What the Coast to Coast’s National Trail status means for the Yorkshire Dales National Park

Coast to Coast walkers arriving in Keld used to be nothing short of traumatised.

“They’d arrive in quite distressed states, and I’d be washing their boots, socks and trousers,” recalls Karen Skeel, owner of Frith Lodge.

Sixteen years after walking the Coast to Coast herself, Karen now runs the very kind of business the route depends on. But today, she says, the difference is clear.

“Walking it now, I’m just blown away. It really secures its future, and it validates our decision to start this business.”

When the Coast to Coast officially became a National Trail in March 2026, it marked more than a long-awaited recognition of one of England’s most famous walks. It signalled its shift from a much-loved but unpredictable route to one being actively invested in, improved and managed for the future. Early signs suggest that shift is already being felt.

Stretching 190 miles from St Bees to Robin Hood’s Bay, the trail has long attracted thousands of walkers each year, with more than 25% travelling from overseas. Now, with National Trail branding and promotion behind it, it is poised to become a flagship international route, bringing even greater visibility to the landscapes and communities it connects.

For businesses along the route, that visibility matters.

“It can only be beneficial,” says Scott Newburn, owner of New Ing Lodge in Shap. “More trade is great, particularly in the shoulder seasons. It will make the terrain more manageable and hopefully give more people an understanding of the route and give them the want to go and do it.”

An estimated 20% increase in walkers following designation means more overnight stays, more food and drink spend, and more demand for services like baggage transfer and guiding. For smaller rural communities, that additional footfall can be the difference between survival and decline. But the benefits are not only economic.

Alongside the boost to local businesses, the upgrade programme has transformed parts of the route that were once considered some of its toughest sections. On White Mossy Hill, notorious for deep bog, extensive resurfacing has made the trail more accessible without losing its character.

“This is probably the biggest project we’ve ever taken on,” says Northern Dales Area Manager Matt Neale. “It brought the whole ranger team together, so everyone had the chance to be part of it.”

That work has not only improved the experience for walkers but helped build skills within the National Park’s workforce – from apprentices learning practical path-building techniques to experienced rangers delivering complex, large-scale projects across remote terrain.

While the Coast to Coast will never be fully accessible end-to-end, those improvements are opening up sections to more people.

Matt said: “The improvements give people the confidence to get out there and experience it without taking away from those who want a more traditional navigational route.”

That broader access extends beyond the trail itself. In Orton, a new link route is already drawing day visitors into the village, connecting them with local businesses and facilities.

“We’ve tried at every opportunity to get those additional benefits,” says Coast to Coast Project Manager Angela Hobson. “The community in Orton was really keen on it, and I think it could become almost as popular as the main route.

“The route’s become an asset to the wider public rights of way network in the Yorkshire Dales National Park.”

Across the route, that combination of investment, access improvements and growing demand is beginning to reshape how the Coast to Coast is experienced, not just as a walk, but as a network of places to explore, stay and spend time in. And that story is already being told by the people walking it.

For the communities that line the route, the early signs suggest the Coast to Coast’s new status is doing exactly what it set out to do – turning a great walk into a lasting national asset.

That growing recognition at a national level was one of the drivers behind the route’s designation.

Former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, whose constituency the route passes through, said: “This is, I think, our best walk, not just in the country, but internationally. National Trail status raises awareness, and that’s crucial because this path and the walkers are really important for our local economy.”

Explore the full scale of the Coast to Coast’s National Trail designation.