Box Hill
Dorking
Children will enjoy the stepping stones on this walk.
Children will love crossing the stepping stones
The Basics
Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Distance: 3 km / 1.9 miles
Terrain: Steep and uneven descent on steps, stepping stones or footbridge, a very steep ascent that may be slippery when wet.
Pushchairs: This route is not suitable for pushchairs.
Dogs: Dogs are welcome on this walk.
Refreshments: National Trust café, including an ice cream kiosk.
Toilets: Toilets available at the National Trust visitor centre.
Public Transport: The 465 bus between Dorking and Kingston stops at the bottom of the hill and the 21 between Crawley, Dorking, Leatherhead and Epsom stops at the summit (not Sundays).
Parking: Use the main car park at the top of the zig-zag road, free for NT members or £2 up to 1 hour, £4 up to 2 hours, £6 up to 4 hours, £9 all day. (Postcode: KT20 7LB - W3W: ///advice.penny.unions)
The views from Box Hill are among the best you will find in South East England.
Box Hill on the North Downs is cared for by The National Trust. The views are some of the best you will find in South East England and when you add in woodland, The River Mole, an old fort, a natural play area and a range of facilities and trails, you can see why hundreds of walkers flock here every weekend.
There are a number of marked walks that you can try. The two that will appeal most to families are The Play Trail and The Stepping Stones Trail. The first is an easier walk through the woodland at the summit where various natural play features are waiting to be explored. The second is the walk described on this page; it has a steep climb down and back up, but the reward is the fun of crossing The River Mole via the stepping stones.
The Route
From the cafe and visitor centre, use the large signpost to direct you to the viewpoint. The viewpoint is a popular place to bring a picnic blanket and enjoy the scenery. Just to the right of the curved brick wall that forms the viewing platform, look for the post with a number of walk markers on. You are going to be following The Stepping Stones Trail. Follow the path as it begins its way down the hill.
At the second gateway, veer left and follow the steps. There are around 275 steps cut into the hillside. Be prepared for them to be uneven and steep.
When you reach the bottom of the steps, fork left at a stone marker. You will soon see the stepping stones over The River Mole (if you do not fancy giving these a try, there is a footbridge a little further upstream). Once you have crossed the river, turn right and walk on the path closest to the river with the water to your right. Soon after you pass the footbridge, the landscape will open up and you should continue in the same direction, with Box Hill and the river to your right until you reach a bridge and the road.
Veer left at the bridge and walk up to the road. Turn right and use the pavement to cross the bridge. Pass The Sunday Hotel to your right.
Just after the hotel, take the footpath on your right beside a bus stop. At the information board about Burford Spur, fork right and begin a very steep climb up the chalky downs. When the path meets some scrubby trees ahead, veer left and continue climbing towards a roped-off area. After a few metres, bear right at the corner of the trees and continue your climb. The path will begin to level out and you will enjoy views over to Denbies Wine Estate to your right.
As you walk along the more level path at the top of the hill, look out for a path that forks off to your left. Take this path to the old fort, a remnant of a line of defences built in 1890 to protect London against any possible enemy invasion. Pass the old fort to your right and continue along the path to the Zig-Zag Road. Turn right for the café, car park and visitor centre.
Gain access to the member's only area of our website where you will find the complete A-Z library of all our PDF files. This includes over 220 self-guided walks ready to print or download, as well as various children's activity sheets. You will also find a digital membership card, giving you access to our current discounts.
Did you know?
Box Hill was used as part of the route for the 2012 London Olympic Games cycling road race creating a challenging, but picturesque ride.
And in fiction, the famous picnic scene in Jane Austen’s Emma also takes place at Box Hill
If you enjoyed this walk…
… try this nearby one at Norbury Park which forms part of the landscape you can see on the other side of the valley.
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