The North York Moors (The North Yorkshire Moors)

The North York Moors is a national park in North Yorkshire, England. The moors are one of the largest expanses of heather moorland in the United Kingdom. It became a National Park in 1952, three years after the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act of 1949.

The North York Moors are only a 20 minute drive from Scarborough.

The North York Moors National Park encompasses two main types of landscape, whose differences are clearly visible. There are predominantly green areas of pasture land and the purple and brown heather moorland. The two kinds of scenery are the result of differences in the underlying geology and each supports different wildlife communities.

The moors have not changed much in the past 50 years, and are often used as a backdrop to British television programmes and films. The series Heartbeat and the scenes of The Hogsmeade Station in the Harry Potter movies were filmed in Goathland. Dalby Forest is also host to many forms of entertainment throughout the year including outdoor concerts.

Many visitors to the moors are engaged in outdoor pursuits, particularly walking, the parks have a network of rights-of-way almost 2300km (1400 miles) in length, and most of the areas of open moorland will be open access under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000. Popular named walks include the Cleveland Way, which circles the moors, and has a section along the coast, and the Lyke Wake Walk, which leads directly across the heart of the moors. The areas also offers opportunities for cycling, mountain biking, and horse-riding, including a circular long distance bridle route created around the North York Moors which can be accessed at a number of locations. The steep escapements that define the edges of the park on three sides are used by several gliding clubs.