Arch Tor

The walk up to Arch Tor rewards you with something properly unusual - a natural stone archway carved into the Devon moorland that looks almost too neat to be accidental. It's a short, steep climb from the Tavistock side, and honestly, the effort is worth it for the views alone across Dartmoor. The arch itself is modest in scale, but standing beneath it with the moorland stretching out behind you is the sort of thing that makes you understand why people get obsessed with this landscape.

You're looking at maybe thirty to forty minutes there and back from the nearest parking, depending on your fitness. It's the kind of walk that appeals to anyone who enjoys a bit of a scramble - families with older kids will manage fine, though very young ones might find the rocky sections tricky. Serious walkers often combine it with other peaks nearby, or make it part of a longer Dartmoor circuit.

The real draw here is that Arch Tor works brilliantly as a bite-sized exploration if you're based at one of the holiday parks around Dartmoor National Park. It doesn't demand a full day commitment, but it gives you that genuine sense of having discovered something. The moorland changes character throughout the year - purple with heather in late summer, frost-covered and atmospheric in winter. Go early on a clear day if you can; mist rolls in fast up here, and the mood shifts entirely.