Watch the leaves turn from green to gold while experiencing everything Exmoor has to offer in autumn
Have you ever visited Exmoor in the autumn? It’s stunning. Clouds race across the sky, swathes of beech hedge turn russet brown, the fern covered moors rust over and the hills echo to the distant roar of a red stag guarding his herd. At night, the star-filled sky puts on a staggering show.
Surrounded by so much natural wonder, Exmoor feels a million miles away from civilisation, yet it’s easily accessible from Bristol, Exeter and Taunton.
Here are three ways to experience it in autumn:
Exmoor Dark Skies Festival
With hardly any light pollution, Exmoor is a great place to stargaze. The Dark Skies Festival runs from 14 October to 3 November 2019 and offers family-friendly tours and cultural and astronomy events. There are many spectacular stargazing spots, including Holdstone Hill, County Gate and Brendon Two Gates.
Wildlife safari
As the luxuriant foliage dies down on the moors, stags give away their location by roaring or bolving to ward off male interlopers. Small safari companies offer 4x4 off-road discovery tours to catch a glimpse of these magnificent beasts – or if you’d prefer to walk, join the Exmoor National Park rangers for a fascinating deer walk.
Leaf peeping
Exmoor’s trees display a vibrant palette of browns, oranges and golds. Walk up the East Lyn River to Watersmeet and you'll perhaps feel an overwhelming sense of wellbeing - in a recent Forestry Commission England survey, 96% of people said that beautiful autumn colours had the power to lift their mood.