High Peak Trail – View of Harboro Rocks loop from Cromford

Bike touring routes & trails

High Peak Trail – View of Harboro Rocks loop from Cromford

Hard

4.8

(11)

189

riders

High Peak Trail – View of Harboro Rocks loop from Cromford

03:10

34.8km

490m

Cycling

Hard bike ride. Very good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels. The starting point of the route is accessible with public transport.

Last updated: September 10, 2026

Tips

Your route passes through protected areas

Please check local regulations for:

Peak District National Park

Derwent Valley Mills WHS

Waypoints

Start point

Train Station

Get Directions

3.54 km

Ruins

3.85 km

Steep Climb to Middleton Top

Highlight (Segment) • Climb

Estimated 15% on loose ground - push through until you reach the top

Translated by Google •

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5.65 km

Great route for traffic-free cycling, the High Peak trail is a gravel track which follows the course of an old railway. This railway was owned by a canal company, so was built in an odd manner with long flat portions joined by steep sections (like canal locks) where the trains were often hauled uphill by stationary engines.

This means that most of the route is nice and flat but with inclines that will often mean pushing uphill. These include Cromford High Peak junction westwards (1:9 for about a mile), Middleton Top (1:8 with a surface including drainage channels across the track, so beware when descending especially as there are very steep drop-offs to the side), and Hopton (1:14 for about 500 yards or 457 metres).

You can get a good speed up downhill but be careful as surface is very loose.

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6.65 km

View of Carsington from the High Peak Trail

Highlight • Viewpoint

Hopton Incline extremely steep

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19.8 km

Chapel Plantation

Forest

20.7 km

View of railway embankment

Highlight • Cycleway

Great views of the old railway viaduct curving round over valley. The trail goes up this old railway

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24.0 km

High Peak Trail

Highlight • Viewpoint

This trail offers some stunning scenery and the surface is perfect for cycling

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24.6 km

View of the Countryside from the High Peak Trail

Highlight • Viewpoint

Stunning views over the surrounding countryside from the High Peak Trail

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27.1 km

View of Harboro Rocks

Highlight • Viewpoint

Part of the High Peak Trail that takes you past the Harbour Rocks, picturesque for sure.

The rocks are a dramatic outcrop of Dolomitic limestone.

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30.5 km

Middleton Top Engine House and railway wagon

Highlight • Historical Site

Notorious for its steep gradient, Middleton Top is a super climb with majestic views at the top. Plus, there's bike hire and a small cafe here. It has also been part of the Eroica Britannia route for the past few years – imagine that gradient with barely functioning, pre-1979 gearing. At the top of the incline there's the Middleton Top Engine House, as the track used to be the High Peak steam railway.

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