Cheddar Gorge Walk: The Ultimate Guide

The Cheddar Gorge Walk is one of Somerset’s finest hikes. Otherwise known as the Cheddar Gorge Circular Walk, Cheddar Gorge Cliff Top Walk or Cheddar Gorge Hike, the trail provides awesome views of the immense gorge. The trail itself is a relatively short one, but it’s quite steep and challenging in sections, making it a thrilling adventure and a must-do for hiking enthusiasts in the UK.

Cheddar Gorge is the UK’s highest gorge measuring 137 metres. Other than driving through it, walking Cheddar Gorge is the best way to enjoy it. The Cheddar Gorge Walk is a convenient loop route, which involves hiking on either side of the gorge; the highlight being the Pinnacles landmark – a section of epic crags and limestone cliff wall.

In this guide, we’ll describe the route, provide GPS-guided directions, discuss nearby accommodation and show you amazing photos of the hike, which includes aerial photography. You can even check out drone highlights of the Cheddar Gorge Walk in our YouTube production below.

The Cheddar Gorge Walk is the Best Trail Option

There are actually a few trail options when it comes to walking in Cheddar Gorge. But, the circular Cheddar Gorge Walk is definitely the best option. This trail takes in all the highlights of the gorge and its beautiful countryside. So, this trail is the obvious choice if you’re wanting to explore as much of the gorge as possible. At 5.8km, the trail itself is relatively short, so to choose a shorter trail, where you’d see less of the gorge, would be doing yourself an injustice!

But, many walkers will only walk the south ridge of the gorge, as this side has the most well-known attractions, including the Pinnacles and Jacob’s Ladder, otherwise known as the Cheddar Gorge steps. Indeed, the trail on the south ridge is well signposted and very popular. But, instead of doing an out and back of this side of the gorge, it makes sense to do a loop. This way, you’ll get to explore more of the outstanding limestone rock creating an even more enjoyable hike.

Check out our NC500, Brecon Beacons and Flamborough Head to Bempton Cliffs guides

Cheddar Gorge Trail Preview

• Type: Loop
• Distance: 5.8km
• Time: 2.5 hours
• Accumulated elevation gain: 370m
• Difficulty: Easy
• Trailhead: Black Rock

Cheddar Gorge Walk Map

The Cheddar Gorge Walk is fairly straightforward in terms of navigation. But, if you’re unfamiliar with the area, it may be worth having a Cheddar Gorge map with GPS directions. Feel free to use our Wikiloc GPS-guided Cheddar Gorge map.

The Cheddar Gorge Walk

Where to start the Cheddar Gorge Walk? Many hikers start their adventure from Cheddar village, which involves a short walk from town to reach the Cheddar Gorge Walk. But, we recommend starting at Black Rock, where you’ll find free street parking. From there, we recommend following the route in a clockwise direction to experience the best of the hike in the first half of your adventure.

In doing so, you’ll immediately begin to ascend rocky terrain, meandering through the forest. Soon enough, you’ll reach the top of the southern cliffs that form one wall of the gorge. The trail flattens, with farmland to your left and the deep gorge to your right.

Views of the opposing cliff walls are magnificent. But, the rugged crags and amazing cliff edge beside you are even more impressive. There are several amazing cliff walls on the southern edge of the gorge to admire, but our favourite landmark was the Pinnacles.

The Pinnacles are an incredible cliff landmark, made of numerous small ridge outcrops, which look absolutely immense. There are no fences atop the cliff top, so be very careful when exploring these ridges. From the Pinnacles, the views of the gorge, and particularly, the horseshoe bend, are unbeatable.

Only through the lens of the drone, were we able to capture better views and perspectives of Cheddar Gorge during the walk.

When we visited, a thick fog covered Cheddar village and the Cheddar Reservoir. But, the gorge was luckily free of it. After more sublime cliff edges and gorge views, you’ll begin to descend and soon arrive at the end of this particular track. After checking out the Lookout Tower, it’s time to follow Jacob’s Ladder down onto the road.

The North Side of Cheddar Gorge

Very briefly, you’ll follow the road in the direction in which you parked. But, after 50 metres or so, you’ll cross the road and re-join the Cheddar Gorge Walk. You’ll see signs for the Draycott and West Mendip Way, make sure you don’t follow this direction.

You now have your second steep climb of the day awaiting you. Maybe it’s because we were tired from the first climb, but the second ascent felt tougher. After quite a slog, you’ll reach a flat and grassy path.

During this part of the walk, the cliff edges of the northern edge of the gorge aren’t quite as spectacular. But, at least, you’ll have great views of the opposing cliff edges. Given this part of the walk wasn’t quite as exciting, we enjoyed speed hiking along sections of this track.

We chose a grassy crag as a suitable spot for lunch to take in the beautiful gorge. It’s only by doing the loop route, that you’ll get to see the gorge from each side, making it one of the best Cheddar Gorge walks.

After reaching the 5km mark, you’ll reach the end of the track. Simply follow the trail descending back to the roadside to complete the circuit!

Recap

The Cheddar Gorge is an excellent hike in Somerset. By doing the Cheddar Gorge Walk, which involves walking on each side of the gorge, you’ll have the most satisfying hiking experience in the area. Make sure to spend extra time at the Pinnacles during your walk, as they’re an amazing limestone cliff edge landmark.

Directions to Cheddar Gorge

Getting to Cheddar Gorge using public transport is possible but it’s a bit of a ball-ache. You’ll need to get the 126 bus from Weston-Super-Mare train station to the Wells bus station in Cheddar. The bus takes around 50 minutes, and doesn’t run on Sundays.

Driving to Cheddar Gorge is definitely the simplest option. If you don’t have your own set of wheels, consider renting a car.

To find out more about renting a car with Discover Cars, read our Discover Cars review and Discover Cars Insurance review.

Free Parking at Cheddar Gorge Walk

To complete the Cheddar Gorge Walk, we recommend street parking at Black Rock, which is for free. There are plenty of other car parks to choose from closer to Cheddar village, but you’ll have to pay for them.

Cheddar Gorge Parking

For your reference, here’s an interactive map showing Cheddar Gorge parking.

Cheddar Gorge Camping

Why not do the Cheddar Gorge Walk as part of an awesome weekend camping trip? So, which is the best Cheddar Gorge campsite? We’ve sussed out the three best campgrounds near Cheddar Gorge for the perfect weekend escape.

Cheddar Caravan Club Site

The Cheddar Caravan Club Site is perched on the edge of Cheddar Village and has incredible views of the Mendip Hills and countryside surrounding Cheddar Gorge. This camping area has fantastic facilities, including an amenities block, washroom, laundry, WiFi, disabled facilities and is dog friendly. This Cheddar Gorge campsite accommodates electric and non-electric tents pitches as well as car based camping.

Petruth Paddocks

Petruth Paddocks is an all-time classic camping option in Somerset. It’s a fun and laidback camping area located right at the doorstep of the cliffs of Cheddar Gorge. Better yet, you’re just a stone’s throw away from the Cheddar Gorge. Campfires, showers, toilets and Wifi are all included, and there are even shepherd huts, bell tents and other glamping options for hire!

Cheddar Bridge

Located just around the corner from the Cheddar Caravan Club Site, Cheddar Bridge is another stellar spot for camping. For those wanting a quieter campsite, Cheddar Bridge offers a more peaceful and relaxed atmosphere. With luxurious facilities, pristine riverside pitches and gorgeous views of the Mendip Hills, Cheddar Bridge is a top-notch Cheddar Gorge campsite.

Cheddar Gorge Hotels

Maybe it’s time you treated yourself to a hotel stay as part of your Cheddar Gorge hiking experience. We’ve got you sorted with three idyllic Cheddar Gorge hotels.

Bath Arms Hotel

Look no further than Bath Arms Hotel for an unforgettable stay near Cheddar Gorge. The hotel is just 10 minute walk away from the Cheddar Gorge Walk and has free parking on-site, as well as a restaurant and bar! Rooms are spacious with all the bells and whistles one would expect from a four-star hotel. Plus, they provide an awesome breakfast, that’ll help with walking around Cheddar Gorge.

Gordons Hotel

Perfect for a weekend trip, Gordons Hotel is another brilliant Cheddar Gorge hotel. It’s within striking distance of the Cheddar Gorge, making it a convenient location for ticking this hike off your bucket list. The hotel offers excellent facilities, as well as a garden and pool. Sounds like you’ll be going for a dip after the Cheddar Gorge Walk.

YHA Cheddar

Besides camping, YHA Cheddar is one of the most budget-friendly places to stay in Cheddar. With modern and accessible facilities, this hostel is an excellent choice for the savvy traveller looking to explore the area.

Other Walks in Cheddar Gorge

There are many other superb Cheddar Gorge walking routes. In the nearby Mendip Hills, you have the Black Down Walk, which actually overlaps the Cheddar Gorge Walk. Black Down is the highest point of the Mendip Hills, and one of the finest natural landmarks in Somerset.

There’s also the Strawberry Line, which forms part of the national cycle network. But, it’s also a great hiking trail and makes for one of the best walks near Cheddar Gorge.

If you’re looking for an easy Cheddar Gorge Walk, you should consider the Cheddar Reservoir Walk. It’s a flat trail, which encircles the human-made Cheddar Reservoir. It’s actually a great walk to combine with the Cheddar Gorge Walk. Think of it as a nice cool-down after smashing out the more difficult cliff top walk.

And, for another gorge walk, there’s also the nearby Ebbor Gorge. Starting from Wookey Hole Car Park, about 20 minutes from Cheddar, Ebbor Gorge is another epic circular gorge hike. Similar to Cheddar Gorge, you’ll have outstanding views of the Somerset countryside.

Cheddar Gorge and Caves

Of course, you shouldn’t forget about the magnificent Cheddar Gorge Caves during your visit. Visiting the Cheddar Caves, otherwise known as the Cheddar Gorge and Caves and Somerset Caves, is another great activity to do after the Cheddar Gorge Walk. For more details, head to the information centre in Cheddar, or, head here.

Hiking Gear Essentials

These are our hiking gear essentials for the Cheddar Gorge Walk.

To find out more about all of the gear that we use and recommend, read our guides about our favourite hiking gear, travel gear and camera gear. Otherwise, read our comprehensive travel packing checklist.

Bonus Tips

Are you wanting to do the Cheddar Gorge Walk? Share this post on Facebook with your hiking buddy to pump them up for this hike!