If there is one thing I’ve learned during these last 12 months of lockdowns it’s the importance of getting to know your local area.  Now I’m back in South Yorkshire for longer than I have been at any time in the last 10 years I’ve found so many local places to explore.  Even as restrictions lift it’s understandable that many won’t want to travel far, and want to get some fresh air without venturing too far from home.  With this in mind, I have put together a list of the 25 best places to walk within South Yorkshire from short strolls to more challenging climbs.  Here are a few places to inspire you:

Barnsley

Cannon Hall Gardens

This stately home has a well-paved circular walk around the gardens that is pleasant to walk around and includes a stroll along a stream.  There is also a coffee shop along the route and a playground.  In non-covid times you can also explore the historic gardens and fairy gardens or visit the famous Cannon Hall Farm.

Difficulty: Easy

Time needed: 1 hour

Worsborough Mill Country Park

A pleasant circular walk around a large reservoir cutting through woodlands.  There is also a small cafe and playground towards the end of the walk and it is a great place to spot wildlife.

Difficulty: Easy

Time needed: around 45 minutes

RSPB Old Moor

A great place for wildlife spotting and strolls through nature, this is a relaxing place to walk.  There is also a cafe and adventure playground to enjoy however dogs are not permitted and there is an entrance fee.

Difficulty: Easy

Time needed: unknown

Wentworth castle gardens

The stunning grounds of Wentworth Castle Gardens is one of my places to walk in South Yorkshire, whether it’s the castle remains, the beautiful floral displays, or a longer walk through the grounds there are loads to see here.  Check out my post on Wentworth Castle Gardens for more information.

Rabbit Ings Country Park

This 64-acre parkland offers grassland, wetland and woodlands with trails for both walkers and bicycles, plus there is a great view from the top of the small peak.

Difficulty: Easy

Time needed: 1-2 hours

Langsett Reservoir

This beautiful reservoir cuts along the water and woodland in a circular walk, which can easily be extended by cutting up the footpaths along the large hills for great views of the surrounding areas.  It is particularly beautiful when the heather comes out in the Summer.

Difficulty: Easy-Moderate depending on which path taken

Time needed: 1-3 hours

Dearne Vally Park

Many paths cut through this area, so exploring is abound.  It’s a great place to see kingfishers if you can keep a keen eye out!  Parking is free and there’s even an outdoor play area to enjoy.

Difficulty: Easy

Time needed: 1-2 hours

Penistone Boundry Walk

This 16-mile circular walk takes you around the boundary of Penistone starting at Cubley Hall and taking you through a variety of environments making it an interesting and challenging walk.

Difficulty: Moderate-hard

Time needed: 6-8 hours

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Doncaster

Potteric Carr Nature Reserve

This wild oasis is a stunning place for wildlife sightings and makes for a great walk.  There is a cafe to stop for a drink and a bite to eat however there is a price to enter the reserve and dogs are not allowed.

Difficulty: Easy

Time needed: Unknown

Sandall Park

One of the largest parks in Doncaster standing at 69 acres this park is a great choice for a family walk.  It contains football pitches, a fishing lake and a playground.

Difficulty: Easy

TIme needed: Unknown

Sprotborough Flash Nature Reservoir and Canal

The cute village of Sprotborough is known for its amazing canal sidewalks, that cut through the Sprotbourough Flash Nature reservoir and on to the River Don.  Great for walking through locks, grassland, woodland and more.

Difficulty: Easy

Time needed: Unknown

Denaby Ings Nature Reserve

This nature reserve has a mixture of different habitats including wetlands and woodlands making it popular with grazing animals so there are lots to see.

Difficulty: Easy

Time needed: 30 mins to 1 hour

Cusworth Hall and Gardens

The grounds of Cusworth Hall make for a great relaxing walk of just over 4 miles and it includes some beautiful lakes and great views of the stately home.

Difficulty: Easy

Time needed: 1.5 hours

Rotherham

Wentworth Village

Wentworth Village is one of the most picturesque places to walk in South Yorkshire so if you are after great visuals this is the place to go.  If you don’t mind pavement walking it’s a great place for a short, flat walk and you can even end the walk at the popular Wentworth Garden Centre for some coffee and cake (the hidden gardens are also worth exploring while there).  The walk can be extended by adding on a walk through Wentworth Woodhouse.

Difficulty: Easy

Time needed: 30-60 minutes

Wentworth Woodhouse

While you do need to pay to visit the gardens of Wentworth Woodhouse itself you can walk the grounds for free.  There is one main route down a large track but there are paths that split out along different routes.  There are lots of open lands but dogs must be kept on leads.  You can extend the walk by crossing the fields to see some of the amazing monuments held on the grounds.

Difficulty: Easy-moderate (some incline walking on the way back to the main house)

Time needed: 1-3 hours

Rother Valley Country Park

There are many routes to explore in this country park so you really can spend as little or as much time as you like exploring.  There are countless activities to enjoy including canoeing, mountain biking, fishing, and loads more.  There is something for the whole family.

Difficulty: Easy

Time needed: 1 hour

Thyberg Country Park

This nature reserve and reservoir makes for a pleasant and short stroll no matter what time of year it is.  There are beautiful views across the water and there is a cafe where you can buy birdseed to feed the ducks.

Difficulty: Easy

Time needed: 45 minutes

Ulley Reservoir Country Park

A beautiful flat walk surrounded by beautiful rapeseed fields that look striking when they flower in summer.  It’s a great place to stop and feed the ducks and swans.

Difficulty: Easy

Time: 1 hour

Manvers Lake

This gorgeous circular walk around the lake is popular for various water sports.  It links to the Trans Pennine Trail for a longer walk.

Difficulty: Easy

TIme: 2 hours

Cliffton Parks

A great walk for those with children not only does this park offer a relatively short and relaxing walk but there is a playground, zip wires, a miniature train, skate park, funfair, mini golf, gardens museum, and a splash zone making it great for hot days!

Difficulty: Easy

Time needed: Varies

Sheffield

Rivelin Valley Nature Trail

This 3-mile stretch is a pleasant walk with lots of nature to check out along the way.  It has a cafe and play area making it popular with families.  There are even some stepping stones and a small waterfalls on route.

Difficulty: Easy

Time needed: 2 hours

Endcliffe Park

This large park in the center of Sheffield is a great place for an easy stroll.  There are play areas, cafes, lakes, woodlands and more to explore.  There are many different paths to explore depending on how long you want to spend.

Difficulty: Easy

Time needed: Unknown, dependent on how many routes you want to explore

Sheffield Round Walk

Sheffield Round Walk is a 15-mile circular loop that takes in some of the city’s greenest areas cutting through woodland, parkland, and suburbs.  It can be tackled in one or it’s been split into 4 if you want to take it easy.   Check out this handy map to see more.

Difficulty: easy-moderate

Time needed: 6-7 hours

Sheffield Botanical Gardens

The Botanical Gardens are a great place to visit if you want to love to see colourful plants and flowers on your walk, especially in the Spring and Summer months.  Close to the city center, this 19-acre grade II listed estate is a great place to take one of the many winding paths and get lost in the florals.

Difficulty: Easy

Time needed: 1 hour

Graves Park

Graves Park is the biggest park in Sheffield at 248 acres and it even includes an animal park.  It contains large open parkland, playgrounds, games pitches as well as natural woodlands, and a lake.

Difficulty: Easy

Time required: several hours to walk around it all.

Sheffield and Tinsley Canal 

Cutting behind the Meadowhall shopping center, Ikea, and other industrial areas this stretch of water is surprisingly quiet, serene, and pretty.  Passing through many locks, lakes and passing many houseboats is a relaxing walk with great scenery.

Difficulty: Easy

Time needed: 1.5-2 hours (1 way)

Five Wiers Walk

This circular walk runs across the wiers of the city center and out towards the Meadowhall shopping center.  This 6-mile walk can be extended by joining the Sheffield and Tinsley Canal walk (above) to head back towards the city center totaling 10 miles.

Difficulty: Easy

Time needed: 3 hours

Damsflask Reservoir

A pleasant walk around a large reservoir that provides beautiful views along paths and cutting through woodlands.

Difficulty: Moderate:

Time needed: 2 hours

Wyming Brook Nature Reserve

This stunning nature reserve offers beautiful views of waterfalls, crags, and streams.  It’s a great place to really get away from it all.

Difficulty: Varies

Time: Unknown

Meersbrook park

This park in Sheffield city center offers not only fantastic panoramic views of the city but it is home to not one but two historic buildings.  The Bishop’s House, which is one of the oldest buildings in Sheffield and the pretty Meersbrook Hall is great to behold.  Not only this but there’s even a secret walled garden to explore as well as a playground and other games areas making it a popular spot with locals.

Difficulty: Moderate

Time: 1-2 hours

Carl Wark

Situated on Hathersage Moor you can get great views over the Peak District from the top of this large hill.

Difficulty: Moderate

Time: Dependent on where you start the hike.

Agden Reservoir

This beautiful reservoir within Sheffield makes for a great circular walk for sightseeing and can easily be extended by adding on other nearby reservoirs making it a popular walk.

Difficulty: Easy

Time: 2 hours

Broomhill Reservoir

This relaxing walk is just under 3 miles long the surrounding scenery is beautiful especially in the greener months.  The first half of the walk is flat however the second half cuts through the woods and is a bit more uneven.

Difficulty: Easy-moderate

Time: 1 hour

Shirebrook Vally Nature Reserve

This nature reserve is a great, relaxed place to do some animal spotting on your walk, you can find different walks in the area in this guide.

Difficulty: Easy

Time: 45 mins-2 hours dependent on route

Wharncliffe Crags

These crags might be a little bit tougher to get to but they offer fantastic views of the town.  Walking up through the woods makes a pleasant hike and the views are more than worth it.

Difficulty: Moderate

Time: 1.5 hours

So there you have it, 35 amazing places to walk in South Yorkshire and all of them worth exploring.  Which from this list are you going to do next?  If there’s any I’ve missed let me hear about them!