The Kilnsey Trail
Come and explore the Kilnsey Trail and enjoy a unique Yorkshire Dales experience. You will be given a detailed trail leaflet to make sure you don’t miss anything! See here for more information about the Kilnsey Trail for children!
The first thing you will notice is all of the wildlife wandering freely around the Park. You’ll see the ducks, geese, hens and guinea fowl everywhere you go!
Once you set off you’ll visit the goats up high on their skyway, red squirrels in the first of their two enclosures and you’ll have the opportunity of feeding the giant rainbow trout!
Venturing up the site, take a look at how we make our own green electricity from our abundant water supply. You’ll see a classic water-garden laid out beside the second of the red squirrel enclosures, and a butterfly garden very close to a pond where more giant rainbow trout live. Throw them some food and watch the water boil! On your climb up to the source of the spring where the water gushes out of the hillside, you will be able to visit Tiggy and Wiggy, our kune kune pigs. Your climb is rewarded by spectacular views across the Dale.
On the way down, you can detour through the Kilnsey Park water meadow Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), renowned for its rare orchids, and containing more than 150 different species of flowers and grasses through the season.
Don't forget to call into the honey bee observation house to see the observation hive!
Throughout the walk, you will also get an insight into the day-to-day running of a working Trout Farm where we produce 35 tonnes of trout, that's 157,000 ten inch trout every year! There are 3 separate raceways where you’ll see the trout as they develop from fingerlings through to maturity.
Trail competition for children
Around the Kilnsey Trail there is always a fun trail for children to follow where you have to spot the hidden animals or other clues. We keep changing it so there is a different one each time you visit us! Watch out also for the Detective Trail for slightly older children where you find the answers to our fun quiz by reading the information boards dotted around the Park. See here for more information about the Kilnsey Trail for children.
Don't forget to become a Kilnsey Kid so that we can send you news about what is happening here at the Park - and we'll send you some ideas of fun activities to do at home!
