) past the reservoir to nearby woods. Birds it suggests looking for include gadwall, goldeneye, goosander, mallard, pochard, shoveler, teal and tufted duck. Ponies graze on Davidstow Moor, and dogs should be kept on leads and out of the water. We could not check recent sightings, so do not rely on the species list as a guarantee.
Jamaica Inn
Jamaica Inn at Bolventor (PL15 7TS) is a Grade II-listed coaching inn dating from the 1750s, according to its own website. It has a restaurant, the Smuggler’s Bar, a Smugglers’ Museum and a Du Maurier Museum with three rooms of exhibits on the author, whose novel Jamaica Inn is linked to the building. The site is open 07.30am to 11.00pm, and food is served 07.30am to 9.00pm. There is a large on-site car park with several EV chargers.
The website does not give museum opening times in text or a general admission price. The one price we saw is £10 per person for a Tea & Talk event that includes museum access. Check with the inn before you go.
Brown Willy and Rough Tor: the big climb
Brown Willy and Rough Tor circular route miles
The circular route over both tors is usually given as 4.5 miles. Proper Cornwall (2 March 2022) says about 2 hours and rates it 4 out of 5 for difficulty because of boulders near the tors and slippery paths in wet weather. Go South West England (25 April 2025) calls the combined loop about 8km, which is roughly 5 miles, and says the author had not yet walked it. Cornish Horizons gives 4.5 miles in one place and 5 elsewhere. Plan for 4.5 to 5 miles.
Climbing Brown Willy Cornwall
Climbing Brown Willy Cornwall involves steep rises, and the route is partly off-path moorland, according to Proper Cornwall, which gives no total ascent figure. Wear sturdy boots, pick a clear day and keep dogs on leads around grazing sheep and ponies. The guide says: “Do not go up in fog.”
Rough Tor walking route map
For a Rough Tor walking route map, we could not open the National Trust’s own page, so we cannot point to an official map. The simple route is a path from the car park to the summit, about 2km each way, crossing a small stream and climbing over open moorland (Go South West England). That page says Bronze Age hut circles and cairns lie along the way. A map with pins should be made from a site visit.
Practical tips and the best parking for Bodmin Moor walks
Best parking for Bodmin Moor walks
There is no single best car park, because each walk starts in a different place. This is what the sources say:
| Walk | Car park | Cost per the source |
| Rough Tor and Brown Willy | Rough Tor car park, PL32 9QG | Free (Go South West England, 2025; Cornish Horizons) |
| Minions and the Cheesewring | Minions | Free (The Happy Hiker, 2016; Cornish Horizons) |
| Golitha Falls | Draynes Wood, PL14 6RY | Free, with a request to buy at the smokehouse (Forest Holidays) |
| Cardinham Woods | PL30 4AL | £2.50 to £8.00, members free (Forestry England) |
| Jamaica Inn | On-site car park | Charges and public access not stated |
Cornish Horizons is a holiday company and the Happy Hiker page is a decade old, so confirm free parking before you travel.
Safety and etiquette
- Weather: Go South West England says weather on the moor can change quickly and advises waterproofs and a charged phone. It does not mention mobile signal.
- Fog: Navigation on the tors relies on landmarks, so avoid them in poor visibility.
- Dogs: Dogs must be on leads of no more than 2m between 1 March and 31 July around Minions (iWalk Cornwall), and kept close elsewhere.
- Ground: Expect boggy paths and slippery rock after rain.
- Quarry edges: The Happy Hiker warns of a quarry edge near Stowe’s Hill away from the marked path.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to do on Bodmin Moor?
You can walk to the Cheesewring and Hurlers stone circles at Minions, climb Rough Tor and Brown Willy, visit Golitha Falls, watch birds at Crowdy Reservoir and stop at Jamaica Inn. Cardinham Woods is a nearby forest outing.
How long is the Brown Willy and Rough Tor circular walk?
Guides give 4.5 miles (Proper Cornwall) to about 8km (Go South West England), with about 2 hours suggested by Proper Cornwall. Plan for 4.5 to 5 miles on uneven ground, and check the route on a current map.
Is parking free for Bodmin Moor walks?
Two guides say the Rough Tor and Minions car parks are free, and Golitha Falls is free but asks for a purchase. Cardinham Woods charges £2.50 to £8.00 for a car, and members park free. Check the car park’s own notice.
Can I walk from Cardinham Woods to Bodmin Moor?
We found no official loop linking them. Forestry England describes Cardinham Woods as 10 minutes outside Bodmin and does not describe a connection to the moor, so treat it as a separate woodland walk.
Is Jamaica Inn worth stopping at?
It is a 1750s coaching inn with a restaurant, a smuggling museum and a Du Maurier museum. The website does not give museum hours or admission, so check first. We have not visited and cannot judge it.
Is Bodmin Moor safe for walking?
Most walkers manage the easier routes, but guides stress fog, fast weather changes, boggy ground and grazing livestock. Take waterproofs, boots and a map, keep dogs on leads and avoid the high tors in poor visibility.
