The UK is home to some of the world’s best national parks, with previous research declaring some of its greenspaces to be the most beautiful in the world.
And we’re not surprised, as the country’s vast rural landscapes boast exceptional scenery, brim with flora and fauna, and are home to some of the most impressive outdoor experiences.
It’s without a doubt that Brits love to spend their time in the country’s natural landscapes, with 13.71 million people having flocked to a selection of national parks across Great Britain in 2019 alone.
At Independent Cottages, we love to boast about the beauty of the UK’s scenery and can appreciate that, for those with disabilities, there’s a lot more planning that goes into a trip to its national parks.
So, to try and make it easier for individuals with disabilities to enjoy the UK scenery, we’ve delved into the most accessible national parks in the country for those hoping to venture to the UK countryside in 2024 and beyond.
We used publicly available data sourced from the 14 official UK national park websites, analysing the number of facilities and amenities that are available for disabled individuals during their visit to their area, including accessible toilets, accessible routes, and accessible parking.
But not just this, we looked into how easy it was to gauge this accessibility information from each national park’s website, bringing to light whether people will be able to get the details they need if they’re trying to plan a trip for themselves, or a disabled friend or family member.
Finally, we took into account existing Google reviews addressing disability, as nothing better highlights the accessibility than the lived experiences of those who have visited national parks.
Check out the rankings below to see which national parks come out on top for their accessibility, to make exploring Britain’s breathtaking landscapes all the more easy.
The Most Accessible National Parks in the UK
#1 The Cairngorms National Park
In joint first place is the Cairngorms National Park. It is the largest park in the UK and is situated in the Scottish Highlands, spread over 4,500 square kilometres of Scottish wilderness.
The national park is also home to one-quarter of Scotland’s native forest as well as a quarter of the UK’s rare and endangered species. Promising beautiful wildlife experiences and exceptional scenery, what secured this national park one of the top spots for accessibility?
The park gained an overall score of 24, with its accessible toilets, attractions, parking spaces, and additional accessibility features all gaining full marks in the rankings. Notably, the park has an accessible minibus service available from Monday to Friday (with advance booking) in Badenoch and Strathspey, where people can be transported to the majority of visitor attractions nearby.
Not to mention that the park gained 5 out of 5 on its average Google Reviews, highlighting that individuals mentioning disability were pleased with the park’s offerings.
#1 The Peak District National Park
Also securing the top position in the rankings was The Peak District National Park. It was the very first of Britain’s national parks, receiving its status in 1951. Covering 1,438 kilometres of rural landscapes in the heart of England, it is filled with impressive geological features and is known for its clear star-filled skies.
Receiving the same overall score as The Cairngorms, The Peak District also gained glowing Google reviews that referenced disability, promoting the park as a location that those with disabilities will enjoy. Not to mention that the park also offers trampers – or all-terrain mobility vehicles – for those with disabilities to safely and easily navigate their way around the park and soak in its stunning scenery.
#3 Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park
Eryri National Park, which many may know as Snowdonia, is a region in Wales’ northeastern area. The park surrounds Mount Snowdon, one of the UK’s largest and Wales’ biggest mountains soaring at a staggering 1085 metres in height.
Home to nine mountain ranges in total, visitors can expect to weave their way through mountainous regions and glacial landforms as they explore the park through its series of routes, and when visiting its natural landmarks.
Securing an overall score that was just shy of both the Peak District and The Cairngorm National Parks, it was the Google reviews that were responsible for Snowdonia gaining third place, averaging 4.8 out of 5. Additional features that disabled people can make the most of at the park include hiring an all-terrain tramper, and the park has several tramper-friendly routes – from viewpoints to lakeside spots – to embark on.
Peter Rutherford, the Access and Well-being Manager at Eryri National Park, states: “What’s important to us, and every national park throughout the country, is adopting a philosophy that carefully considers accessibility. It is at the forefront of our conversations and decisions here at the National Park Authority, and we’re always working to find the least restrictive options to open up opportunities for all.
“It’s important to our team at Eryri that we are always continuing to create new routes. We’ve upgraded some existing routes to create ambitious links between areas throughout the park, allowing them to be accessed by those in our free-to-use off-road trampers and 4×4 mobility vehicles. With many disabilities also being invisible, we pride ourselves on our programme of events including mindfulness walks and wellness yoga to support mental health and well-being.
“Our teams have been working hard to make our website more accessible also, offering materials from dedicated pages to informative videos to share insights into our accessible routes and facilities for those considering visiting our park and who want to learn more about how we can accommodate them.”
#4 Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) National Park
Comprised of 1,344 square kilometres of Welsh wilderness, the Brecon Beacons National Park, officially renamed in 2023 to its native name of Bannau Brycheiniog, takes fourth position in the rankings of the most accessible UK national parks.
Filled with forests, moors, waterfalls, and mountains, the national park offers diversity in its landscapes for those in search of a varied escape in nature during their next visit to a national park.
This Welsh national park secured its high position thanks to its good accessible offerings and facilities, alongside its good communication of this on its website. But it just missed the mark of getting into the top three due to some of its accessibility information being spread across its website rather than on its designated accessibility page.
But, it came highly praised and recommended by visitors, receiving a 5-star average rating on Google, which we think is a win in its own right!
#5 North York Moors National Park
Gaining joint 5th place is the North York Moors – one of the North of England’s most flora-rich areas. The park is engulfed by heather moorland, which covers roughly a third of the national park boundaries.
Nestled in the upland areas of Yorkshire, the national park is home to extraordinary natural beauty as well as a rich historical and cultural heritage. It was North York Moors National Park’s Google reviews that let down its score, with an average of 3.67 out of 5 being the score given by those who have visited the park and taken note of its accessibility.
But the North York Moors certainly left an impression for the array of attractions it has to offer its visitors, many of which are accessible. From 18th-century stately homes to Victorian steam trains, there’s much for disabled individuals to do without having to sit out on any activities during a visit to the North York Moors.
#5 South Downs National Park
Finally, securing joint 5th place in the rankings is the newest of the UK’s 15 national parks – the South Downs National Park. It was founded in 2010, but the discussions surrounding the area being made a national park can be traced back as far as 1929.
The park itself was granted International Dark Sky Reserve status in 2016, making it one of seven National Parks with this status, which speaks volumes for the unrivalled astrological experiences and sightings that can be had here.
It was also the South Downs National Park’s Google reviews that brought its overall accessibility score down. But, much like the North York Moors, it has an array of inclusive attractions, from museums to galleries and historic castles, that disabled people can enjoy at their leisure.
Methodology
We obtained the list of UK national parks from the National Parks UK website, and analysed the following data points:
- Accessible toilets
- Disabled parking
- Accessible attractions and routes in the park
- Additional accessibility features offered or available in the park
- How well the national park website communicates its accessibility information
- The average score of Google reviews that included the word ‘disabled’
Scores were either assigned based on quantity (with multiples and good communication of the data point scoring higher) or availability of accessibility information on each park’s website.
The Yorkshire Dales National Park was excluded from the analysis due to having an incomplete data set.
Please note that the accessibility of UK national parks was based on information made publicly available on each National Park’s official website and other relevant sites. We welcome any new information that may have been missed that would impact the scores and rankings obtained of the UK national parks.