Dartmoor's Highest Points Circular Walk (High Willhays/Yes Tor), Okehampton, Dartmoor National Park

Dartmoor's Highest Points Circular Walk (High Willhays/Yes Tor), Okehampton, Dartmoor National Park

Walking/Dartmoor's highest ground

This circular walk takes in Dartmoor's highest points High Willhays and Yes Tor, the rare high altitude oak woodland Black-a-Tor Copse National Nature Reserve and the beautiful Upper West Okement Valley.

You'll be walking Dartmoor's highest ground in the north western section of the national park near Okehampton.

Refer to Ordnance Survey or Harvey British Mountain Map mapping for detail. Browse the photo gallery to see the walk before you go.

 

How far is the walk and how long will it take?

Depending on the route you follow, the walk is between 10 km/6 m and 12 km/7.5 m in length.

The Ordnance Survey app states that this takes between 2.45 hrs and 3.15 hrs. We tend to cover a moorland mile in 30 mins so would plan for 3 hrs to 3.45 hrs walking.

 

What's the walking like?

Yes Tor and High Willhays are 619 m and 621 m above sea level respectively. They're baby mountains. The terrain can be boggy after wet weather but the walking isn't particularly difficult.

 

Is there a path?

Not really. There are army and farming tracks on sections of the moor. These are marked on Ordnance Survey mapping. When walking on Dartmoor you tend to follow trails left by other walkers or livestock.

There's a good path skirting Meldon Reservoir before you hit the high moor.

 

Is it well signposted?

No. You're walking high moor. Take Ordnance Survey or Harvey Mountain Map mapping with you.

 

Start at Meldon Reservoir

Start at the car park by Meldon Reservoir. Climb the steps by the public toilets, turn left and wander across the reservoir dam. There are super views down the Lower West Okement Valley to Meldon Viaduct which is part of the Granite Way.

 

Longstone Hill

On the far side of the dam, go through the gate to your left and head straight up Longstone Hill until you reach the army track. It's a steep start to the walk and gets the blood pumping.

Yes Tor and High Willhays are close together on a high moorland plateau. It's very easy to bag both peaks in one walk.

 

Yes Tor and High Willhays after a spell of dry weather

After a spell of dry weather, you can walk directly to Yes Tor and High Willhays. To begin, you wander across relatively flat moorland and then it's a fairly stiff climb to the plateau on which Yes Tor and High Willhays sit.

Yes Tor is the mass of rock to the north of the plateau topped by an army hut and flag pole. You'll see a number of isolated rocky outcrops at the southern end of the plateau. Head for the one topped by a big cairn. This is High Willhays. An army track links the two.

 

Yes Tor and High Willhays after a spell of wet weather

After a spell of wet weather, it gets very boggy on the flat moorland section to which we referred above so it's best to walk south from Longstone Hill to Black Tor (North Dartmoor). You follow a good army track. Black Tor is another series of rocky outcrops. From the first outcrop, yomp east across rising moorland to Yes Tor and then follow the aforementioned army track to High Willhays.

 

Views from Dartmoor's highest ground

Weather permitting, the views from the tops of Yes Tor and High Willhays are amazing.

Yes Tor highlights include the long view over Mid Devon to Exmoor National Park.

High Willhays highlights include Fur Tor to the south, Great Links Tor to the south west and the big view over the Tamar Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty into Cornwall to the west.

 

Black-a-Tor Copse National Nature Reserve

From High Willhays, drop down to the cairns and army huts on Fordsland Ledge. Carry on down the steep slope to the bottom of the valley. You then follow the West Okement River north west into Black-a-Tor Copse National Nature Reserve.

 

Returning to the car park at Meldon Reservoir

At the far end of Black-a-Tor Copse National Nature Reserve, where there's an information board, you can either climb moorland to the first rocky outcrop at Black Tor and retrace your steps to the dam wall or continue down the valley to the end of Meldon Reservoir. This is marked Vellake Corner on Ordnance Survey maps. A good path hugs the eastern side of the reservoir to the dam. Cross the dam and walk up to the car park.

 

Reversing this walk

You can complete this walk in the reverse direction. It's arguably more of a slog to the top of High Willhays.

 

Start at Meldon Reservoir

Start at the car park by Meldon Reservoir. Climb the steps by the public toilets, turn left and wander across the reservoir dam. There are super views down the Lower West Okement Valley to Meldon Viaduct which is part of the Granite Way.

 

Walking around Meldon Reservoir

Turn right and follow the side of the reservoir past the picnic area and continue all the way to the far end of the water. You pass a pretty island at the bottom of Meldon Reservoir.

You are now at the foot of the Upper West Okement Valley in which sits Black-a-Tor Copse National Nature Reserve.

 

Black-a-Tor Copse National Nature Reserve

A track gently climbs towards open ground that takes you to the western side of Black-a-Tor Copse National Nature Reserve. You’ll see an information board. A path runs through the copse. Note that the area of open ground before Black-a-Tor Copse National Nature Reserve can be boggy after a period of heavy rain.

Black Tor is high on the north side of Black-a-Tor Copse National Nature Reserve. Slipper Stones (steeply rising to Corn Ridge) dominates to the south. The West Okement River runs between the two and alongside the copse. Lints Tor is at the upper end of the valley. High Willhays and Yes Tor are to the north west. It’s easy walking.

 

Fordsland Ledge and High Willhays

Continue a little further up the valley. It's now a slog from the valley floor to Fordsland Ledge and High Willhays.

 

High Willhays to Yes Tor

Follow the army track that runs across the broad ridge from High Willhays to Yes Tor.

 

Yes Tor to Meldon Reservoir after a spell of dry weather

After a spell of dry weather, you can walk directly from the moor between Yes Tor and High Willhays down to Meldon Reservoir. To begin, head in the direction of Black Tor (North Dartmoor). When the moor becomes less steep to your right, walk direct to Longstone Hill. Descend the steep hill to the reservoir dam and head back to the car park.

 

Yes Tor to Meldon reservoir after a spell of wet weather

After a spell of wet weather, it gets very boggy on the flat moorland section west of Yes Tor. In these conditions, head to Black Tor (North Dartmoor). From there, follow the army track to Longstone Hill. Descend the steep hill to the reservoir dam and head back to the car park.