The Dartmoor 200 is a self-supported bikepacking challenge across Dartmoor National Park.

No. It's a 3-5 day tour that you can do at your own pace. No rules. No quotas.

It can be done as fast or slow as you choose, and at some point I'm sure someone will do it in less than 24 hours.

It's entirely up to you. The route has been designed as a multi-day bikepacking route to allow riders to test their kit, navigat,ion, planning, etc. in preparation for a bigger event such as Badlands or Atlas Mountain Race. But if you choose to book everything in advance that's entirely up to you. No rules.

The route was originally designed to be a gravel bike route. But a hardtail MTB with suspension forks is just as suitable. Due to the harsh winters over the last few years, some of the tracks are more hike-a-bike than gravel, but there are many that are rideable on any bike. Whatever bike you bring, you'll wish you had a different one at times, and be glad of what you have at other times!

100% YES.

Dartmoor is the only place in England where you can wild camp legally without obtaining the landowner’s permission, although camping is restricted to designated areas and subject to the Dartmoor camping code.

The Dartmoor wild camping map is available here.

There are a few great wild camping spots marked on the map, most being close to water. I highly recommend making the most of these spots if the weather is good.

This is Dartmoor, so the route includes a bit of everything including:

• Quiet tarmac roads
• Gravel tracks
• Bridleways
• Moorland double track
• Rocky trails
• Short hike-a-bike sections
• River crossings

Yes, the route goes through numerous villages/towns plus pubs and cafes. You can go off route as you want, which might be needed at times.

Dartmoor is notorious for fast-changing weather, so a good GPS and 1:50 maps are recommended as a minimum. The route GPX is very accurate and up to date. There are some diversions to allow for bad weather, particularly rain.

Absolutely. While the Dartmoor 200 is designed as a complete 200 km loop, there's no reason you have to ride it all in one go.

If you'd rather explore Dartmoor a day at a time, many sections of the route are available as individual rides on my website Dartmoor Gravel Biking.

As long as you are capable of riding 30-50 miles a day, you will be able to complete the Dartmoor 200. It's then entirely down to you to decide how closely you want to mimic your experience to a race you are planning to do.

As the Dartmoor 200 is a loop, you can start wherever you choose. But I like to start and finish in Lydford, as that was theoriginal start/finish when I designed the route during COVID.

Why Lydford?

Because there are two nearby campsites, and three local pubs with rooms all perfectly placed for a celebratory beer.

Local campsites may allow riders booking a stay before and after the route to leave their car at the site.

Alternatively, Lydford public car park uses RingGo, allowing parking sessions to be managed remotely.

The best option is to take a train from Exeter to Okehampton, then take the Granite Way directly from Okehampton station to join the Dartmoor 200 route near Meldon. This is around 3 miles on a flat tarmac track.

A nice, easy start to your ride.

Yes. The Dartmoor 200 passes through three military firing/training ranges on Dartmoor: Willsworthy, Merrivale, Okehampton.

The following distances to each range are from Lyford; enter/exit waypoints are also included:

• Willsworthy: at the 3km point you enter, then exit at 4km.
• Merrivale: at the 10 km point you enter, then exit at 14km.
• Okehampton: at the 176km you enter, then exit at 190km.

Be aware of any red flags, although you will hear shots well before you arrive. Range boundaries are also marked by red-and-white posts. If live firing is taking place, there will be military personnel to make sure you do not enter by accident.

Diversions for each range are included.

Firing times are published by the Ministry of Defence in six-week programmes. Check the latest official firing timetable here before setting off and again immediately before entering each range.