Cosdon Beacon

The walk up Cosdon Beacon rewards you with one of the finest views across Dartmoor - and it's proper moorland, not some manicured hilltop. You're climbing to 1,886 feet of exposed granite and heather, with Exeter visible on a clear day, and the whole of the high moor spreading out beneath your boots. The summit itself is marked by a distinctive stone beacon, and there's an Iron Age hill fort up here too, though honestly the real draw is the walk itself. It's steep in places, genuinely exposed to the elements when the wind's up, and takes about two hours for most people including a breather at the top. Families with older kids will manage fine, but younger ones might find the final push tedious. The trek is free, obviously - it's open moorland. Go in late afternoon light and the ridge walks nearby become almost otherworldly. Cosdon sits just north of the main Dartmoor visitor zone, making it less crowded than the honey-pot spots near Princetown. If you're staying at Woodland Springs Touring Park - only 3.6 miles away - it's an obvious choice for a proper walking day. Allow half a day minimum. The ground is boggy after rain, so decent boots aren't optional. Weather changes fast up here, so keep an eye on the forecast. It's not a casual stroll, and it's not Instagram-pretty in the way some peaks are, but it feels like genuine moorland, and that's exactly why it works.