The Cleveland Way: Moors to Coast
A horseshoe of 109 miles that gives you two completely different trails for the price of one: heather moorland edge for the first half, then North Sea cliff top for the second. It has the best coastal finish of any National Trail in England.
Published 18 August 2026
The Cleveland Way opened in 1969 as England’s second National Trail, after the Pennine Way. It starts at Helmsley, runs west and north along the escarpment of the North York Moors, turns east at Saltburn and then follows the coast south to Filey, a horseshoe rather than a line, which is why the two halves feel so unrelated.
The moorland half
From Helmsley the trail climbs onto the moor edge and follows it round: Sutton Bank with its enormous view over the Vale of York, Osmotherley, then the Cleveland Hills proper. The Wainstones and Roseberry Topping are the set pieces. Roseberry is a small, sharp, oddly Matterhorn-shaped hill that has become the emblem of the whole area.
This half shares ground with the Coast to Coast for a stretch across the moors, and the two trails cross paths near Osmotherley. See the Coast to Coast Walk.
The coastal half
From Saltburn the trail turns south and stays on the cliff top nearly all the way to Filey. This is the better half by common consent.
| Section | Roughly | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| Saltburn to Staithes | 10 miles | Boulby Cliff, the highest point on the English east coast |
| Staithes to Whitby | 11 miles | Runswick Bay, Sandsend, then the abbey above Whitby |
| Whitby to Robin Hood’s Bay | 7 miles | The best short section; shares the finish of the Coast to Coast |
| Robin Hood’s Bay to Scarborough | 15 miles | Ravenscar, high cliff, alum works |
| Scarborough to Filey | 10 miles | Two bays, Filey Brigg at the end |
How long
- 9 days is the standard for the full 109 miles.
- The coastal half alone takes four or five days and is much the more popular option.
- Day walks work well throughout. The coast has bus links, and Sutton Bank and Roseberry Topping are good circulars.
Clockwise from Helmsley is the usual direction, which means you finish along the coast rather than starting there. Given the coast is the highlight, that is the right way round.
Fossils and alum
The Yorkshire coast here is Jurassic, and the cliffs between Staithes and Whitby produce ammonites in quantity, and Whitby jet comes from the same beds. Ravenscar has the remains of the alum works that once made this coast an industrial landscape, which is not obvious now.
Where to stay
We list 19 sites within ten miles of the horseshoe and 17 across the North York Moors. The coastal half is the better served. Whitby, Robin Hood’s Bay and Scarborough have far more choice than the moor edge.
Sites near the Cleveland Way
Within ten miles of the route between Helmsley and Filey.
See all 19 sites (13 more not shown here).
See also glamping in North Yorkshire and the North York Moors.
Common questions
- How long is the Cleveland Way?
- 109 miles, from Helmsley round the North York Moors escarpment to Saltburn and then south along the coast to Filey.
- How many days does the Cleveland Way take?
- About nine days for the full route. The coastal half on its own takes four or five.
- What is the best part of the Cleveland Way?
- The coastal section, and particularly Whitby to Robin Hood’s Bay, seven miles of cliff top with a bus back.
- Is the Cleveland Way a National Trail?
- Yes, it opened in 1969 as the second National Trail in England, after the Pennine Way.
Keep reading
- Long-distance trailsThe Coast to Coast Walk: Stages and Where to StayWainwright’s Coast to Coast, now a National Trail, around 190 miles from St Bees to Robin Hood’s Bay through three national parks, broken into stages, with stays near the route.
- Long-distance trailsThe Pennine Way: Stages, Distances and Where to StayBritain’s first National Trail, 268 miles up the spine of England from Edale to Kirk Yetholm. The stages, the hard sections, and the sites near the route.
- Waterfalls & wild waterWaterfalls in YorkshireYorkshire’s best waterfalls, the Ingleton Waterfalls Trail, Aysgarth Falls, Hardraw Force and Malham’s Janet’s Foss, with access, walks and where to stay.
- Long-distance trailsThe Cotswold Way: Walking It in SectionsA guide to the Cotswold Way National Trail, 102 miles along the escarpment from Chipping Campden to Bath, broken into stages, with sites near the route.