Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Stay apart. Act responsibly. Save lives.

We're delighted to give you a warm welcome again.

Remember, when meeting friends and family you do not live with (or have formed a support bubble with) you must not meet in a group of more than 6, indoors or outdoors. In all cases, you should social distance from anyone you do not live with or is not part of your support bubble. The Government recommends that you keep two metres away from people where possible or one metre when you can mitigate the risk by taking other precautions.

Before you head out of the door, make sure you Know Before You Go and plan your trip carefully. We've ideas on where to go and we’ve pulled together a map giving you the latest information on which attractions and activity providers are open in the North York Moors area.

For now we must proceed with caution and act responsibly to protect local communities and other visitors. Please help do your bit and thank you for social distancing.

We will be constantly reviewing all government advice and will provide updates here accordingly.

Our latest statements

Guidelines for accessing the National Park responsibly #RespectProtectEnjoy

If you’re visiting the North York Moors, please do follow our guidelines:

Know Before You Go and plan ahead: Before travelling here, please check online to see if facilities are open first. It’s also worth checking North Yorkshire County Council’s interactive roadworks map as they are undertaking surface dressing on a number of roads this month with local diversions in place.

Stay safe: Public Rights of Way everywhere remain open as permitted by law, but we ask you to follow Government advice to observe social distancing guidelines. Clean your hands regularly. Bring hand sanitiser for use after touching shared surfaces (gates, stiles etc).

Avoid popular spots: Large gatherings at beauty spots will only make social distancing incredibly difficult. If you arrive at a site that is already busy, go elsewhere or come another time. If car parks are full, remember do not block access for local residents, farm vehicles or emergency services, find an alternative. We have created a list of car parks within the National Park to help when planning your day, and some guidance on finding quieter spots to give you the opportunity to explore somewhere new.

Follow The Countryside Code #RespectProtectEnjoy
➜ Respect other people: consider the local community and other people; park carefully so access to gateways is clear, leave gates and property as you find them; and follow paths
➜ Protect the natural environment: leave no trace of your visit and take your litter home; do not have BBQs or fires; keep dogs under control; dog poo - bag it and bin it
➜ Enjoy the outdoors: plan ahead and be prepared; follow advice and local signs and stick with the social distancing

Respect wildlife and livestock: Always keep your dog on a short lead near farm animals, but if cattle act aggressively it is safer if you let it off the lead. Other wildlife, such as baby deer, may have moved into the spaces we have left behind so stick to defined routes and keep dogs under close control wherever you are. If you are driving, please slow down and drive with care on moorland roads as there is very likely to be a sheep or bird wandering around the next bend.

Remember wild camping remains illegal: Almost all the land in the National Park is privately owned, and you must get the landowner's permission before camping. Some farmers and landowners may allow camping if you ask them, but if in doubt find an official campsite; there are plenty to choose from.

Follow the latest Government advice closely: Find out what you can and can not do. Government also regularly updates its guidance on using green spaces while protecting yourself and others. It has issued a guide on how to stay safe outside your home.

If you’re unable to venture out to the North York Moors, check out our website for inspiration, including Nature for all, a roundup of all the best ways to appreciate what’s around us and reconnect with nature from the comfort of your home.

National Park Authority services during COVID-19 restrictions

Following recent Government advice on working, which allows employers to decide on reopening workplaces, the National Park Authority is introducing a phased return to office working from 1 September.

Our offices in Helmsley will be occupied by some staff and reception will be available to answer telephone queries during normal office hours. However, our offices will still be closed for unarranged public access, though pre-arranged meetings with officers can take place. Health and Safety precautions have been put in place, including hand sanitisers, screens where required and social distancing of 2m to be observed. Contact details will be required for track and trace purposes.

Please note that staff will be working on a home/office split basis. You can still reach us by email in the usual way on general@northyorkmoors.org.uk.

Planning service

These changes mean that we can offer a more accessible planning service and officers will be available to offer pre-arranged advice and undertake site visits, with safeguards in place. Further details of the service are available in the Planning service coronavirus webpage.

At the present time, public meetings will still be held remotely using video or telephone conferencing technology and our Planning Committees are being held virtually where planning applications requiring Member determination are decided. This will be reviewed in November.

National Park facilities

In line with Government guidance, all of our car parks and toilets are open. Please check the latest information on our car parks and toilets page.

Both our National Park Centres at Sutton Bank and Danby are open, including the Inspired by… gallery, although there are certain restrictions in place. Don't forget, face coverings must be worn throughout the Centres. We won’t be able to provide you with a face covering; please bring your own so you don’t miss out. Our toilets are open but may be at a reduced capacity to assist with social distancing; you may also find them closed for additional cleaning during the day, please be patient.

Park Life Café is operating a limited service at Sutton Bank and The Moors National Park Centres. Please follow their one-way system, and stick to social distancing rules and any procedures they have in place.

The independently operated Sutton Bank Bikes shop has also opened its doors providing cycle hire at Sutton Bank (pre-booking recommended).

Further guidance so you know what to expect before you visit and frequently asked questions regarding our gallery, events and activities are available on the Sutton Bank National Park Centre page and The Moors National Park Centre page.

While the majority of our ticketed events and activities have been cancelled or postponed, we are now able to go ahead with some events and workshops, following Government guidelines. Please check our events calendar for details. However our guided walks programme has been cancelled for 2020 and will restart in spring 2021.

These measures will remain under constant review.

Volunteering

We are operating a phased return back to volunteering. As well as lone-working and family groups of volunteers, we have now started to get volunteer groups out working in groups of up to six. We also have some new volunteer opportunities being advertised on the Volunteering section of our website.

In order to keep everyone safe, there are some Covid-19 provisions in place which we ask all our volunteers to follow as instructed. Thanks for your continued patience and we look forward to continuing to get back to normal volunteering in the North York Moors in the not too distant future.

Community support

Search our interactive map to find out if your local community has a food delivery or collection service.
People in North Yorkshire without access to a support network in urgent need of help, or for signposting someone in need, should get in touch with North Yorkshire County Council’s Customer Service Centre by calling 01609 780780 or find out more on the County Council website.
North Yorkshire County Council is urgently looking for additional staff to support vital health and social care services. Find out how to apply.
Community First Yorkshire is working with partners to co-ordinate community responses, including connecting local people to volunteering opportunities.
Redcar & Cleveland Voluntary Development Agency is acting similarly
The Farming Help Partnership – Addington Fund, Farming Community Network (FCN), Forage Aid, Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution and RSABI, supported by The Prince's Countryside Fund - are working together to support the Farming Community.

North York Moors