The Monsal Trail: Walking and Cycling It End to End
Eight and a half miles of former Midland Railway line, flat the whole way, through six lit tunnels and over the Headstone Viaduct. It is the most accessible great walk in the Peak District, and the only one you can do on a road bike, with a buggy or in a wheelchair.
Published 18 August 2026
The Monsal Trail runs for 8.5 miles between Combs Road in Bakewell and Blackwell Mill in Chee Dale, following the trackbed of the old Midland Railway through the limestone dales of the White Peak. It closed as a railway in the 1960s; the tunnels stayed shut for decades afterwards, and only reopened to walkers and cyclists in 2011. That reopening is what turned a pleasant dale-side path into the best day out in Derbyshire.
What makes it unusual is the gradient, which is to say, effectively none. Railway engineers do not do hills. The result is a route through genuinely dramatic limestone gorge scenery that asks almost nothing of you physically, which is a combination the Peak District otherwise does not offer.
The six tunnels
The tunnels are the reason people come. All six are open and lit during normal daylight hours, and each is around 400 metres long, long enough that the far end is a small bright circle when you enter.
- Headstone Tunnel: just east of the Monsal Head viaduct.
- Cressbrook Tunnel
- Litton Tunnel
- Chee Tor Tunnel 1 and 2: the pair at the Chee Dale end, in the deepest part of the gorge.
- Rusher Cutting Tunnel
The Headstone Viaduct and Monsal Head
The single most photographed view in the Peak District is from Monsal Head, looking down on the viaduct as it crosses the Wye. Ruskin hated it. He wrote that the railway had wrecked the valley so that "every fool in Buxton can be at Bakewell in half an hour", and the structure he was complaining about is now a listed building and the emblem of the national park.
You can walk out onto the viaduct itself as part of the trail. The classic approach is to park at Monsal Head, drop down to the viaduct, then walk east or west along the trail and climb back up.
Where to start, and parking
| Access point | Where | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Bakewell | Eastern end, Combs Road | Town facilities, longest run west |
| Hassop Station | Near Bakewell | Café, bike hire, biggest car park |
| Monsal Head | Middle | The viaduct view; steep drop to the trail |
| Millers Dale | Middle-west | Old station car park, dramatic section either way |
| Wyedale | Western end | Ten-minute bridleway walk to Blackwell Mill |
For a full end-to-end without doubling back, Bakewell to Wyedale is the run, 8.5 miles one way. Cycling it out and back is a comfortable half-day; walking the whole thing both ways is 17 miles and more than most people want.
Bike hire
Hire is available at the Hassop Station end, which is why that car park fills first on summer weekends. The surface is compacted and even, so anything from a hybrid upward is fine. This is not a mountain-bike trail.
Accessibility
The Monsal Trail is flat, level and well maintained along its whole length, and is used by wheelchair users, horse riders and families with buggies as well as walkers and cyclists. The one caveat is the access points: Monsal Head involves a steep descent to reach the trail, so start at Hassop Station, Bakewell or Millers Dale where the approach is level.
Where to stay
Bakewell sits at the eastern end and is the obvious base: it has the food, the parking and the bus connections. We list 25 sites within ten miles of the trail corridor, and 28 across the Peak District catchment as a whole.
Glamping near the Monsal Trail
Within ten miles of the trail between Bakewell and Chee Dale, best-rated first.
See all 25 sites (19 more not shown here).
For the wider area, glamping pods in the Peak District is the most common build type here, and sites with hot tubs covers the softer end. Derbyshire also has its own county page at glamping in Derbyshire.
Pairing it with the other trails
The Monsal is one of three former railways converted to trails in the White Peak. The Tissington Trail runs 13 miles south from Parsley Hay to Ashbourne, and the High Peak Trail joins it there. Between them you have well over thirty miles of traffic-free riding without leaving the national park.
Common questions
- How long is the Monsal Trail?
- 8.5 miles, between Combs Road in Bakewell and Blackwell Mill in Chee Dale. It follows the former Midland Railway line and is flat throughout.
- How many tunnels are on the Monsal Trail?
- Six: Headstone, Cressbrook, Litton, Chee Tor 1 and 2, and Rusher Cutting. Each is around 400 metres long and lit during daylight hours.
- Is the Monsal Trail suitable for wheelchairs and buggies?
- Yes. The trail is flat, level and well surfaced. Start at Hassop Station, Bakewell or Millers Dale. The Monsal Head access involves a steep descent.
- Where is the best place to park for the Monsal Trail?
- Hassop Station has the largest car park plus a café and bike hire. Millers Dale is the best mid-trail option, and Monsal Head is the one for the viaduct view.
- Can you cycle the Monsal Trail?
- Yes, and it is one of the best family cycle routes in the country. The surface is compacted and even, so a hybrid is fine, no mountain bike needed.
Keep reading
- Peak DistrictThe Tissington Trail: Route, Parking and Where to StayA guide to the Tissington Trail, 13 miles from Ashbourne to Parsley Hay along a former railway, where to park, how it links to the High Peak Trail, and stays nearby.
- Peak DistrictThe Best Walks in the Peak DistrictThe best Peak District walks sorted by effort, from the flat Monsal and Tissington trails to Mam Tor, Kinder Scout and Stanage Edge, with where to stay near each.
- Peak DistrictThings to Do in the Peak DistrictWhat to do in the Peak District beyond the walking, the Castleton show caves, Chatsworth, the cable car at Matlock Bath, the trails, and the villages worth a detour.
- Peak DistrictDovedale and the Stepping StonesA guide to walking Dovedale, the stepping stones, Thorpe Cloud, Lover’s Leap and the walk upstream to Milldale, with parking advice and stays nearby.