Help create the Slow Ways National Parks Trail

What if there was a trail connecting all of Britain’s National Parks and the world’s first National Park City?

That’s exactly what Slow Ways are working on – with the help of their volunteers – and they’d love for OIA members to be part of it too.

This 4,000km (2,500-mile) National Parks Trail stretches from Plymouth to Nairn. It connects:
Plymouth Sound National Marine Park, Dartmoor, Exmoor, South Downs, London National Park City, Broads, Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons), Pembrokeshire Coast, Eryri (Snowdonia), Peak District, North York Moors, Yorkshire Dales, Lake District, Northumberland, Loch Lomond & The Trossachs, and the Cairngorms.

Along the way, it links numerous additional National Landscapes and intersects with several National Trails.

The current version of the trail is made up of 277 route-legs, each averaging 15km (9 miles), most of which connect villages, towns, cities, and transport hubs. At a pace of 20km a day, someone could complete the trail in about 200 days – though many will enjoy doing it fractionally over a much longer period.

Slow Ways’ goal is to triple-check and verify the entire trail – ensuring each section is reviewed and confirmed by at least three people. If a route doesn’t meet the mark, alternatives can be proposed and reviewed.

Slow Ways believe the National Parks Trail would inspire millions of people. Anyone walking the length of the country would surely be tempted by the possibility of the trail.

And at a time of disconnection and fragmentation, the trail would be a symbol of connectivity and unity.

They’re inviting OIA members to help bring the trail to life.

As a community passionate about the outdoors, spread across the UK, and working in businesses that enable people to get outside, value volunteering and believe in team-building in nature, this is a unique opportunity to contribute meaningfully.

Ways you can get involved:

• Organise a team day to check one or more routes
• Walk or run a section of the trail yourself
• Share the project through your channels
• Invite your audience, community, or customers to participate
• Share your involvement using #SlowWays and #NationalParksTrail

This is a rewarding opportunity for your team, a meaningful way to support access to nature, and a great story for your business to tell – and all you need to do is go on a small adventure together!

Learn more in Slow Ways’ blog for Campaign for National Parks: What if we created a National Parks Trail together?

Got questions? Slow Ways would love to hear from you.