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If you’re planning an Edale walk in 2026 look no further. Here are three stunning Edale walk routes including some of the top highlights of Kinder scout. Having grown up in the Peak District we are super excited to share this beautiful part of the world with you so you can plan your own hiking adventures with your family. We have included 3 Edale walk routes of increasing challenge. Grindsbrook Clough circular walk is the easiest walk in terms of distance and gradient. Jacob’s ladder is more challenging. And if you’re up for a real challenge with older kids you can trek to Kinder downfall – a panoramic waterfall from the top of the Kinder plateau.
Kinder Scout is a very exposed peak and the weather can be extreme throughout the year. We strongly recommend that you prepare well for your trip and keep an eye on the weather. Ensure you have good clothing and plenty of food and drink for your adventure.
Looking for another Peak District walk? Don’t miss our amazing guides on Peak District family walks and Peak District walks with toddlers.
How do you get to Edale village?
Edale Village is quite remote. By car from Sheffield, you need to drive to the Hope Valley. Turn right in Hope and follow the small country road to Edale. You can access Edale by train (on the Manchester to Sheffield, Hope Valley line). Alternatively you can easily drive to Edale from Manchester or Sheffield.
Can you buy food and drink in Edale village?
It is very important to prepare well for your Edale walk. Edale is a very small village and does not have many options for buying food and drinks so come prepared. There are a couple of pubs in Edale village serving hot food and drinks. The Old Nag’s Head is a pub near the start of the walking trail. The Rambler’s Inn is located near the train station in Edale. We recommend bringing plenty of food and drink on the walk.
Is Kinder scout an Easy walk?
A Kinder Scout walk is relatively challenging due to the distances, the steep ascents and the terrain. The paths are typically very rocky and uneven. Navigation can be challenging, especially on the summit of the Kinder plateau. Expect a large flat area with peat bogs and undulating terrain. There are many small paths and some major paths too. The weather can also make this a very challenging area for trekking. In the winter months Kinder Scout is often very cold and exposed with high wind speeds. On a hot summer’s day Kinder Scout is very exposed with no trees for shelter.
Are Kinder Scout walks suitable for families with young children?
Kinder Scout is challenging in terms of distance, climbs, terrain and navigation. We don’t recommend these walks for families with your children unless you are very well equipped and experienced. Each Edale walk route that we recommend in this guide would be great for an active family with older children. If you are doing any of these routes with young kids we recommend bringing a good child carrier (sling or backpack carrier). Bring plenty of food, drinks and bring clothing for extremes of weather.
How long is the Edale walk?
If you are hoping to climb Kinder Scout from Edale the minimum distance will be around 5km (3 miles) for a simple return route. However, if you are hoping to trek along the summit, do a round walk or see some of the Kinder Scout attractions you will need to walk further than this. The shortest walk that we recommend in this guide is a round walk up Grindsbrook clough and this is around 7km (4 miles) in length and will take around 3 hours at a good pace.
What is parking like in Edale?
If you are planning to walk up Grindsbrook clough (route 1): The best location for parking is in Edale village itself. There is a public car park in Edale village which also has public toilets. The Edale car park is opposite Edale train station. Parking charges are as follows: Up to 1 hour £1.60, up to 2 hours £2.50, up to 4 hours £4.00 and up to 10 hours £6.00. You can also find free parking in Edale village. We recommend parking near the church along the right handside of the road.
If you are planning to walk up Jacob’s ladder (routes 2 and 3): We recommend parking at the Barber Booth car park. This is a small free layby for parking. Be aware that this car park can fill up quickly so we recommend arriving early. If you are not able to park here, people do also park under the viaduct a few hundred meters down the road. Note, although the road continues up the hill towards Jacob’s ladder, unfortunately there is nowhere else to park further up the road. After a short distance the road becomes a private road to vehicles.
Edale walk route 1: Grindsbrook Clough round walk
Difficulty: Medium – challenging climb and terrain. This is a great Edale Circular walk if you have an afternoon or morning and want a reasonable challenge.
Route Type: Round walk
Distance: 7km / 4miles
How long does it take to walk? 3-4 hours at a good pace
Highlights: View from the top of Grindsbrook clough
Best time to visit: Spring and summer months during spells of good weather. Be cautious of high winds which can be funneled up Grindsbrook clough and can be severe on the top path along Kinder summit.
Start location: Start in Edale village. Car park location: 53.36475, -1.81510
Terrain and Accessibility: The path up Grindsbrook Clough is steep and rocky. The top path is also uneven and rocky. This route is not suitable for prams or wheelchairs.
Grindsbrook Clough – Edale walk route 1 description
Start this Edale walk in Edale village. From the carpark: Walk up the road through Edale village past the church and past the Old Nag’s Head pub. Keep following the road. Right at the top of the village you will see that the road turns into a trail and there is a footpath sign to the right. The path leads into some trees and across a bridge over the river. This trail marks the start of the trek up Grindsbrook clough and onto Kinder scout. Cross the bridge over the river and then follow the path round to the left. The path leads across a few fields. After around 500m the path goes through some more trees. Keep following the path until you emerge at the bottom of Grindsbrook clough. This point affords a spectacular view of Kinder Scout. Follow the path up the valley – the river should be to your left. The ascent up Grindsbrook clough is just over 1.5km. Once you reach the top turn right and follow the path that follows the edge of Kinder summit. You will see the beautiful remote summit landscape and great views of Mam tor and Edale village. Follow this path for around 2 km until you see a right turn leading back down the hill. Follow this path back down the steep hillside. Eventually this path reaches some fields and rejoins the path that you started walking on near Edale village.
Edale walk route 2: Jacob’s ladder round walk
Difficulty: Hard – long distances, challenging terrain and steep climbs
Route Type: Round walk with a steep climb
Distance: 10km / 6miles
How long does it take to walk? 4 – 5 hours
Highlights: Paddling in the River Noe, views of Jacob’s ladder
Best time to visit: This walk is best in the spring or summer and especially in good weather
Start location: This walk starts from the Barber Booth car park. We recommend arriving early to get a space. The GPS location of the Barber Booth car park: 53.35931, -1.83950
Terrain and Accessibility: This route is not suitable for wheelchairs or prams. The first and last few kilometers of this walk is along a small quiet country lane. The trail is smooth and easy to follow. Jacob’s ladder is steep and rocky and challenging. After Jacob’s ladder the paths are rocky with some sections of ascent and descent. Towards the end of the walk the route crosses sections of moorland and fields.
Jacob’s ladder – Edale walk route 2 description
This walk starts at the Barber Booth car park. From here walk up the road. Follow this road for approximately 1.5 km. This is a lovely quiet country road and it is rare to see cars driving along this way; the road is private to cars except for access.
Eventually you will pass a campsite and a small village where there is a gate and the road turns into a walking path. Keep following the path towards Jacob’s ladder. At the bottom of Jacob’s ladder the path crosses a small bridge over the river Noe. This is a great paddling spot. You will also notice that there is an old route and new route at Jacob’s ladder. The new route is slightly steeper but the stones are more solid. The new route leads round to the right and the old route to the left. Jacob’s ladder is a steep ascent up the side of Kinder Scout and is a classic section of the Pennine way. Ascend Jacob’s ladder.
At the top of Jacob’s ladder follow the path a further 500m until the path splits at a fork junction. Go right and follow the path up the hill. When you get to the top of this section you will notice the path drops a little to a stone pile. At this point go right and follow the path around 2km. Before you get to some prominent rocks you will see a right turn where the path leads you back down the hill. Follow this path back down the hill to the bridge at the bottom of Jacob’s ladder. From here you can return to the Upper Booth car park along the same route you walked up.
Edale walk route 3: Kinder downfall (waterfall walk)
Difficulty: Very hard – this is the most challenging Edale walk and is only suitable for families with older children or parents who are prepared to do a good amount of child carrying!
Route Type: Return route
Distance: 13km / 8miles
How long does it take to walk? 5 – 8 hours
Highlights: Jacob’s ladder and Kinder downfall
Best time to visit: We recommend doing this Edale walk during spells of good weather in the spring or Autumn. During periods of hot weather in the summer the waterfall can be reduced to a trickle. This walk is risky in bad weather. If there are strong winds the waterfall has been known to be blown straight back over the top of the summit!
Start location: This walk starts from the Barber Booth car park. We recommend arriving early to get a space. The GPS location of the Barber Booth car park: 53.35931, -1.83950
Terrain and Accessibility: The terrain starts and finishes along a quiet country lane. Most of this walk follows rocky paths and includes some steep ascents and descents. This route would not be suitable for prams or wheelchairs.
Kinder Downfall – Edale walk route 3 description
This walk starts at the Barber Booth car park. From the layby walk up the road. Follow the road for approximately 1.5 km. This is a lovely quiet country road and it is rare to see cars driving along this way. Eventually you will pass a campsite and a small village where there is a gate and the road turns into a footpath. Keep following the path towards Jacob’s ladder. Eventually the path crosses a small bridge over the river. There is an old route and new route up the hill at Jacob’s ladder. The new route is slightly steeper but the stones are more solid. The new route leads round to the right and the old route to the left. Ascend Jacob’s ladder. At the top of Jacob’s ladder follow the path round to the right, a further 500m until the path splits at a fork junction.
Go right and follow the path up the hill. When you get to the top of this section you will notice the path drops a little to a stone pile. When you reach the stone pile go left and keep walking up the hill towards the rocks. This is the final section of ascent before you trek along the plateau. The rocks are a great place to stop for a break and a drink. After enjoying the view at the rocks, keep walking along the path until you reach a trig point. This is Kinder Low trig point. Keep following the path past the trig point.
The path begins to follow the the west side of Kinder Plateau. On a clear day you will be able to see a great view to your left including Kinder Reservoir and Manchester in the distance. Keep following the path.
Beyond Kinder Reservoir you can look down on a small pool called Mermaids pool; this is a popular spot for wild swimming. Keep following the path until you reach Kinder Downfall, an impressive waterfall. At this point the best route back is to repeat the route that you followed up here. This walk is not easy to adapt to a round walk without walking long distances.
What is the best route to walk to Kinder downfall?
There is an alternative route to Kinder Downfall from Hayfield town. This alternative walk starts at Bowden Bridge car park opposite to Kinder Pool. The route from Hayfield village is slightly shorter (around 10km or 6 miles compared to the 13km route from Edale village). The total ascent is similar. The Hayfield route has less trekking along the kinder summit but does pass the Kinder reservoir. The Hayfield route is more convenient for walkers who are coming from Manchester. The Edale walk route is more convenient for walkers who are coming from Sheffield.
Can you walk from Edale to Mam Tor?
Yes! This is another great Edale walk. Although this guide focuses on Edale walk route around Kinder Scout, you can also walk from Edale to Mam Tor. Here is a 3km route that you can follow which leads up to Hollins Cross and then up to Mam Tor. From Mam tor you can also walk further to reach Rushup Edge.
Other things to see and do near Edale walk
If you have more time in the Edale area we highly recommend a visit to Castleton and Mam tor. Castleton is also home to Peveril castle and a number of epic caverns. If you have more time in the Peak District National Park don’t miss Hathersage and Ladybower Reservoir for more epic family walks.
Top tip: Using our route maps. Click the pins for more details. If you click on the map it will take you to Google Maps. Enable your location to see your location and follow the route. We do recommend that you keep an eye on the paths and terrain around you and only use your phone to check your navigation.
