Given recent status as a dark-sky reserve (meaning that great measures are taken to avoid light pollution and emphasize the natural signposts of the stars), Exmoor National Park is more than a varied landscape of heathland, moorland, and forest. It's a place to get active and experience England at its natural best. A diaspora of hamlets and villages, you won't find the bustle of big cities here, but the thrill of mountain biking, low-impact hiking, and canoeing are a welcome diversion.
Mountain bikers may find the park's greatest challenge at Dunkery Beacon, while the downhill twists and turns of Timberscombe and Tarr Steps will deliver heart-thumping pleasure. The longest trail in England, the South West Coast Path, cuts through Exmoor, crossing the epic cliffs and showering waterfalls of the landscape. There are a number of shorter, circuitous treksthat serve as a best-of Exmoor without the extra weight of a tent on your back. This national park is also home to the Barle, Exe, and Lyn Rivers, the first two of which provide gentle rapids that maximize a scenic good time, while we suggest filling out a last will and testament prior to engaging with the class IV rapids of the latter. Lastly, you'll find that the views from the coastline are majestic, from the Great Hangman on the park's western stretch to Porlock Weir in the east, and worth a week of tramping in themselves.
Note:This park is over a three to four hour drive from both Birmingham and London, although much closer to Bristol.