The year of the 'staycation' is already well underway and the Peak District will soon be inundated with more visitors. Certain areas are already showing signs of what's to come and issues such as congestion, littering and other anti-social behaviour are visible to anyone who uses the national park. Luckily for those that live in them, the Peak District is within a short distance of several major towns and cities, making the likelihood of finding similar solitude to that which you could experience in other national parks slim. But there are certainly quieter areas, and ways in which you can travel to help ease the pressure on the bustling spaces.

The BMC's Access and Conservation Officer for England, Rob Dyer, sums up the challenges which National Parks face in the coming months:

"National Parks are a natural focal point for anyone who loves the outdoors. With their spectacular landscapes and plenty of opportunities to enjoy nature and adventurous activities they will always be popular. We've seen huge increases in numbers visiting these places in the last year and more people than ever enjoying and invested in these places. This is great to see, but we need to be more careful than ever to make sure we're not adding to any problems or damaging what is special about our National Parks."

"Here at the BMC, we've been developing our advice on some of the key issues affecting climbers and walkers this year with our easy to follow Respect the Rock and Respect the Wild series" says Rob.

"These cover everything from how to look after crags and boulders to minimal impact advice on wild camping, wild pooing and van camping. If we had to distil it all down into a single statement, it would have to be 'leave no trace'. When you leave a crag, hill or campsite, no one should know you were ever there – if anything, leave it in a better state than you found it. Pick up any litter you find, for example. If we all do our bit, we can make sure these places we love so much are still just as incredible (or better!) now and for future generations."

Leave No Trace

It goes without saying that those using the Peak District should leave it as they found it. Littering is currently a big problem throughout the National Park and other issues such as disposable BBQs are likely to hit the news again during the dry summer months. The BMC are continuing their campaign urging the government to make the use of barbecues in public spaces a criminal offence. 

The lifting of lockdown last year saw a massive increase in problem behaviours as large numbers of people returned to the outdoors. UKClimbing's Rob Greenwood spoke after last year's lockdown was eased and said:

"Whilst everyone was stuck indoors the Peak was (unsurprisingly) very quiet; however, ever since the easing of the lockdown occurred every day has been like a bank holiday - weekend and weekday alike.

"Being based in Bamford it's been noticeable on several levels, the first being the ambient noise as a result of increased traffic (particularly from the large groups of motorbikes). The second is the parking problems in/around key 'honeypot' areas such as Ladybower, where etiquette has well and truly been thrown out the window. Police have been ticketing cars left, right and centre due to poor parking and my advice to anyone would be that if a given car park is full, go elsewhere.

"Another particularly noticeable factor of life post lockdown has been the amount of litter left lying around. This has been particularly noticeable up on the Edges, where I've frequently been bringing home a bag full.'

The Peak District National Park Foundation have recently set up a new campaign that aims to raise awareness about problems posed by litter in the Peak - from dangers to wildlife and fire hazards. They have been hard at work fundraising to help volunteers and community organisers and in the longer term, they aim to create a small grants pot for activities such as tree planting, wildlife monitoring and litter picking. A spokesperson said:

"We see it as a moral obligation to give back to national parks and will continue to do so. The launch of the Peak District Proud Fund coincides with the gradual welcome back to the national park for visitors following the relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions. While it is great to see so many people out connecting with nature in the Peak District, it's important that visitors enjoy the national park with understanding - to protect this special place for the wildlife that calls it home and for future generations of residents and visitors to enjoy."

For days up on the edges, consider arriving very early, heading there during the week, or giving your legs a bit of a challenge and parking further away

Parking congestion

Parking in the Peak District has always been a contentious issue, a problem only exacerbated by last summer's increase in visitors. Cars left over double yellows, up on verges and blocking others in car parks were daily problems to contend with and the National Park will certainly face the same issues this summer. Social distancing and escaping the crowds shouldn't be too much of a problem once actually out and about, but people will have to be slightly more creative with route choices when it comes to getting parked.

An estimated 20 million people live within an hour's drive of the Peak and as such, it's going to be nearly impossible to get parked at some of the gritstone edges on weekends. Honeypot areas like the Burbage Valley, Curbar, Stanage, Froggatt and the Roaches have limited parking and once full, the roads quickly become congested and difficult to navigate. For days up on the edges, consider arriving very early, heading there during the week, or giving your legs a bit of a challenge and parking further away.

Using public transport

Most of the Peak District has excellent public transport links, with the ability to travel around much of the national park on buses. Train services connect major hubs such as Manchester, Sheffield, Derby and Huddersfield, so starting your day via the train makes a lot of sense.

We're delighted to announce that the #HopeValleyExplorer will return this summer! 😀

Working with partners @stagecoachyrks the service will operate from 24 July to 30 October 2021 during weekends and bank holidays. 🚌

More details soon. pic.twitter.com/gfHL16oZKB

— Peak District National Park (@peakdistrict) May 26, 2021

Go out early, stay out late

A mid-day summer walk along the top of Stanage Edge is liable to feel like a high street in sales season (remember the old days of real shopping?), but head there at dawn and you may well have it to yourself, whatever the weather and season. If most folk treat walking like a 9-5, then the hours outside that daytime rush will be comparatively uncrowded. Get used to super-early starts; or if it's a nice night, then why not go out in the dark?

Quieter alternatives

A general rule of thumb is that the further you are from a road, the fewer people. Whilst there is nothing in the Peak District that could be considered wilderness, it is certainly possible to get away from the road. There are interesting routes to be taken on the moorland around Bleaklow or Howden; sights include wind-sculpted gritstone outcrops, huge reservoirs, remote moorland and crashed planes.

Dark Peak

Kinder

The parking for heading up to Kinder is likely to be extremely busy during the peak months; Edale and the Snake Pass have limited capacity, so consider starting from the train station in Edale or Glossop. Starting in Glossop is certainly a longer alternative, but there is also the X57 which heads over the Snake Pass. From either Glossop or the Snake Pass, there are fantastic days to be head traversing the northern edge of Kinder, or the entire loop if you feel up to it. The northern side of the A57 also has some excellent days out.

The same is possible from the Edale side, as are several other options like the enticing Edale skyline, or the Mam Tor Ridge. You will find crowds on many of these, but your day will be less affected if longer and if you've arrived on the train.

Eyam and Abney Moor

These high areas of moorland boast spectacular views of both the Dark Peak and the White Peak. Many walkers, climbers, cyclists, and runners often stick to the gritstone edges or popular spots like Mam Tor and Win Hill, but relatively few visit the south side of the Hope Valley. Look across to the honeypot areas of Stanage, Lose Hill, around Hathersage and smugly imagine the crowds you've avoided.

Become Inventive

Start by looking at a map and looking for quiet areas to park or easy places to get to on public transport. From these starting points, look for circular loops taking in a few different points of interest, or aim to get between points A and B where there's a bus or train ride home.

White Peak

Coombs Dale

Starting in Stoney Middleton, Coombs Dale is a fantastic open secret in the Peak. There are decent transport links to Calver, Stoney Middleton, or even Grindleford if you fancied something slightly longer. The Dale is a stark contrast to the nearby Dark Peak moorland and edges, and it can seem strange to find yourself in a steep-sided, luscious green valley. It's renowned among butterfly enthusiasts and is a SSSI. It's also possible to link the route into Eyam via the Black Harry Trail, but watch out for his ghost after dark…

Monsal Trail

The Monsal Trail is 8½ miles long, and while it's very popular there are many options for dipping in and out to make the route longer or start and finish in different places to help avoid congestion. The trail itself follows the old Midland Railway Line and passes through beautiful limestone valleys like Monsal Dale, Cressbrook, Millers Dale, and Cheedale.

Multi-day missions

Those with time on their hands and fully embracing time off in the UK may want to consider something like the Limestone Way. Starting in Castleton, this long distance trail weaves its way down through the Derbyshire Dales and into Staffordshire, before finishing in Rocester. Most split the 45-mile route into 3-4 days and there are several accommodation options along the way – there are campsites, although many may not be open due to COVID-19 restrictions.

For those with an abundance of annual leave or in need of a stern challenge for the legs, the Pennine Way starts in Edale and traverses miles of uncrowded moorland as it passes over the Snake Pass and Woodhead Pass before leaving the National Park for wider and wilder horizons in the north.

Scrambles

There are a few worthwhile scrambles in the Peak District and they tend to be slightly off the beaten track. Wildboar Clough (Summer) (Grade-2) is a classic grade 2 that you can start from the south side of Torside Reservoir on the Woodhead Pass. Watch out for the water and the grease! Another fantastic, slightly smaller outing is Wilderness Gully East (Summer) (M) which is a fun romp when dry. Blackden Brook (Summer) (Grade-1) on the northern side of Kinder is a great introductory scramble with a few awkward steps but very little that could be considered serious. This could be combined with a longer day on Kinder.